Iglica

For the genus of freshwater snails, see Iglica (gastropod).
Iglica against the background of the Centennial Hall.

Iglica (Polish: [iɡˈlʲiʦ̑a]; "spire" or "needle")[1] is a needle-like monument in Wrocław, Poland. It was built in 1948 and was 106 metres tall. Today, after renovation, the top ten metres have been removed and it is now 96 metres tall.

This structure was constructed by Polish Communists for an exhibition to celebrate the regaining control over the "Regained Territories" after Second World War. The Iglica is located very close to the Centennial Hall.

Originally topped by a spinning contraption of mirrors, creating an "umbrella of light" at night, this was struck by lightning within a day of completion, and prior to the official opening. The remnants of this damaged structure were apparently removed by two climbing enthusiasts at no cost, the military failing to be able to tackle the task.[2]

The spire was named one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomnik historii), as designated April 20, 2005, together with the Four Domes Pavilion, the Pergola, and Centennial Hall. Its listing is maintained by the National Heritage Board of Poland.

See also

References

  1. Free Polish-English-Polish Translator and online Polish Dictionary
  2. Wroclaw in Your Pocket: Iglica. Accessed 2016-04-24.

External links

Coordinates: 51°06′27″N 17°04′32″E / 51.10754°N 17.07554°E / 51.10754; 17.07554

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 4/24/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.