Plac Żelaznej Bramy

Plac Żelaznej Bramy (lit. "Iron Gate Square") is a large open space in the city centre of Warsaw. The place inherited the name after a large iron gate guarding the Saxon Garden from the west side.

History

In 17th century the area to the west of Warsaw's Old Town was being parcelled and rapidly built up. It was there that the widow of Jan Wielopolski founded a small town ("jurydyka") named Wielopole, after her late husband. The town was centred around a small market place dubbed simply "Targowica Wielopolska", that is "Market Place of Wielopole". Although the town was small and definitely poor, it was most probably designed by Tylman van Gameren, one of the most renown architects of the epoch. It was also bordering yet another small trade town of Mirów. In 18th century the mighty Radziwiłł family built their palace there. The structure was later bought and expanded by the Lubomirski family, which also gave the name to the palace itself. Around the time the palace was constructed, the town finally started to prosper.

During the reign of August II of Poland the area became completely reconstructed. As August was obsessed with the idea of the Saxon Axis, he decided to demolish the poor, wooden houses of the area and incorporate the market place into the city of Warsaw. The Lubomirski palace was also to be demolished, as it was constructed some 30 degrees from the axis. However, the plan had to be called off due to financial difficulties and the eventual death of the monarch. However, the area continued to grow thanks to both the palace and the local marketplace. It was there that the first permanent coffee house in Warsaw was opened in 1759. It was also there at the marketplace that six large buildings of the Royal Horse Guard barracks were built.

The barracks were demolished by the Russians in 19th century. On their place a new, smaller square was founded. It inherited the name of Plac Mirowski, after the village of Mirów that once stood there. Between 1899 and 1901 two large markets were built on their spot.

The entire area, excluding the two markets, was completely demolished by the Germans in the aftermath of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. After the war the Saxon Garden was limited from the west and the spot of the iron gate itself is currently occupied by a street. The Lubomirski palace was partially rebuilt, but it was rotated some 30 degrees to conform with the Saxon Axis. In 1960's, during the times of Władysław Gomułka, the area of the former square was built-up with large communist blocks of flats. Even though the square itself does not exist any more, the new houses retain the address of the square.

External links

* [http://www.stalus.iq.pl/show.php/idc/67/ida/221 modern and pre-war view of the Lubomirski palace]
* [http://www.warszawa.przedwojenna.prv.pl/plac_zelaznej_bramy1.htm pre-war view]
* [http://zeranskipawel.blogspot.com/2007/05/pl-elaznej-bramy.html pre-war view with a map and a panorama]