Winiary Hill, north of the Old Town, was transformed into a fortress from 1828 to 1839 by the Prussians. It was destroyed in the siege of 1945, and the remains of the fortifications house the Poznań Army Museum (closed until next year) and the Museum of Armaments, which has open-air displays of military equipment. The rest of the area the fortress occupied is now a large park. Of note are the cemeteries that lie on the south west of the park boundaries. A commonwealth graveyard includes the remains of allied airmen shot down over Poland during WWII and is also the resting place for several of those captured during The Great Escape – yes it was a true story (minus Steve McQueen). Next to it a cemetery dedicated to Red Army soldiers killed during the 1945 siege, with a soaring monument standing out as an awesome display of Socialist Realism. The red star that once topped it was long removed, the rumours that it was filled with jewels proving to be urban myth. Jammed in between Soviet and Commonwealth memorials are plots dedicated to Poles killed under Fascism, and also during the Wielkopolska Uprising. After all the gloom and death the installation titled ‘The Unrecognized’ by Magdalena Abakanowicz comes as light relief. Some 112 cast iron headless figures stand at over two metres high and make for curious viewing. Added to the park in 2002, the meaning of the controversial installation is open to debate. For more about the artist visit www.abakanowicz.art.pl.