Palaces and Townhouses.Town Hall Formerly seat of the city council, one of the most valuable Renaissance architecture monuments in central Europe. The earliest mention about it dates back to 1310. It must have been erected shortly before that, at the turn of the 13th century. Evidence of that is a keystone preserved in the cellar that bears the coat of arms of the Przemyślid dynasty, represented on the Polish throne from 1300 to 1306 by Waclaw II. The Gothic town hall was at first an unimposing two - storey building and the tall tower was most probably not built until the early 16th century.Between 1550 and 1567 the town hall was reconstructed in the Renaissance style by the Italian architect Giovanni Batista Quadro of Lugano. The building was extended to the west and raised by one floor, its roofs were hidden behind attic storeys and its facade decorated with a three - storey loggia. In 1675 the tower was struck by lightning and destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1690, but in 1725 it was felled again, this time by gale force winds.The new classicist cupola with an eagle was mounted on the tower only during the general renovation of the building, carried out in the years 1781-84 under the auspices of the Good Order Committee. During the next renovation between 1910 and 1913 an extra storey was added. In 1945 the town hall suffered serious damage: the cupola of the tower came down and the top two floors were completely burnt. The most valuable interiors on the first floor were saved from fire by the city custodian, Józef Jóźwiak. During the reconstruction, which lasted until 1954, the extra storey added at the beginning of the century was demolished. In 1994 the work on general renovation of the town hall was started. The town hall elevations are consistent in their Renaissance character. The only evidence of the building's Gothic past is the brick fragment of the tower dating back to the early 16th century. The classicist cupola was restored to its form from the end of the 18th century. Perched on its top is an original eagle from 1783. It is 1.8 metres high and has a wingspan of 2 metres.But the building's most attractive feature is its front elevation with its colonnaded three - storey loggia and the three turrets above it. The medallions between the first and the second floor portray heads of wise men and heroes of antiquity. The attic storey features heads of the Polish kings from the Jagiellonian dynasty. Pictures of the kings from the Piast dynasty, designed by Zbigniew Bednarowicz, started to be posted below the side turrets.In the centre turret, under the clock, there is a cartouche with the initials of king Stanislaus Augustus. Right above the clock there is a small ledge where every day at noon a pair of billy goats appears.The oldest part of the building is the early - Gothic cellars with their groined - rib vaulting. The most interesting rooms are on the first floor. The Great Hall (also known as the Renascence Room) boasts one of the most beautiful Renaissance interiors in Poland. It has richly decorated coffered sail vaulting that rests on two pillars. Inside one of the ceiling coffers is the coat of arms of Poznań. In the room's west wall there are two late - Gothic portals from 1508. The Royal Room, with barrel vaulting with lunettes, was where the city council used to convene. Its name, which originated in the 17th century, comes from the royal portraits that hang on its walls. The Renaissance fireplace from 1541 was transferred here from the Municipal Scales building, which was being demolished at that time. The Court Room has Renaissance ceiling from the middle of the 16th century; the polychromy that adorns it dates back to different periods, from the 16th to the 19th century. Inside the room stands a statue of king Stanislaus Augustus made in 1791 most probably by Augustin Schöps. The rooms on the second floor have Renaissance ceilings that were restored after WWII. The town hall houses the Poznań History Museum.^ Imperial Castle The monumental edifice that used to be a residence of the German emperor was built in the years 1904-1910 according to a design by Franz Schwechten, who apparently took on board many suggestions from Kaiser Wilhelm II himself. The castle was a pivotal element of "the castle district" projected as a visiting card of the city and testifying to its supposedly German origins.The architecture of this neo - Romanesque, multipartite structure harks back to medieval castles, and its individual parts are modelled on Romanesque monuments in Germany and Italy. Most of the designs of the dressed - stone elevation and the interiors were made by Gotthold Riegelmann.The whole structure is dominated by the tower with a clock, originally 74 metres high. Inside it a chapel was made in 1913. It was designed by August Oetken and modelled on the famous Capella Palatina in Palermo. In the east part of the edifice there was a magnificent throne chamber. Emperor Wilhelm II stayed here twice: first at the inauguration in 1910 and then in 1913. In the years between the wars the castle was a residence of the Polish President and a part of it was used by the Poznań University. During the German occupation the edifice was rebuilt as a Hitler's official residence; it was then that the showy entrance from Święty Marcin Street was added. Also the tower chapel was closed and a small balcony built on the south wall.The castle was so badly damaged in 1945 that some cogitated that it should be demolished. In the end it was rebuilt, but without restoring some elements of its external decorations. In addition, the tower destroyed during the wartime fighting was made some 20 metres lower. Today the castle is run by a cultural entity, Centrum Kultury "Zamek". It also houses other institutions, such as the Animation Theatre and a cinema. In the Rose courtyard there is a fountain modelled on a 13th century lion fountain in the Alhambra Palace, Grenada. In the small park adjacent to the castle there is a rock put here in 1990 to commemorate the victims of Katyń. In 1999 a monument to the victims was unveiled.