Main Square, Kraków

Rynek Główny as seen from the tower of the St. Mary's Basilica. On the left Church of St. Wojciech, on the right Sukiennice with Town Hall Tower behind, and the Adam Mickiewicz Monument in the bottom-center

The Main Market Square in Kraków (Polish: Rynek Główny w Krakowie, also Rynek Krakowski – Kraków Market Square) is the main square of the Old Town, in Kraków, Poland and a principal urban space located at the center of the city. It dates back to the 13th century and – and at roughly 40,000sq m (430,000sq ft) it is the largest medieval town square in Europe.

Rynek Główny is spacious square surrounded by historical townhouses kamienice, palaces and churches. The center is dominated by the cloth hall Sukiennice in the center, on one side of it the Town Hall Tower (Wieża ratuszowa), on the other the 10th century Church of St. Wojciech (St. Adalbert's) and 1898 Adam Mickiewicz Monument. Domineering above the square are the Gothic towers of St. Mary's Basilica (Kościół Mariacki).

History

The Prussian Homage by Jan Matejko

The main function of the Main Square was commerce. After the destruction of city by the Mongol invasion in 1241 the Main Square was rebuilt in 1257 and its commercial role expanded with the Magdeburg rights location of the city by the prince of Kraków, Bolesław V the Chaste. The Main Square was designed in its current state with each side repeating a pattern of three, evenly spaced streets set at right angles to the square. The exception is Grodzka Street which is much older and connects the Main Square with the Wawel Castle. Originally the square was filled with low market stalls and administrative buildings and had a ring road running around it. It was the king of Poland Casimir III the Great that built the original Gothic Sukiennice and the Town Hall that filled nearly a quarter of the square. Kraków was the capital of the Kingdom of Poland and a member of the Hanseatic League and the city flourished as an important European metropolis.

Kościuszko taking the oath at the Rynek. 1797 painting by Franciszek Smuglewicz.

In addition to its original merchant functions the Main Square witnessed many important events in the history of Poland. It was a place of regal ceremonies as part of the Royal Road (Droga Królewska), frequented by diplomats and dignitaries traveling to the Wawel Castle. In 1364 King of Poland Casimir III the Great held Pan-European Congress of Kraków there. On 10 April 1525, Albert I, Duke of Prussia paid the Prussian Homage to Sigismund I the Old, king of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (pictured). In 1514 Lithuanian dukeKonstanty Ostrogski held victory parade over the Muscovy and in 1531 nobleman Jan Tarnowski celebrated another victory in the Muscovite wars. Jan III Sobieski, a King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, celebrated there his victory over the Turkish Empire in the 1683 Battle of Vienna.

In 1596, the king Sigismund III, of the Swedish House of Vasa, moved the capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from Kraków to Warszawa (Warsaw). Kraków remained the place of coronations and royal funerals. On 24 March 1794, at the Main Square Tadeusz Kościuszko announced the general uprising (pictured) and assumed the powers of the Commander in Chief of Polish armed forces, beginning the Kościuszko Uprising. In 1848, in the Spring of Nations civilian clashed with Austrian army. During the occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany the Main Square was renamed Adolf Hitler Platz and the Adam Mickiewicz Monument was destroyed along with historical commemorative plaques taken from buildings at the Market Square. After the war the monument was reconstructed. In 1978, UNESCO placed the Main Square as part of the Old Town Kraków and the on the list of World Heritage Sites. On 20th March 1980, in time of political tension and the the run-up to the declaration of Martial Law in Poland, Walenty Badylak, retired baker and a veteran of Poland's wartime underground Home Army set himself alight chained to a well on the Main Square. Badylak was protesting the communist government's refusal to acknowledge the Katyn's war crime. The Main Square was central in staging mass demonstrations of the Solidarity movement.

Location

The Main Square is located on the Royal Road once traversed during the Royal Coronations at Wawel Cathedral, between the Barbican of Kraków to the north, and the Wawel Castle to the south. Ever since its creation the square has been considered the center of the city.

The Main Square is surrounded by old brick buildings (kamienica) and palaces, almost all of them several centuries old. They house many tourism-oriented establishments as well as the Historical Museum of Kraków and the International Center of Culture. Probably the most famous of the oldest establishments is the Wierzynek's restaurant, remembered for the great feast (dated 1364) which, according to the legend, lasted for twenty one days and helped to reach a consensus between monarchs of Europe.

Among the square's landmarks are the Sukiennice – rebuilt in the 16th-century in a Renaissance style. The ground floor is continually used for commerce with its many souvenir shops and cafés and upstairs hosts the Gallery of the National Museum. Another landmark is St. Mary's Basilica with its Altar by Wit Stwosz, a Brick Gothic church built in the 14th century adjacent to the Main Square. In the vicinity of the Market Square, one can listen to the heynal, which is played each hour from the highest tower of St. Mary's Basilica. Other landmarks include the Church of St. Adalbert, Town Hall Tower and the Adam Mickiewicz Monument.

Since its creation, the level of the Market Square has raised, in some places by over 5 meters. Underneath there are large basements, the most famous of which is the Piwnica pod Baranami. Many basements are now transformed into cafés and restaurants; other include the Theater Maszkaron and small archeological museum in the basement of the St. Adalbert's church. There are passages linking some of the basements – for example one linking the Town Hall Tower with Sukiennice. Sukiennice itself has a little known underground trading hall, 100 meters wide and 5 meters high. Near the Sienna Street there is another underground hall (Kramy Bogate), with 1200 square meters of space.

Events

Lajkonik in front of St. Mary's Basilica

The Main Square is lively and crowded at all seasons of the year. Like many other old town squares, Main Market Square in Kraków is known for its large population of Rock Pigeons, florist stalls and horse-drawn carriages.

The culture of Kraków has a rich tradition and the Main Square is a popular place for public events and festivities – such as the annual Kraków szopka Festival, Lajkonik festivities, Festival of Military Bands, Juwenalia Student Festival, Gala Concert of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity and the largest New Year's Eve party in Poland.

In December 2005, Kraków's Rynek Główny was voted the World's Best Square by the Project for Public Spaces.

See also

• Culture of Kraków
• Culture of medieval Poland

References

• Template:Polish

External links

• Information about and photographs of Krakow Market Square
• High-res satellite photo of the Square by Google Maps