Not hampered by tailbacks...
Tens of thousands of spectators who came to Grunwald to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the great battle on Saturday ended up getting stuck in a 30-kilometre long traffic jam.
Over 2,000 knights re-enacted the Battle of Grunwald but the real battle started right after the historical spectacle, when 120,000 spectators tried to leave the battle site.
Even though the battle lasted only one hour, most visitors had to spend several hours in Grunwald waiting for a gigantic traffic jam to unblock, which happened shortly before midnight. Some visitors left Grunwald only on Sunday morning.
The horror started on Saturday morning. Dozens of tourists from Poland and Germany got stuck in a traffic jam on their way to Grunwald and some did not make it on time including the ‘Armia’ rock band which was supposed to sing after the re-enactment.
Those who were lucky enough to reach Grunwald before the battle did not have a place to park. “People parked cars at random,” says Marcin Danowski from police in the northern town of Ostroda. After the battle those who arrived late blocked those who wanted to leave early.
Even though 300 policemen directed traffic at Grunwald it did not help. “There were only three single-lane roads so even if there had been a million police officers, it would not have helped much,” says Danowski.
Even ambulances had problems with passing through. Some desperate SUV owners chose to drive across arable fields damaging crops. Some farmers decided to make a profit from the traffic jam. One of them paved a way through a maize field and collected 20 zloty (5 euro) per car which wanted to pass. Other farmers started selling tap water to thirsty passengers who after several hours of waiting in a gigantic traffic jam ran out of water.
“I was at a Papal Mass in Krakow and I thought that Poles already gained experience in organizing mass events. I wanted to come to Poland for Euro 2012 but after Grunwald I might change my mind. I’m simply afraid for my own safety,” said a German tourist.
A gigantic traffic jam was not the only pitfall of the event. Spectators complained that only VIP guests could see the battle properly. The sun was shining so much that it was difficult to see anything on huge screens and the voice of the announcer who reported was going on at the battle field was hardly audible.
Some spectators climbed the roofs of portable toilets to have a better view which disturbed those who wanted to use the toilets. Besides, mobile phone networks were so loaded that it was impossible to make phone calls. Some drivers called medical assistance via CB radios when people fainted.
Outraged visitors booed officials who came to watch the Grunwald battle in which, after 600 years, the Polish-Lithuanian knights again defeated the Teutonic Knights. (mg/jb)
Source: Rzeczpospolita
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