^ Royal Castle The residence started to be built in the mid-13th century by the Great Poland prince Przemysł I. Most probably the first structures built were an inhabited tower and farm buildings surrounded by a wooden pale. Later the princely residence was included inside the medieval city walls. There was also a wall that separated it from the town. Around 1290 prince Przemysł II started to expand the structure intending to make it in the future a royal castle. The king's tragic demise in 1296 did not stop the work.The castle was finished in the first half of the 14th century, most certainly during the reign of Casimir the Great. At that time it was the largest secular structure in the land. Next to the tower with the living quarters rose a massive building measuring 63 by 17.5 metres and at least 9 metres high. To the south it was adjoined by a tall defence tower. From the times of Wladyslaw the Elbow - High the castle was the residence of governor - generals of Great Poland. The Gothic structure was burnt down during the fire of the city in 1536. It was rebuilt in a Renaissance form by governor Andrzej Górka. The Swedish Deluge and the Northern War brought more destruction. In 1716 for the first time in its history the castle was stormed. The destroyed buildings were partially rebuilt in 1721, but by then the castle had fallen into visible decline. In 1783 the last governor general of Great Poland, and at the same time president of the Poznań Good Order Committee, Kazimierz Raczyński erected an archive building upon the foundations of the southern part of the castle and partially using its walls. It was designed by Antoni Höhne. Later it was extended by workshops. After the second partition of Poland the building first housed the Prussian regency, then the appeal court, then after 1885 the state archives.In 1945 most buildings on Przemysł Hill were destroyed. During reconstruction, carried out between 1959-64, only the edifice built by K. Raczyński was restored. Today it houses the Museum of Applied Arts. The castle hosted many sovereigns. Among those who liked to stay here were Casimir the Great, Wladyslaw Jagiello and Casimir the Jagiellonian. King Jan Olbracht lived here for almost a year and it was here that in 1493 he received the sovereigns from the grand master of the Teutonic Knights, Johann von Tiefen. Two royal weddings took place at the castle: that between Waclaw II and the daughter of Przemysl II, Ryksa in 1300 and that of Casimir the Great with the Hesse princess Adelaide. While Sigismund the Old was staying here for many months in 1513 his wife queen Barbara Zapoyla gave birth to their daughter Jadwiga. Another curious fact is that from 1398 to 1400 the castle burg Graf was Przecław Słota, the author of The Bread Table Poem (better known under the title Poem on Table Manners), the oldest secular poem written in the Polish language. The 18th century building has modest classicist features. It is covered by a mansard - type hip roof. Medieval barrel vaulting with lunettes have been preserved in the vaults and on the ground floor. In the outside northwest wall there is a fragment of the old city wall from the end of the 13th century (it can be seen well from the Wielkopolski Square). Next to the entrance there is a plaque put here in 1783 to commemorate the reconstruction of the edifice by K. Raczyński. There are also two more recent plaques, one from 1996 commemorating the coronation of Przemyslaw II and one from 1993 celebrating 500 years of the Teutonic grand master's homage.^ Old Market Square The central square of the city established in 1253 on the left bank of the Warta River was designed on the base of a square with four 141 - metre sides.In terms of size, the square is the third biggest in Poland, losing only to the squares in Krakow and Wrocław.Each side of the square has three streets running out of it, dividing its sides into two sections with eight 35-43 metre long, 7-8 metre wide plots.Of the twelve streets starting at the square, four (Wrocławska, Wroniecka, Wielka and Wodna) used to lead to the city gates.The square was to be built up with administrative and commercial edifices. Soon after the creation of the city, the town hall, the Municipal Scales and market stalls were built. Originally the structures built both in and around the square were made of wood. However, as soon as in the end of the 13th century brick buildings began to appear: the Municipal Scales, the Gothic town hall, and in the 14th century the cloth hall.In the first half of the 16th century a complex of small houses, called the merchants' houses, was built by the merchants who owned the individual plots.In the 17th century, the bread market was moved next to the Municipal Scales and in their place the arsenal was built. Next came the guardhouse in the late 18th century.These buildings were repeatedly destroyed, rebuilt and modified and were finally restored to their original form (except for the arsenal and the cloth hall) after 1945.The speed with which the wooden structures were phased out increased after the great fire in 1471. The houses around the square were built with initially two and later three rows of rooms, with their gables facing the square. They were used as lodgings, but served also as workshops and stores.On the ground floor, as you entered the building from the square, there was the so - called "grand hall" used for commercial and representative purposes. In the back, separated from the house by a small yard, was a small building used as storehouse and workshop.With time there were more and more