LAYOUT OF THE CUSTOMS FREE ZONE AND QUARANTINE OF THE PORT OF GDANSK

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500480071-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 1, 2003
• Sequence Number: 71
• Publication Date: June 1, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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Approved For Release 2004/03/25 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500480071-8
DEC 1951 D1-t30 '
CONFIDE TiAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
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SUBJECT Layout of the Customs Free Zone and Quarantine of the
Port of Gdansk
DATE DISTR.
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THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING TIC NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITEL 5TATC5. RI TN111 TIC NEARING OF TITLE I5. SEC T I ON5 155
ANO TIA OF Ill b.5. CODE* AS *0CN000. ITS TRANSMISSION OR R[AE?
LA CI ON 01 l15 CON TI:XIS t.?- N R[CEIPT OY AN UNAUTNORI:"O, N50N IS
f1Q?IRITCn G~1,. TNC RC.ROOV{l1ON OF THIS RCRORT IS R 111TE0.
NO. OF PAGES 3
NO. OF ENCLS.
SUPP. TO
1. "The following information on the Customs Free Zone and Quarantine of the
New Port of Gdansk is dated June 1953.
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Available on loan from CIA Library is 0 sketch map of the Customs
Free Zone and Quare tine of the i'ew Fort of Udansk. This map is drawn to
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the approximate scale of 1: 1000 meters. The following legend applies.
The numbers in the subsequent report text refer to this legend:
"I.
Pier from Wester Platte closed to the public
2.
Small entrance pier
3.
Line of new constructions to widen the entrance to the port
4.
Gate for workers
5.
Quarantine, contagious disease pavilion
6.
Observation pavilion
7.
Flat of the janitor
8.
Laundry, disinfection, etc.
9.
Health administration building
10.
Warehouses
11.
Electric power distribution station for the whole port, transformer
s
12.
Warehouse
13.
Czechoslovak warehouse
14.
Customs office
15.
Gate to the Customs Free Zone
16.
Building of the Management of Gdynia-Gdansk Harbors and of the WOP
17.
WOP guard-tower
18.
Main gate to the Customs Free Zone and footpath with a gate
19.
New concrete highway to Harbor Master's office with a tramway
20 .
Old German monument
21.
Warehouses "J
SEE LAST PAGE: F,02 `U!" . . P, . CQ. ,F-"
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CONF IDENTIAL
DISTRIOUTJUN F* ISTATE I 14~R1IY - , NAVY EV AIR F01
This report is for tl},e''use within the USA of the Inte!!)Igence components of the Departments or
Agencies Indicated ab4be. It is not to be transmitted overseas without the concurrence of the
originating office throtl'i'h the Assistant Director of the Office of Collection and Dissemination, CIA.
 Approved For Release 2004/03/25 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500480071-8
CONFIDENTIAL 25X1
- 2 -
Customs Free Zone (Woiny Ob."zar Celery) of Gdansk
2. "The Customs Free Zone (WOC) of Gdansk is situated in the basin facing
Westerplatte, at the entrance to the New Port of Gdansk. As one faces
the Baltic Sea, it lies to the left .iyr:-tr ri~?f$
3. "As one enters the New Port from the Baltic there is a small entrance pier (2)
at the right. The line of dashes (3) marks the line of new constructions to
wider- the entrance to the ,port. The 'erperts I think that this coQstruction
will cause the waters inside the basin to rise so considerably that the base
for tugs and pilot- boats, situated at the outlet of the port, will be unable
to operate. The waves in the port are too high already, especially if the
wind blows landwards. This construction work is to be finished during 1954.
4. "The Customs Office (Placowka Urzedu Celne o) is situated (14) in the immed-
iate vicinity of the large warehouse (l3 called the Czechoslovak Warehouse.
There cotton and friable goods are stored. A general warehouse (12) nearby
serves for such purposes as loading leather from the Netherlands. Further on
is the electric power distribution station with transformers (11), which serves
the whole lport of Gdansk. This station I consider the vulnerable spot of the
port of Gdansk. Another warehouse (l.o) serves for storing piece goods of all
description.
5. "The entire northern dock of the Customs Free Zone has two railway loading
platforms which run along the warehouses, and a number of modern cranes,
mostly oflCzech origin. The dock itself is made of concrete; it is new and
in very good condition. Behind the varehouse buildings, a new, good, concrete
highway leads to the quarantine; at this warehouse end it is not yet quite
finished.) At the other end. this road turns around the basin and connects with
a new highway (19) which leads to the Harbor Master's Office. A tramway line
operates on this highway.
