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Wrocław
The capital of Lower Silesia, the fourth most populous city in Poland, with a rich, complex, over a thousand-year history, a Polish, Czech, Habsburg, Prussian and German. In 1945 during World War II, largely destroyed (southern and western districts in 90%, the Old Town in 70%).
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Not all the monuments were rebuilt
...but most were, and the most important ones were saved first. The Town Hall, the University and the historic churches are the pride of Wrocław, just as they were centuries ago. And today, as in the past, they are also frequent subjects of paintings, graphics, and photographs.
The Cathedral Island in Winter (1913) by Hugo UlbrichCity Museum of Wrocław
1. Cathedral Island
A fortified settlement was built on the Cathedral Island in the 10th century, which gave rise to the city of Wrocław. It was built on an island on the Odra River near the river crossing.
The western part of the stronghold was occupied by the residence of the dukes.
The eastern part, around the year 1000, was occupied by a stone cathedral connected with the bishopric established in Wrocław.
The present building was erected by Bishop Thomas I in the middle of the 13th century. In the following centuries, the interior of the cathedral was transformed, rebuilt after several fires, and the furnishings changed.
To the west of the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, the two-level Church of Holy Cross (upper). and Saint Bartholomew (lower) was built. This first two-level church in Silesia was founded in 1288 by Duke Henry IV the Righteous.
The Town Hall in Wrocław (1911) by Hugo UlbrichCity Museum of Wrocław
2. The Town Hall
...located in the historical centre of Wrocław - the Market Square delineated in the middle of the 13th century, is one of the most valuable Gothic monuments of the city and one of the most beautiful in Europe.
Erected at the end of the 13th century, it was extended in the 14th and 15th centuries, but its final shape was given in the late Middle Ages during reconstructions.
In later centuries the building was supplemented with Renaissance and Mannerist details (the helmet of the tower, portals, vaults). For centuries, it was the seat of the city council, today it serves as a museum (the City Museum of Wrocław) and a representative building.
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Wrocław Cathedral nowadays
📍 Ostrów Tumski
The St. Elizabeth Church in Wrocław (1936) by Georg NerlichCity Museum of Wrocław
3. Saint Elisabeth Church
The present Saint Elisabeth church was built from the beginning of the 14th century until 1482, when the tower was completed.
The Gothic steeple, destroyed during a storm in 1529, was replaced a few years later by a Renaissance steeple. After the fires of the 1970s, the church was reopened to the faithful in 1997, and from the observation deck visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
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Saint Elisabeth Church nowadays
📍 Świętej Elżbiety Street
Mennicza Street in Wrocław (1938) by Fritz GeyerCity Museum of Wrocław
4. The Church of Saints Stanislaus, Wenceslaus, and Dorothy
Originally a monastery of Augustinian monks, later a Franciscan monastery, a late Gothic hall church built in the southern part of the Old Town.
It was founded by the Czech king Charles IV of Luxembourg in 1351 to commemorate the agreement on the rights to Silesia concluded with Casimir III the Great, king of Poland.
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The Church of Saints Stanislaus, Wenceslaus, and Dorothy now
📍 Wolności Square
The University of Wrocław (1911) by Hugo UlbrichCity Museum of Wrocław
5. The Leopoldine Academy
North of the Market Square, rises above the Oder River the imposing Baroque building of the university, founded as a Jesuit college by Emperor Leopold I in 1702.
The university was called the Leopoldine Academy and was built on the site of the imperial castle.
6. The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus
The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus was built between 1689 and 1698, and the main building of the university between 1728 and 1742.
The construction was led by Johann Blasius Peintner and Joseph Frisch. The Leopoldine Academy became a five-faculty university in 1811, after merging with the Viadrina, the university transferred to Wrocław from Frankfurt (Oder).
The New Synagogue in Wrocław (1926) by Siegfried LaboschinCity Museum of Wrocław
7. The New Synagogue at Łąkowa Street
The second largest in Germany after the Berlin Synagogue, was built in 1872 for the liberal faction of the Wrocław Jewish community.
Edwin Opler was the designer. It was burnt down in 1938 during “the Kristallnacht” (The Night of broken Glass).
On the site where it stood, on the sixtieth anniversary of the November events, a monument was erected to commemorate the victims of the Kristallnacht and the destroyed New Synagogue.
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The building doesn't exist anymore
A monument commemorating the New Synagogue stands here.
The New Bourse in Wrocław (1926) by Luigi KasimirCity Museum of Wrocław
8. The New Bourse
📍 Krupnicza Street
The New Bourse at Krupnicza Street, built in 1864-1867 according to a design by Karl Lüdecke. In 1928, Heinrich Lauterbach remodelled the interior.
It is a brick, plastered building with a palace-like character, in the forms of Tudor English Gothic with elements of Neo-Renaissance.
The architecture is complemented by sculptural allegories of Agriculture, Shepherding, Trade, Shipping, Mining, and Metallurgy.
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The New Bourse nowadays
📍 Krupnicza Street
Marzena Smolak