departures from this initially uniform arrangement , as in the case of the palaces built by the wealthy, noble families of the Działyńskis and the Mielżyńskis in the 18th century. There were more changes in the 19th century and in the early 20th century.Old Market Square 2Following the devastation wreaked during the liberation of Poznań in 1945, when 60% of all the buildings in the square were destroyed, including 80 buildings gutted by fire, reconstruction began in the very same year. The work, carried out in accordance with meticulously drawn up conservation plans, aimed to restore the square to its former splendour. In the 1950's the arsenal and the cloth halls made way for modern looking exhibition pavilions.After 1945 the Old Market Square lost its predominantly commercial character, becoming instead a residential area with many cultural institutions. Some of the shops on the ground floor were kept, often to sell souvenirs.In the 1970's many fashionable bars, cafes and restaurants were opened. After 1990 the square saw the arrival of offices of several banks and even more eateries.Between 1880 and 1955 there used to be trams running across the square. Traffic of all vehicles was gradually reduced and eventually in 1970 the square became closed to any traffic, with the exception of special permit holders. In the second half of the 19th century the square was equipped with water and gas installations and illuminated by gas lighting. Early in the next century an underground electrical network was constructed. In the late 19th century the surface of the square was replaced. The present paving is a result of a general renovation carried out in the late 1960's. Every June the square is home to a lively street fair (Jarmark Świętojański), and throughout the summer it features many cultural events including some performances of Malta Theatre Festival. In the summer months many bars set up beer gardens in the square, where you can drink as much coffee or beer as you want and make yourself familiar with Polish cuisine! There is neverending party on the square! Join it!^ Merchants' Houses They are unique relics of early commercial architecture. As early as in the 13th century there used to be herring stalls here that also sold salt, candles and torches, as well as some every day items. In the late 15th and 16th centuries the wooden sheds were replaced with narrow, often single - window brick houses with shops downstairs and living quarters on higher floors. The entrances to the stores were protected by arcades, walled up in the 19th century. During the post - war reconstruction the houses were restored to their original form. The arches of the arcades are supported by small sandstone columns; most of them original (house number 11 column bears the date 1535). The southernmost house, dating back to 1538, is known as the City Chancellery or the House of Scribes. Until the 18th century the city scribe lived in it; today it houses the Society of Friends of Poznań. In the arcades Poznań artists sell their paintings, most of them depicting the Old Market Square.^ Former Jesuits College The college - or a monastic house where part of the friars devoted their time to educating young people - was founded in Poznań in 1570. One year later the first Jesuits came to town. The College was opened in 1573; one of its founders and the first rector was Father Jakub Wujek. The school boasted high academic standards.In 1611 king Sigismund III Vasa granted the Jesuits a privilege that elevated the school to the rank of university. However, following a protest from the Krakow Academy, Pope Paul V vetoed the creation of the new institution of higher learning. Between 1678-85, by the power of a privilege granted by John III Sobieski, the college had the right to issue academic degrees in the areas of philosophy and theology. The Jesuits possessed an impressive library; they had their own printing house since 1677 (it is known to have produced 630 titles) and ran a school theatre. The closure of the Jesuit order in 1773 did not interrupt the activities of the school; from 1780 it existed as Great Poland Academy, then (until 1793) as the Poznań Faculty School. The college as it is today was built in the 18th century. The edifice was designed by Jan Catenazzi and its construction started in 1703. Barely had the foundations been laid when the Northern War broke out. Construction was only completed between 1722-32. Originally the building had the shape of a horseshoe. In the middle of the 18th century one of its arms was extended all the way to the wing situated by the side of today's Kolegiacki Square. Around the same time, the yard was closed from the north with a two-storey building with a gate, over which a tower was built. In the 19th century a low landing was built with an entry from the side of the courtyard, and at the beginning of the 20th century the building along Za Bramką Street was added.After the closure of the college, the buildings housed various Prussian offices, including the regency of the Grand Duchy of Poznań. Between 1815-1830 they were the residence of the Duchy's governor, Duke Antoni Radziwił. In the Duke's salon played Frederic Chopin in 1828. In the autumn of 1806 Napoleon Bonaparte lived here. Between the wars the buildings housed the authorities of the voivodship. Today it houses the City Council. The massive four-storey edifice is covered with a two-tiered roof. All its elevations, regardless of when they were built, are decorated in the same Baroque and neo-Baroque style. In the years 1995-1998 the structure was renovated and its interiors modernized. In the west the buildings were adjacent to St Stanislaus the Bishop's Church. On the other side of Gołębia Street there is a Baroque building of the former Jesuit school built in the middle of the 18th century. Its four-storey wings surround a small courtyard. Until 1858 this was St Mary Magdalene's Grammar School. Today the building houses a State Ballet School. A commemorative plaque on one of the walls informs that the troupe of Wojciech Stanisławski performed here for the first time in Poznań in 1783.