6. "The southern dock of the Customs Free Zone is disguised by buildings. It has
a railway line with loading platforms and several~ large warehouses, :
hcY'e"3.s
is there that main stocks bf the.>e: po t. goOt!g T6i4- it~iac eir `=lie t.`'E'4(21)
also storage space for piece-goo", glass, sugar, pipes; also electric trolleys,
cars and buses, of Czech and Hungarian origin. The southern dock has several
permanent cranes which are not very good.
7. "On the shortest, western side of the basin is the building (16) of the Manage-
ment of Gdansk-Gdynia Harbor - Offi:es of the Gdansk Sector (Zarzad Portu
Gdansk Gdynia, Biura Odcibka Gdanskiego - abbreviated ZPGG). In the cellars
of this building, the WOP stores some of its equipment: batteries, etc.
WOP office rooms are situated on the ground floor. Between the ZPGG building
and the basin, there is a smal.: gate guarded by WOP. Near the southern part of
'the buii Y ;b%s ' ds an' ,observation tower of the WOP (17) from which the entire
basin and all its docks may be observed. Further to the south the highway
crosses the railway and tramway line. At that point is the main gate to the
WOC (Customs Free Zone). This is guarded by the WOP (18). There is a separate
small gate for pedestrian traffic beside the main gate.
3. "To the north of the northern dock there .re some old German bunkers, ruined
German buildings, etc. Further, in the rorthwestern direction, there is a park.
It is separated from the WOC by a fence made of cement slabs wha.ch are maintained
at both ends by cement poles standing upright. The ends are pushed into
openings in the poles. This sort of fence surrounds all the important enclosures
in the lport. It is topped with barbed wire. Formerly some railway sidelines
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Approved For Release 2004/03/25 : CIA-RDP80-00809AO00500480071-8
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9. "From the direction of Brzeznu, towards the new construction works (3) a
provisional, small railway line runs along the seashore. It transports
building materials. A small gate for workers (4) sometimes remains opened.
It is also quite easy to walk around the fence and the gate, on the stones of
the beach, if the tide is low.
10. "In Brzezno there is an old Gerson monument which now has been transformed into
a Polish monument.. There are also some bumkers,remnantr, of a destroyed pleasure
pier, and a beach to which the public is admitted. There areaalso some villas
and some facilities for holidaymakers.
existed in the area north of the WCC, but now they have disappeared.
Quarantine
11. "The quarantine is located at the northeastern end of the Customs Free Zone,. It
is enclosed by a wire-net fence through which there are three entrances. There
is a small gate at the western side, near building (7) and a large vehicle gate
near building (5). Along the western side of the quarantine runs a side street
with a concrete surface. This street joins the main highway. At the eastern
aide of the quarantine where the highway is not yet completed, near.building (~')
there is another vehicle gate. I an not quite certain about the shape of the
fence-line along the eastern side of the quarantine. I think that behind the
building (9) it bends a little westwards and afterwards leads to the, north,
toward the sea. 7.
_U)
12. "There are five buildings within the quarantine enclosure. ThQ:rsa tary-admin-
istrative building (9) holds washrooms, dressing 'ooms, medical examinati:e
rooms, etc.. In building (8) there .W laundries, disinfecting installations
and similar offices. Building (5)..,is the contagious disease pavilion. Build-
ing (6) is the observation pavilion. In the ouilding (7) the janitor has his
flat. Between (7) and (8) there is a VOP watch-tower which controls the whole
area.
13. "The janitor has two dogs in his charge; during the night they are let loose in
the quarantine enclosure. If anything' suspicious occurs, searchlights are
switched on. They appear'to be.located'Thy building (5). They light up the
whole area. But usually the quarantine is not lit up, and, despite the fence,
it is not difficult to enter it from the side of the sea.
14. "The quarantine is to be enlarged up to the new pier (3), where a quarantine
dock will be created. The construction work is nearing completion.'
15. "The Harbor Health Office (sanitariat Portu) occasionally uses the quarantine
for disinfecting. In 1951, some workers from the Bialystok district were
brought to the port. They were directed to the quarantine for disinfection,
in order to prevent an outbreak of typhoid fever."
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CONFIDENTIAL
LWRAT?k SUEJEC r 4 ARM`- CQDT -
756.543 55M
756,548 '5M
755.55 55M
756.544 55M
756,549 55M
856.012 55M
621 ,43 55M