At the site of the railway embankment at the Olivaer Tor (Oliva Gate), there once stood the so-called Irrgarten (Maze Garden) or Plantage (Plantation), an ornamental square laid out in 1708 and planted with chestnut trees. Today only the name of the Irrgartenbrücke (Maze Garden Bridge), which crosses the railway grounds, serves as a reminder.

The derivation of the name from the madhouse (Irrenhaus) of the neighboring military hospital (Lazarett) is incorrect. The term "Irrgarten" has in fact been in common use since the 16th century for garden layouts with winding, labyrinthine paths.

In 1809, the square was named "Napoleonsplatz" to celebrate the marriage of Napoleon I to Marie Louise. This was the first instance of the now so popular official naming of public streets and squares in honor of famous men who otherwise had not the slightest connection to the place named after them. The name never caught on, however — not even after it was later changed to "Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz." The Danzigers simply preferred their Irrgarten (Maze) to unerring rulers.

After the demolition of the ramparts and the rebuilding of the entire area, the name was used only for the railway bridge. And so it has remained after the war.

History