^ Lubrański Academy (1 Lubrański Street) It was the first institution of higher education in Poznań. It was founded in 1518 by the Poznań bishop Jan Lubrański, who provided for it financially together with king Sigismund the Old. It flourished in the second quarter of the 16th century; that was when the eminent German humanist Krzysztof Hegendorfer lectured here. However, the academy did not have the right to grant academic titles. Its graduates included the doctor Józef Struś; the poet Klemens Janicki; mathematician, astronomer and university professor in Krakow and Vilnius, Jan Śniadecki. The academy ceased to exist in 1780, when it merged with the Great Poland Academy (formerly Jesuit College) to form the Poznań Faculty School. After it was closed, the buildings served as a capitular library and a seminary. It has been the Archdiocese Archives since 1926. The four - wing building with a small courtyard was built in the years 1518-30. After many renovations, it finally got its present form in 1924-25 after a thorough restoration carried out according to a design by Kazimierz Ruciński. Between 1974-79 the plaster has been removed to reveal the facade wall. There are two small plaques near the entrance with the coat of arms of Godziemba and the name of Bishop J. Lubrański.^ Bazar (Marcinkowski Avenue 10) Construction of the Bazar building, prompted by Karol Marcinkowski, took place between 1838-42. It was designed by Ernest Steudener and the engineering work was supervised by Antoni Krzyżanowski. Originally, this late Classicist edifice stood facing the present Paderewski Street. In 1899, in place of a demolished townhouse of the Łęckis, a west wing was built with a facade looking out on Marcinkowski Avenue. An extension designed by Roger Sławski was destroyed in 1945, but it was rebuilt by 1949.In keeping with the original intention of its creators, Bazar became a hub of the Polish economic and social life during the Prussian occupation. The hotel was used by visiting Great Poland landowners. On the ground floor there were shops of Polish merchants, including a hardware store of Hipolit Cegielski. The parlours were used for patriotic ceremonies, lectures, concerts and balls. The building was also the stage of many important historical events. During the Spring of Nations (1948) it was the residence of the National Committee. When the building came under fire with Ignacy Paderewski as its guest, the incident sparked the Great Poland Insurrection (1918-19). Many personages from the world of politics, science and culture stayed here. In the 30's Jan Kiepura sang from a balcony that existed back then for a crowd gathered outside.On the outside wall on the corner of Marcinkowski Avenue and Paderewski Street there is a commemorative plaque from 1928. It was designed by Stanisław Jagmin and was put up to honour the memory of composer and Prime Minister- I. J. Paderewski. The plaque was destroyed and recreated in 1978.^ Raczyński Library (19 Wolności Square) It was founded by count Edward Raczyński of Rogalin. The classicist edifice was built between 1822-29 according to a design made in Rome by an unknown architect. The front elevation, with its impressive colonnade made up of 12 pairs of cast iron Corinthian columns, was modelled on the east wall of the Louvre. It was the first building in Poland erected virtually exclusively to house a library collection. Destroyed in 1945, the building was rebuilt between 1953-56. The elevations were restored in 1998. The library was opened on 5 May 1829. In conformity with its founding statute, the library became property of the city and was to be run by a board of trustees. The historian Józef Łukaszewicz was the first librarian in charge of the collection, which started from several thousand volumes donated by the founder. On the eve of WWII the library already numbered some 165 thousand volumes.In 1943, fearing the bombing raids of the Allied forces, the most precious part of the collection was taken to an estate in Obrzycko owned by Józef Aleksander Raczyński. Thanks to that, 17 thousand volumes were saved, most of them manuscripts, old prints and incunabula coming from the collection donated by the founder. In 1945 the rest of the collection left in Poznań were burnt. The Raczyński Library is today the second athenaeum - after the University Library - in the city. It now has around 1.6 million volumes. The collection can be divided in three categories: special volumes, base collection of a scientific character, and educational and fictional titles that can be found in its branches and rental units.The most valuable positions belong to the first category and include almost 9,000 manuscripts (among them ca. 100 parchment documents), almost 18,000 old prints (including ca. 250 incunabula) and some 10,000 charts. Some of the most valuable items are: the manuscript of a codex from 1460 containing a selection of theological treaties by Augustine Triumphus of Ancona;old Polish prints, e.g. works of Stanisław Hozjusz (1553), Łukasz Górnicki (1566), Mikołaj Rej (1568);prints from the Poznań workshop of Melchior Nehring (1577) and those published by the Jesuit printing press (17th-18th century).The Library also chronicles contemporary cultural life in Poznań, among others through its Centre for Documenting the Great Poland Literary Activity.The Library supervises several popular Poznań museum outlets: The Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum of Literature, Józef Ignacy Kraszewski workshops, Home Atelier of Kazimiera Iłłakowiczówna and Jerzy Pertek Memorial