Poland's Wedding to the Sea Memorial in Mrzeżyno

Among the coastal pines of Mrzeżyno stands a large fieldstone boulder with a plaque, flanked by flagpoles. It marks 17 March 1945, when soldiers of the 1st Warsaw Cavalry Brigade reached the Baltic here and performed Poland's "wedding to the sea" – one day before the far better-known ceremony in Kołobrzeg.

Three weddings in March 1945

The symbolic gesture of marrying the sea was first performed by General Józef Haller in Puck on 10 February 1920, when Poland regained access to the coast. In March 1945, as units of the Polish 1st Army reached the Baltic, the ceremony was repeated several times: on 15 March in Dziwnówek by soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division, on 17 March in Mrzeżyno by the cavalry – the ritual itself was carried out by a lancer, Corporal Sochaczewski – and on 18 March in Kołobrzeg by Corporal Franciszek Niewidziajło. The Mrzeżyno ceremony is sometimes called the first post-war wedding to the sea, although a similar one had taken place in Dziwnówek two days earlier.

Mrzeżyno in 1945

Until 1945 the village bore the German name Treptower Deep (also Regamünde) and was a fishing settlement with a harbour at the mouth of the Rega. After the war it became part of Poland and its German inhabitants were expelled to Germany. Mrzeżyno grew into a seaside resort, and today its harbour serves a dozen or so fishermen and yachts.

What the memorial looks like

The memorial is a large boulder set on a stepped concrete base, with a metal plaque bearing the Polish eagle and an inscription commemorating the cavalrymen. Flagpoles stand beside it and a coastal pine forest grows behind. It is a modest spot rather than a grand monument – 10–15 minutes is enough to see it.

Tripto tip

Combine the memorial with a walk round the eastern part of Mrzeżyno: to the harbour breakwaters and onto the beach. The Mrzeżyno Wschód (East) bathing area has repeatedly been awarded the Blue Flag (2005–2007 and 2009–2014). The dune coast here is being eroded by the sea, so use only the marked paths down to the beach. If the events of March 1945 interest you, visit the wedding-to-the-sea memorial in Kołobrzeg as well and compare the two places.