- If every nation has a trauma, that it cannot forget, then the trauma for Poland is the three partitions, that it went through in the 18th century. The decline of the once great nation of Poland, began already in the early part of the 18th century, when Poland was allied with Russia, against Sweden, in a war to control the Baltic States. Poland became a battlefield for this war and the result from that was, along with the many different political confusions resulting from the war, that Poland was weakened for good. After the war, the surrounding great powers, Russia, Austro-Hungary and Prussia also entered into a secret alliance, which was meant to keep Poland a weak country for ever. From here on, Russia practically controlled and ruled Poland, despite it's independent status.

- In 1772, Poland was so weak that it didn't have anymore the means to resists any foreign powers and so Prussia, Russia and Austro-Hungary concluded the first partition of Poland, annexing 733,000 square kilometers of Polish land to themselves and closing some 4,5 million Polish people inside of their new borders.

- Due to the Russian involvement in a war against Turkey, the Poles tried to revive their country, by issuing a new constitution, which guaranteed personal freedoms for all people. This constitution was hailed with enthusiasm in the United States, France and England, but to the Russian, Prussian and Austro-Hungarian plans this kind of constitution didn't suit and the Russian troops crossed the Polish border in 1792. At first it looked like the Polish troops could resist the Russian invasion, but when the Prussian troops attacked from other direction, all hope was lost and Poland went through the second partition in 1793, forced upon it by the Prussia and Russia, which took more than half of the country and nearly four million people.

- The second partition led to a popular unrest in Poland, led by a veteran of the American War of Independence, Tadeusz Kosciuszko who in 24th of March 1794, proclaimed insurrection from the market place of Krakow. The insurrection however didn't last for long and in October, Kosciuszko's forces were defeated and the Russians marched to Warsaw, slaughtering the population in a Warsaw suburb of Praga. After the third partition in 1795, the nation called Poland, ceased to exist for over hundred years. 

- However, the area of Krakow remained a free city, where the three great powers were "protecting" the rights of the free city. This situation didn't last long either and in 1846, the Austro-Hungary annexed the whole free city, into it's empire. These forts in Krakow, reminds from that time, in which Austro-Hungary gained the area and build several forts to Krakow, to strengthen it's border area.

- From the forts we visited, this is the only one that's clearly abandoned and without any use currently. It's also covered by a fence, but fences normally don't hold anyone back and so...

- The main entrance to the fort. However every access point that there was, was either locked carefully or had bars installed. So no way of reaching the interiors, but in any case, it was interesting to visit the fort, that's so different from the three other forts.

- First of all, the three other ones, are massive forts and covers a large land area. Fort sw. Benedykta is totally different. It resembles a round castle tower, but it's just a bit bigger. Also located on a hill, from which years ago without the trees, you could have seen very far.