Hall.Guardhouse It was built between 1785-87 at the suggestion and with the financial backing of Kazimierz Raczyński, governor of Great Poland and president of the local Good Order Committee. In the early 19th century a side wing, standing slightly back, was added. Its design was made by the Warsaw architect Jan Chrystian Kamsetzer. The Guardhouse housed the city guard and later the police. The front of this one - storey building has a colonnaded niche. The top of the attic storey is adorned with sandstone sculptures. The composition above the entrance depicts two women with long musical horns holding a shield with Poland's coat of arms. On the left there is a cartouche with the coat of arms of the Nałęcz Raczyński family; on its right, the coat of arms of Poznań. Nowadays it houses ^ The Museum of Wielkopolska Uprising 1918-1919, a branch of Wielkopolska Museum of Liberations Fightings.Museum of the Wielkopolska Uprising of 1918-1919 Address: Odwach, Stary Rynek 3 , 61-772 Poznań Phone: 853 19 93, 851 72 89Fax: +48 (61) 851-72-89WWW: Description: The museum is housed in the Guardhouse on Poznan's Old Market Square.Opening hours: Tue., Thu., Fri. 10 am.-5pm.; Wed. 10 am.-6pm.;Sat.-Sun. 10 am.-3pm.^ Ticket's prices: 4/ 2 zł; Saturday admission free Exhibition: The permanent exhibition chronicles the events of the Wielkopolska Uprising 1918-1919. The Museum documents Wielkopolska's independence traditions from the first half of the 19th century, through the Wielkopolska Uprisings to the inter-war period. The wide range of exhibits from this time include mementoes, military effects, graphics, pictures, documents, publications, press, photographs and films.^ Archbishop Palace Some type of bishops' residence must have stood near the Cathedral from the time it was built. The earliest written reference to it comes from 1404 and mentions a structure erected by bishop Wojciech Jastrzębiec. The bishops' residence, repeatedly destroyed by wars or floods, has changed its architectural shape over the centuries. Today it is an eclectic three - wing edifice. The bishops reside in the late - classicist west wing, which owes its present look to a general reform carried out in the years 1853-54 according to a design by Juliusz Salkowski, later modified by Karl Heinrich Schinkel.The building is entered through a balconied portico that makes use of earlier Ionic columns from 1829. Underneath the portico there are two marble statues of St Peter and St Paul made in Rome by Oskar Sosnowski between 1864-65 (until 1945 the statues flanked the cathedral's high altar.) In the north wing, which stands on remnants of old 15th and 16th century walls there is a classicist gate with a large two - column portico from the late 13th century. The Metropolitan Canon Court is based here. The short east wing was built at the beginning of the 20th century.In the small square in front of the palace there is a late Baroque statue of St John Nepomucen from ca. 1730, moved here in 1957 from Kobylepole. On the west side of the square is the building of the Metropolitan Curia. It was built in 1834 according to Traeger's architectural design and partially rebuilt in 1870 and around 1920 in accordance with designs made by Marian Andrzejewski. Parallel to it, slightly further to the west, there is a Baroque - Classicist building of the former curacy, built on earlier foundations in 1772 and rebuilt in 1859, most probably by Karl Heinrich Schinkel. Above the west entrance there is a bust of Jan Kochanowski and in the nearby square there is a monument of the poet. In 1976 two stone slabs from 1598 and 1715 bearing inscriptions related to the curacy history were built into the northern wall.^ Działyński Palace It is situated in the west side of the square, close to Franciszkańska Street. It was built in the late 1770's (on the spot where two medieval townhouses used to stand) for count Władysław Gurowski. The opulence of the residence was evidenced by the garden at the back.The palace was given its Baroque - Classicist forms between 1785-87 by Antoni Höhne. From 1808 to 1872 the palace belonged to the Działyńskis, then to the Zamoyskis. Between 1841-46 the palace was utilized for public lectures given by Polish scientists. In 1924 it was incorporated into the "Zakłady Kórnickie" foundation created by Władysław Zamoyski. It was burnt in 1945 and rebuilt in the years 1953-57 according to a design by Aleksander Holas.The edifice has two gates, which in the old days were used by horse - drawn carriages. The two - storey facade is divided by cover profiles. Above there is a triangular tympanum with the Działyńskis coat of arms and an attic storey hiding a mansard - type roof. The front of the attic is covered with reliefs from ca. 1800 depicting scenes from antiquity. On the right, a sacrifice rite procession is shown (armed soldiers escorting two prisoners and a bull); on the left, triumphant soldiers marching next to a chariot. Over the attic there is panoply and a pelican statue symbolising self - denial and sacrifice. The most beautiful room in the palace is the Red Chamber on the first floor. It leads to a balcony with a Baroque banister running across the whole facade. The room got its name from the red walls, whose colour contrasts with the white stucco - decorated ceiling. Inside are two pairs of stucco statues representing the kings Wladyslaw the Elbow - High with Casimir the Great and Wladyslaw Jagiello with his brother Witold. They were made in the late 18th century, most probably by Augustine Schöps and after being destroyed together with the building in 1945 they were recreated in the years 1991-92 by Józef Kopczyński. Today the building belongs to Polish Academy of Science; it houses, among others, a branch of the Kórnik Library.