Modlin Fortress (Polish: Twierdza Modlin), called in Russian the Novogeorgievsk Fortress (Russian: Крепость Новогеоргиевск), is one of the largest 19th-century fortresses in Poland. It is located in the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, approximately 50 kilometers north of Warsaw. It was originally constructed by the French from 1806 to 1812.
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The Battle of Modlin took place during the 1939 German invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War. Modlin Fortress was initially the headquarters of the Modlin Army until its retreat eastwards. From 13 to 29 September 1939, it served as a defensive citadel for Polish forces under the command of General Wiktor Thommée against assaulting German units. The fighting was closely linked with the strategic situation of the Battle of Warsaw.
The Polish forces defending the fortress included the armoured train Śmierć and the Modlin anti-aircraft battery, which was credited with shooting down more Luftwaffe planes than any other in the entire September campaign.
Fortress Modlin capitulated on 29 September, one of the last to lay down its arms in the campaign, and surrendered 24,000 troops. Several days earlier, Rochus Misch had attempted to negotiate the surrender of the fortress and was shot and badly wounded while returning from the negotiations, for which he was awarded the Iron Cross.
Soldiers of the Panzer Division Kempf committed the Massacre in Zakroczym on 28 September 1939.
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The siege of Novogeorgievsk was a battle of World War I fought after the Germans broke the Russian defenses in Paul von Hindenburg's Bug–Narew offensive. In terms of the ratio of casualties and trophies, the German victory at Novogeorgievsk surpassed the victory at Tannenberg in 1914. It is also one of the most brilliant victories in world military history in capturing a heavily fortified fortress defended by superior enemy forces. Numerous Russian sources call the fall of Novogeorgievsk the most shameful page in the history of the Russian Imperial army.
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The Granary on the Narew river is a granary built in 1838-44 in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki near the mouth of the Narew river in north-eastern Poland.
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Nowy Dwór County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Masovian Voivodeship, east-central Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, which lies 33 kilometres north-west of Warsaw. The county also contains the towns of Nasielsk, lying 21 km north-east of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, and Zakroczym, 5 km west of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki. Warsaw-Modlin Airport is located within the county.
The county covers an area of 691.65 square kilometres. As of 2019, its total population is 79,256, out of which the population of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki is 28,649, that of Nasielsk is 7,702, that of Zakroczym is 3,196, and the rural population is 39,709.
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Modlin was a village near Warsaw in Poland near the banks of rivers Narew and Vistula. In 1961 it was incorporated into the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki.
There is a former Modlin Fortress holding a junction of the two rivers, built in the 19th century, and last used during World War II. Currently, there is Modlin Airport in a part of the fortress.