Archbishop's Palace, Wrocław, Baroque palace in Ostrów Tumski district, Wrocław, Poland
The Archbishop's Palace at Katedralna 11 on Ostrów Tumski is a Baroque residence rebuilt after a fire in 1766–1769 to a design by H. G. Krug, with a gate and new outbuildings by Karl Gottfried Geissler. Carl Gotthard Langhans remodelled it in 1792 in Neoclassical style. The outbuildings, reduced by one storey, were rebuilt after 1945.
A bishop's residence stood on Ostrów Tumski from the 13th century and was enlarged in the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The present building, the former palace of the suffragan bishops, was rebuilt after a fire in 1766–1769 in Baroque style to a design by H. G. Krug, with the gate and new outbuildings by Karl Gottfried Geissler. Carl Gotthard Langhans remodelled it in Neoclassical style in 1792, and it was altered again in the 19th century. From the 17th century until 1810 the bishops resided at Nysa; the Wrocław palace became their seat again only in 1945.
The palace functions as the heart of Catholic administration in the region and continues to host religious meetings and exhibitions today. Visitors can observe how this building remains central to the diocese's everyday activities.
The building sits near the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Katedralna Street. Visits are possible, but it is best to check ahead about opening times and access requirements before arriving.
In 1981, 80 million złoty from the Solidarity trade union's bank account was hidden in the palace just before martial law was declared. Władysław Frasyniuk, a Solidarity leader, also went into hiding here after martial law began.
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