^ Górka Palace It is situated in the southwest corner of the Old Market Square, in a square formed by the four streets: Wodna, Klasztorna, Kozia and Świętosławska. The palace was created in the 1540's following a general reform of several gothic townhouses carried out by the Great Poland governor Andrzej Górka. The Górka town residence united late Gothic and Renaissance characteristics. Its most attractive feature was the small colonnaded courtyard.The Górkas, beginning from Andrzej, were supporters of the Reformation and the palace soon became known as a Lutheran centre. In 1592, after the death of the family's last male representative, Stanisław, the palace was inherited by the Czarnkowskis. Four years later it became property of the city, and in 1605 the city sold it to the Benedictine sisters. After the closure of the convent in 1803 the building housed a secondary school for girls, and after 1880 it was restored as a tenement house. The structure was razed to the ground during the war and rebuilt between 1960-67. Based on old drawings, the elevation was restored to its 17th-18th century form. In the courtyard the Renaissance colonnades with sandstone columns were revealed. One remnant of the old residence is the original, richly ornamented Renaissance portal made of sandstone in 1548. It leads into the courtyard from Klasztorna Street. The Renaissance portal in Wodna Street was reconstructed in the 1960's. Today the Górka Palaces houses the Archaeological Museum. ^ Дворцы и городские постройки.Городская Ратуша.Служившая когда-то местом заседания городского совета, городская ратуша представляет собой один из ценнейших памятников архитектуры эпохи ренессанса центральной Европы. Самое раннее упоминание о ней относится к 1310 году, но построили ратушу немного раньше этой даты, еще в начале13 века. Свидетельство тому – краеугольный камень, хранившийся в подвале, на котором высечен герб Династии Пршмысловичей, изображенный на Польском троне в 1300 - 1306 гг Ваклавом II. Готическое здание Городской Ратуши было первой двухэтажной постройкой своего времени столь внушительных размеров. Высокую башню, скорее всего, построили в начале 16 века.Между 1550 и 1657 гг , после реконструкции, зданию Городской Ратуши придали облик, соответствующий стилю эпохи Возрождения, по проекту итальянского архитектора Джованни Батиста Куадро Лугано. Здание расширили на запад и подняли на один этаж, крыша Ратуши скрылась за верхним фронтоном, а ее фасад украсили трехэтажной лоджией. В 1675 году в башню ударила молния, тем самым, разрушив ее. Башню вновь отстроили в 1690, но в 1725 году из-за бушующих штормовых ветром она опять обрушилась. Новый классический купол с орлом на вершине, был поднят на башню только при общей реконструкции здания, в 1781-84 гг, проведенной при содействии Попечительского Комитета. Во время последней реконструкции между 1910-1913 гг был добавлен дополнительный этаж. В 1945 году, бесценное здание серьезно пострадало: купол башни обрушился, а верхние два этажа полностью сгорели.Самая ценная часть внутренней отделки здания на первом этаже усилиями городского смотрителя Йозефа Йозвияка уцелела от огня. Во время реконструкции, продолжавшейся вплоть до 1954 г этаж, добавленный в начале века, снесли. В 1994 году были начаты работы по генеральной реконструкции Городской Ратуши.Общий архитектурный стиль Городской Ратуши характерен для Ренессанса. Единственным доказательством ее Готического прошлого является обломок кирпича башни, датируемый началом 16 века. Во время реконструкции в конце 18 века классическому куполу были возвращены его формы. На самый верх шпиля укрепили фигуру орла в 1783 году. Высотой 1,8 метров и размахом крыльев в 2 метра он представляет довольно внушительное украшение. Но более всего в здании привлекает его фронтон, украшенный колоннадой из трехэтажной лоджии и тремя башнями наверху. Медальоны между первым и вторым этажами изображают портреты мудрецов и героев античности. Самый верхний ярус украшен головами польских королей династии Джагилоннов. Изображения королей династии Пястов, по проекту Збигнева Беднаровича, установлены в нижней части башенок. В центре башенки, под часами, выполнен картуш с инициалами Короля Станислауса Августа. Сразу над часами – маленький уступ, на котором в полдень появляется пара бодающихся козликов.Старейшая часть здания – раннеготические подвалы с крестовыми сводами. Самые интересные комнаты находтся на первом этаже. Большой Холл (известный также и как Комната Ренессанса) славится одним из самых красивых интерьеров в Польше, относящих к эпохе возрождения. Богатые украшения покрывают крылатый свод, покоящийся на двух колоннах. Внутри одного кессона потолка выделяется герб Познани. В западных комнатах два позднеготических портала, датируемые 1508 г. Королевские покои, украшенные цилиндрическим сводом и тимпанами были местом, где собирался городской совет. Его название пришло из 17 века, благодаря портретам членов королевской фамилии, украшающих его стены. Камин 1541 года привезен в Ратуши из здания Городских Весов, которое к этому времени уже снесли. В Судебной комнате потолок расписан в стиле ренессанс, середины 16 века; многоцветная роспись, украшающая его, датируется различными периодами, с 16 по 19 века. Внутри комнаты установлена статуя короля Станислауса Августа, выполненная в 1791 г. Августом Шопсом. Живописный потолок в стиле Ренессанса, в комнатах на первом этаже, отреставрировали после второй мировой войны. Сейчас в здании Городской Ратуши находится городской музей. ^ Императорский замок.Монументальное здание, использовавшееся как резиденция Германского Императора было построено в 1904-1910 гг по проекту архитектора Франца Швечтена, который вероятно, следовал советам самого Кайзера Вильгельма 2. Замок был осевым элементом проекта «окружного замка» спроектированного как визитная карточка города и подтверждающим его предполагаемые немецкие истоки.