Brühl Palace, Warsaw

TOCleftThe Brühl Palace ( _pl. Pałac Brühla), otherwise known as "Sandomierski Palace" standing at Piłsudski Square. It was a large palace and one of the most beautiful rococo buildings in pre-World War II Warsaw.

History

The palace was built between 1639-42 by Lorenzo de Sent for Crown Grand Chancellor Jerzy Ossoliński in Early Baroque style.pl icon cite web |author = |url = http://www.warszawa1939.pl/index.php?r1=palac_bruhla&r3=0 |title = Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych |work = warszawa1939.pl |publisher = |pages = |page = |date = |accessdate = 2008-02-20] After the Chancellor's death the property was inherited by his daughter Helena Tekla Ossolińska, wife of Aleksander Michał Lubomirski, Starost of Sandomierz (from whom it takes its name). Later, between 1681-96, it was rebuilt and remodeled by Tylman van Gameren and Giovanni Bellotti for Prince Józef Karol Lubomirski - Aleksander Michał's son.

In 1750, Heinrich von Brühl bought the palace as a residence. Between 1754-59 it was rebuilt according to designs by Johann Friedrich Knöbel and Joachim Daniel von Jauch. The palace was enhanced and covered with a mansard roof. Two outbuildings were added to the palace complex surrounding a triangular courtyard that sometimes served as a parade ground. From that time the palace was known as the Brühl Palace.

On 27 May 1787, the Palace played a key role in a plot by Russian ambassador to Poland, Otto Magnus von Stackelberg. He derailed yet another Polish policy which seemed threatening to Russia. With few major wars in the past decades, the economy of the Commonwealth was improving, and its budget had a notable surplus. Many voices said that the money should be spent on increasing the size, and providing new equipment for, the Polish army. However, as a large Polish army could be a threat to the Russian garrisons controlling Poland, von Stackelberg ordered his proxies in the Permanent Council to spent the money on a different goal: for the huge sum of 1 million zloty's (representng most of the surplus), the Council bought the Brühl Palace - and promptly donated it to 'Poland's ally', Russia, to serve as Russia's new embassy.

At the end of the eighteenth century, Dominik Merlini gave the interior a neoclassical look.

During 1932-37 the palace was adapted for use as the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the new Polish Republic. The architect this time was Adam Pniewski, who added a new modern building and modernized the interiors of all the buildings in the palace complex.

It was deliberately and completely destroyed by the Germans in December 18 1944 (during World War II). [pl icon cite web |author = |url = http://www.warszawa.ap.gov.pl/saska/21306.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val* |title = Oś Saska. Druga Wojna Światowa |work = State Archive of the Capital City of Warsaw |publisher = |pages = |page = |date = |accessdate = 2008-02-20]

Warsaw’s municipal government authorities have recently decided to rebuild the Brühl Palace. [en icon cite web |author = |url = http://www.e-warsaw.pl/inwestycje/rewitalizacja.htm |title = Urban revitalization "Breathing New Live into Historic Sites" |work = official Warsaw city page |publisher = |pages = |page = |date = |accessdate = 2007-08-08] The new building will have a facade referring to its historic shape, but a new private investor may adapt the interiors to the needs of either office space or a hotel. pl icon cite news |author = |url = http://www.warsawvoice.pl/view/9574/ |title = As Good as New |work = warsawvoice.pl |publisher = The Warsaw Voice |pages = |page = |date = 2005-10-12 |accessdate = 2008-02-20] Recently the National Bank of Poland has shown considerable interest in using the reconstructed palace as its main base of operations in the capital, Warsaw.

References

::In-line:::General:
* pl icon cite book | author = | coauthors = | title = Warszawa w latach 1526-1795 (Warsaw in 1526-1795) | year = 1984 | editor = Stefan Kieniewicz | pages = | chapter = | chapterurl = | publisher = | location =Warsaw | id =ISBN 83-01033-23-1 | url = | format = | accessdate =

ee also

* Saxon Palace
* Saxon Garden
* Saxon Axis
* Piłsudski Square
* Kotowski Palace

External links

* [http://www.warszawa1939.pl/index.php?r1=palac_bruhla&r3=0 Warsaw before 1939]
* [http://www.studiop2.pl/starawarszawa/saski/index.html Picture gallery of Saxon Square]
* [http://www.warszawa.ap.gov.pl/saska/index.html History of the Saxon Palace and the Saxon Axis]