The fort was originally designed by General Jan Mallet-Malletski as a key defensive element of the Zamość Fortress.
The interior cells are divided into sections, with some dedicated specifically to the victims of the 'Kinderaktion' targeting children.
The brick walls still bear visible bullet holes and scars from the executions carried out by the Gestapo.
It is one of the few remaining circular forts of this scale surviving in Poland from the mid-19th century.
The site was officially converted into a museum of martyrdom in the post-war era to preserve the memory of the Zamość region's suffering.
The Rotunda Zamojska is a 19th-century circular fortification that served as a Nazi-era execution site during the Zamość Uprising. Built between 1825 and 1831 as part of the Zamość Fortress, it was repurposed by the Gestapo during World War II as an 'interim transit camp' for political prisoners. It is estimated that approximately 8,000 people were executed within its walls, including members of the Polish resistance and civilians. The site now functions as a Martyrology Museum, commemorating the victims of the 'Aktion Zamość' displacement campaign. The interior consists of several original cells where inscriptions and remnants of prisoner life remain visible. Outside, the site features a cemetery and memorials dedicated to the victims of various national and ethnic backgrounds. The central courtyard is often used for commemorative ceremonies and civic tributes. Its circular design, characteristic of Russian-influenced defensive architecture of the period, remains largely intact. It is a site of significant historical weight, serving as a memorial to the occupation of the Zamość region.
The center of the circular courtyard provides the best perspective of the geometric scale and the surrounding cells.
Bring a jacket as the thick masonry walls keep the interior significantly cooler than the outdoor temperature.
Read the informational boards located at the entrance to understand the historical context before entering the individual cells.
Plan to spend time in the surrounding memorial garden, which contains graves and monuments not visible from the main courtyard.
Treating the site as a casual park; it is a solemn cemetery and execution site where quiet behavior is expected.
Closed on Mondays.
Maintain a quiet, respectful tone; photography is permitted but avoid using flash inside the memorial cells.