Архитектура этого неороманского здания, состоящего из множества отделений, возвращается к традиционному облику средневековых замков, а его отдельные части смоделированы по образцам романских памятников Германии и Италии. Большинство украшений профиля, выполненных из тесаного камня, созданы Готхольдом Ригельманном. Доминирующую роль в проекте здания играет башня с часами, первоначально 74 м в высоту. Внутри нее расположена часовня, созданная в 1913 году. Она была разработана Августом Оеткеном по образцу известной Капеллы Палатины в Палерно. В восточной части здания находится величественный тронный зал. Император Вильгельм 2 останавливался здесь дважды: впервые во время коронации в 1910 году, а затем в 1913 г.В межвоенные годы замок служил резиденцией Польскому президенту, а часть его была отдана Познаньскому Университету. Во время Немецкой оккупации здание замок переделали под официальную резиденцию Гитлера; именно по этой причине был сделан яркий и необычный вход в замок с улицы Святого Марсина. Кроме того, была закрыта башня с часовней и построен маленький балкон на южной стене.В 945 году замок жестоко пострадал и некоторые его части разрушились. В конце концов, его восстановили, но часть элементов внешнего убранства безвозвратно утеряна. Кроме того, башня, разрушенная во время войны, после реставрации стала на 20 метров ниже. Сегодня замок служит как Культурным Центром, в нем расположен Центр Культуры «Замек». Здесь же находится другие организации, такие как Анимационный театр и кино. В Розовом дворе установлен живописный фонтан, построенный по модели знаменитого фонтана 13 века, расположенного во дворце Альгамбра в Гренаде. В маленьком парке, прилегающем к замку, есть скала, установленная здесь в 1990 году в память жертвам Хатыни. В 1999 было торжественное открытие памятника.^ Королевский замок.Строительство резиденции началось в середине 13 века Великим Польским принцем Пршемыслом I. По всей вероятности первым зданием, построенным здесь, была башня и ферма, окруженные деревянным частоколом. Позже королевская резиденция была включена в средневековый город. От самого города замок был отгорожен стенами. Около 1290 г. Пршемысл II начал расширять здание, намереваясь сделать из него королевский замок в будущем. Трагическая гибель короля в 1296 году не остановила работы.Строительство замка завершилось в первой половине 14 века, во времена правления Казимира Великого. В это время замок был крупнейшим светским (внецерковным) зданием в Польше. Сразу за башней с жилыми помещениями выросло большое здание площадью 63 на 17,5 м и не меньше 9 метров высотой. На юге к нему примыкала высокая оборонная башня. Со времен Владислава - Локотка замок служил резиденцией генерального губернатора Великой Польши. Готическое здание сгорело дотла во время пожара в городе в 1536 году. Губернатор Андржей Горка перестроил его и превратил в образец архитектуры эпохи возрождения. Шведская оккупация и северные войны принесли много разрушений. В 1716 году впервые в истории отмечен штурм замка. Разрушенные здания частично восстановили в 1721 году, но к тому времени замок уже пришел в упадок. В 1783 году последний генеральный губернатор Великой Польши, и к тому же, Президент Познаньского Благотворительного комитета, Казимир Рачинский, на основании южной части замка воздвиг здание архива, частично используя старые стены. Разработка принадлежала архитектору Антонии Хохе. Позднее замок еще больше расширился за счет мастерских. После второго раздела Польши здание замка сначала использовалось Прусским Регенством, затем апелляционным судом, и после 1885 городскими архивами.В 1945 году большая часть строений на Холме Пршмысловичей были разрушены. Во время реконструкции, продолжавшейся между 1959-64 гг, было отреставрировано лишь одно здание, построенное К. Рачинским. Сейчас здесь расположен Музей Прикладного Искусства. Замок исправно служил многим монархам. Среди тех, кого влекло это тихое и красивое место, были Казимир Великий, Владислав Джагиелло и Казимир Джагиеллонин. Король Ян Олбрахт жил в замке почти год и именно здесь в 1493 году он получил высочайший чин от Великого Магистра Тевтонских Рыцарей, Иоанна фон Тифена. Замок стал свидетелем двух королевских свадеб: бракосочетания между Ваклавом II и дочерью Пршемысла II, Рыксой в 1300 году, а затем Казимира Великого с Гессенской принцессой Аделаидой. Когда Сигизмунд Старший, жил в замке долгие месяцы, в 1513 году его жена королева Варвара Запойла родила ему «их» вторую дочь Ядвигу. Другой курьезный случай произошел, когда с 1398 по 1400 гг в замке был Граф Пршемыслав Слота, автор поэмы о «Хлебе насущном» ( более известной как «Поэма об Этикете»), старейшей внецерковной поэме написанной на польском языке. Здание 18 века отличают современные классические черты. Оно покрыто четырехскатной крышей. Средневековый цилиндрический свод с тимпанами сохранился в подземелье и на первом этаже. Снаружи северо-западная стена несет фрагмент старой городской стены конца 13 века (ее хорошо видно со стороны площади Великопольской). Сразу за входом находится мемориальная доска, установленная здесь в 1783 году, в честь реконструкции здания К. Рачинским. Здесь также еще две мемориальные доски, установленные совсем недавно, одна 1996 г. в память о коронации Пршемысла II, а другая 1993 г – в честь 500-летия Великого Магистра Тевтонского Ордена.^ Старая рыночная площадь.Центральная площадь города была заложена в 1253 году на левом берегу реки Варты и спроектирована на основе квадрата со сторонами 141 метр каждая.Принимая во внимание размеры, площадь является самой большой во всей Польше, уступая немного лишь площадям в Кракове и Вроцлаве.Каждая сторона площади имеет по три улицы, разделяющих его стороны на две части в форме восьмерки на секции по 35-43 м длинной и 7-8 м шириной. Из 12 улиц, берущих свое начало на площади, четыре (Вроцлавская, Вроньека, Великая и Водна) ведут к городским воротам.