Collegium Novum, University administration building in Kraków, Poland.
Collegium Novum is the administrative center of Jagiellonian University and displays Neo-Gothic architecture with vertical lines, decorative stonework, carved wooden doors, and arched windows across its three stories. Inside, administrative offices, meeting rooms, and lecture halls serve as the operational heart of the university.
Construction of the building took place between 1873 and 1887 under architect Feliks Księżarski and was funded during the Austrian period. The structure represents an important addition to the university's physical development during that era.
The assembly hall displays portraits of Kazimierz the Great and Władysław Jagiełło, the university's founders, alongside Jan Matejko's painting of Copernicus. These works remind visitors of the figures who shaped the institution's identity.
The building sits in central Kraków and is easy to reach on foot, with clear entrances and enough space to view the exterior. Visitors can admire the Gothic architecture from outside, though the interior functions as an active administrative center during business hours.
In 1918, students tore down a portrait of Emperor Franz Joseph as a declaration for Polish independence. This moment marks a turning point in the building's story as a symbol of resistance against foreign rule.
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