Theatre Square (Warsaw)
Theatre Square (Polish: plac Teatralny) is a major square in the Śródmieście district of Warsaw, Poland. It spans from the Great Theatre building to the Senatorska Street.
The origins of the square date back to the beginning of the 19th century, when a small square was established in 1818. From 1825 to 1832 the Great Theatre building was constructed. When the city administration was relocated to the Jabłonowski Palace, the square became a centre of city life. Various patriotic demonstrations took place there, including at the time of the January Uprising and the Revolution of 1905. Both demonstrations were bloodily crushed by Russian authorities.[1]
In September 1939 the civilian defense of the city was located in the city hall. During the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 the square witnessed heavy fighting between the Nazi German soldiers and the Armia Krajowa partisans. Most of the surrounding buildings were heavily damaged or completely destroyed.[1] After the war several buildings were renovated, though the pre-war city hall was not. In the 1990s it was rebuilt according to the original architectural plans.
Landmarks
Landmarks on the square include:
- The Great Theatre (reconstructed 1951–1965)
- The Jabłonowski Palace (reconstructed 1995–1997)
- The Blank Palace (named after Piotr Blank, banker to the last king of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Stanisław August Poniatowski)
- Saint Albert and Saint Andrew's Church (Kościół św. Brata Alberta i św. Andrzeja Apostoła - a church for the creative communities in Warsaw, reconstructed in 1999)
- Petyskusa House (Kamienica Petyskusa - rebuilt in 1950)
- The Warsaw Meridian (a marker for the meridian set up in 1880 - which was superseded by Greenwich Mean Time)
References
- 1 2 Plac Teatralny at the official website of Śródmieście district
External links
Media related to Theatre Square in Warsaw at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 52°14′39″N 21°0′34″E / 52.24417°N 21.00944°E