Площадь построена в одно время с административными и торговыми зданиями. Вскоре после основание города, были построены Городская Ратуша, здание Городских Весов и торговый рынок.Первоначально здания, построенные как на территории площади, так и вокруг нее, были деревянными. Однако с появлением кирпичных построек в конце 13 века здесь появились здание Городских Весов, Городская Ратуша, а 14 веке - Суконный Двор. В первой половине 16 века был построен комплекс небольших строений, так называемых купеческих домов, был построен купцами, владеющих собственными земельные участки. В 17 века сразу за сносом Здания Городских Весов перенесли хлебный базар. На их месте вырос Арсенал, ставший впоследствии, в конце 18 века, зданием Гауптвахты.Здания неоднократно разрушались, перестраивались и улучшались и, в конце концов, после 1945 года приняли их нынешний облик (кроме Арсенала и Суконного Двора).После великого пожара в 1471 году деревянные постройки возводились с необыкновенной скоростью. Дома вокруг площади строились сначала с двумя, затем с тремя рядами комнат, и с фасадами, выходящими на площадь. Они предназначались для жилья, но зачастую использовались в качестве мастерских и торговых лавок. На первом этаже, на входе со стороны рынка, был так называемый «большой двор» использовавшийся в коммерческих и представительских целях. За ними, отгороженное от домов маленьким двором, стояло маленькое здание, где располагался склад и мастерская.Со временем облик зданий, изменяясь и перестраиваясь, все больше и больше отдалялся от их первоначального вида, как в случае с дворцами, построенными богатыми знатными семьями Дзялынских и Мелджинских в 18 веке. В 19 и начале 20 века здания претерпели еще множество преобразований.Следом за разорением, во время освобождения Познани в 1945 году, когда 60% всех строений на площади было разрушено, включая 80 домов сильно пострадавших от пожаров, последовала реконструкция и восстановление бесценных памятников. Работа по восстановлению велась с учетом как можно более тщательного сохранения первоначального облика памятников и в результате площадь была восстановлена в ее первозданном великолепии. В 1950 году Арсенал и Суконный Двор стали современными выставочными павильонами. После 1945 года Старая Рыночная площадь потеряла свое коммерческое предназначение, ставшей вместо этого жилым районом с различными культурными учреждениями. Часть магазинов на первом этаже сохранилась, но теперь это, преимущественно, сувенирные лавки. В 1970 году на площади открылось много современных баров, кафе и ресторанов. После 1990 года здесь появились офисы банков, в результате на площади их стало даже больше чем закусочных.Между 1880 и 1955 гг по площади еще громыхали трамваи. Движение транспорта постоянно ограничивалось, а в 1970 г площадь закрыли для любого транспортного движения, с небольшим исключением для транспорта со специальным разрешением.Во второй половине 19 века на площадь провели воду, газ и освещение газовыми фонарями, а уже в самом начале 20 века была проложена подземная электрическая сеть. В конце 19 века покрытие площади заменили. Нынешние мостовые – результат генеральной реконструкции конца 1960 года. В июньские дни здесь проходит ежегодный праздник - Свентоянская ярмарка, продолжающая торговые традиции средневековья, а среди культурных мероприятий особое место занимают представления Мальтийского Театрального Фестиваля.В летние месяцы на площади открыты бары и «пивные сады», где можно выпись кофе или пиво, кому что больше нравится, отведать блюда польской кухни и просто прекрасно отдохнуть всей семьей! Праздник на площади не прекращается никогда! Присоединяйтесь!^ Купеческие дома.Серия так называемых Купеческих домов представляет собой поистине уникальный памятник ранней коммерческой архитектуры. Еще в начале 13 века на этом месте были торговые лавки, где продавалась селедка, соль, свечи и лампы, а также всякая бытовая мелочь. В конце 15 века и начале 16 века деревянные здания заменили на узкие, часто шириной в одно окно, кирпичные дома с магазинами под лестницей и жилыми помещениями на верхних этажах. Вход в магазины был защищен аркадами, заделанными в 19 веке. Во время послевоенной реконструкции домам вернули их первоначальный облик. Арки на аркадах поддерживаются маленькими колоннами из песчаника; большинство из них сохранились еще с того времени (колонны дома номер 11, датируются 1535 годом!). Самый южный дом, относящийся а 1538 году, известен как Городская Канцелярия или Писчий Дом. Вплоть до 18 века здесь жил городской переписчик. Сегодня Купеческие дома занимает Христианская религиозная организация Познани. В галереях Познани на выставленных на продажу полотнах, часто запечатлена именно Старая Рыночная Площадь. ^ Бывший Иезуитский колледж.Колледж – или монастырь где часть монахов посвятила свой время обучению молодежи – был основан в Познани в 1570 году. Год спустя в городе появился первый иезуит. Колледж был открыт в 1573 году; одним из его основателей и первым ректором был Отец Якуб Вуйтек. Позже школе был дан статус академии. В 1611 году король Сигизмунд III Васа пожаловал Иезуитам честь и возвел школу в ранг университета. Однако в ответ на протест со стороны Краковской Академии, папа Павел V запретил создание нового Высшего Учебного Заведения. Между 1678 -85 гг, властью дарованной Иоанном III Собеским, колледж получила право присуждать ученую степень в сфере философии и теологии. Иезуиты располагали внушительной библиотекой; здесь же с 1677 года располагался собственный печатный дом (известно, что в его стенах напечатано 630 книг) и собственный школьный театр. Закрытие Ордена Иезуитов в 1773 году не отразилось на деятельности школы; с 1780 года она стала Большой Польской Академией, затем (до 1793 года) Познаньским Университетом. Здание колледжа, каким его знают сейчас, построено в 18 веке, по проекту Яна Катеназзи. Строительство началось в 1703 году. Основание здания было положено, когда развернулась Северная Войн