This lane in the Lower Town was not only, like many others in this area, traversed lengthwise by a ditch — which caused the two sides to bear different names — it was also, following the custom of the time, named differently by section. The names mentioned above thus always applied in the past only to one side of a section. Specifically: between Kasernengasse and Reitergasse, eastern side Reussengasse; between Reitergasse and Strandgasse, western side Schilfgasse (Reed Lane); the same section, eastern side Gänsegasse (Goose Lane); between Strandgasse and Sperlingsgasse, western side Schwanengasse (Swan Lane); the same section, eastern side Lindengasse (Linden Lane). Only the stretch between Rosengasse and Kolkowgasse was called Weidengasse (Willow Lane) around 1650. On 18th-century maps one then sees this name extended to the entire western side from Strandgasse to Sperlingsgasse, while the opposite side still bore the name Schwanengasse. Both sides of the section between Strandgasse and Kasernengasse bore the name Hintergasse at this time. From 1814 the uniform and "bilateral" name Weidengasse was used. This name was also transferred to the extension of this lane to Langgarten, which was built in 1874. The origin of all these old names should be clear — except for Reussengasse. The name is said to come from visitors from Eastern Europe who used to stay at a guesthouse located here until the 19th century. After the war, the Polish renaming commission made an amusing error with this lane. They confused the tree Weide (willow) with the pasture Weide (meadow), so that this lane is today called, in translation, Meadow Lane, while the old Wiesengasse (Meadow Lane) is now called Willow Lane. Bohdan Szermer, a 1945 employee of the Polish city administration, explains this error as follows: "When the streets of the Lower Town were being renamed, the workers who were nailing up the street signs got things mixed up and nailed the 'Willow Lane' signs in the Meadow Lane and the 'Meadow Lane' signs in the Willow Lane. When after some time the error was noticed and they wanted to correct it, the residents protested — they had already gotten used to the names, had informed their families and acquaintances of the addresses, and some (as craftsmen and shop owners) had already ordered stamps. And so it stayed." (Bohdan Szermer: "The First Year in Danzig. Fragment." Published in: 30 Days No. 3 (41). Translated by R. Kowald)

History