202 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp218–21 and pp222–5
R Church of the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus
ul. Szewska 18. Tel (061) 852
5076/853 3359.
This magnificent church
(Kościół Serca Jezusowego),
built in the 13th century, is
the oldest in the Old Town.
It was a Dominican church
until 1920, when it was
passed to the Jesuits. During
the German occu pation in
World War II, a repository
was set up here for Polish
books removed from the
libraries in Poznań.
Poznań is the capital of Wielkopolska, a historical
region in west-central Poland, and is its largest city.
A stronghold by the name of Polan stood here in the
8th century and it became the capital of the emerging
Polish state in the 10th century. It was declared the
seat of the first bishopric in Poland in 968. Today,
Poznań is Poland’s second finan cial centre after Warsaw
and a centre of commerce. Annual trade fairs have
been held here since 1921. The city has many historic
buildings, the finest of which are its cathedral and
those in the Old Town (Stare Miasto). A visit to the late
19th-century quarter is also worth a visit.
Poznań 4
was designed and
constructed in 1727 by
Pompeo Ferrari. Over this
is a painting illus trating a
legend ary episode from the
life of St Stanisław. Then a
bishop, he was accused by
the Polish King Bolesław III
Wrymouth (1085–1138) of
not paying for a village
he had incorporated
into his ter ritory.
In order to prove
his inno cence,
St Stanisław
res urrected the
deceased for-
mer owner
of the land
to tes tify on
his behalf.
The Baroque
buildings of a
former Jesuit
mon astery and
college stand
close to the
church, built for
the brother hood
between 1701 and 1733.
Today, they are used by
the city council for
secular purposes.P Old Town Square
The Old Town Square (Stary
Rynek) is the heart of the
Old Town. It is sur rounded
by town houses with colour-
ful façades, among which
stands the Renaissance Old
Town Hall. The centre piece
of the square is the Baroque
Proserpine Fountain of 1766,
depicting the abduct ion of
the ancient Roman god dess
of fertility, Proserpine. Nearby,
a 20th-century fountain
com memorates 18th-century
Catholic settlers from Bamberg,
in southern Germany. TheInterior of the Church of the Most
Sacred Heart of Jesus
ground floors of the buildings
around the square are filled by
banks, cafés and restaurants.
From spring to autumn, the
square bustles with life; local
artists display their paintings,
and the outdoor cafés are
per manently busy. The square
also serves as a venue for
cultural events. Some of the
houses here were destroyed
during the battles for Poznań
in 1945 and were rebuilt afterR Church of Sts Mary
Magdalene and Stanisław
ul. Gołębia 1. Tel (061) 852 6950.
Construction work on this
Baroque church (Kościół św
Marii Magdaleny i św
Stanisław), began in 1651 and
continued for more than 50
years. Several architects, crafts-
men and artists, includ ing
Tomasso Poncino, Jan Catenaci
and Bartołomiej Wąsowski,
had a role in the project.
The most impressive aspect
of the church is its monolithic
interior. Gigantic columns lead
towards the high altar, which
P Old Town Hall
Stary Rynek 1. Historical Museum
of Poznań Tel (061) 856 8193.
# 9am–3pm Tue–Thu, noon–9pm
Fri, 11am–6pm Sat, Sun. & free
on Sat. http://www.mnp.art.pl
Poznań’s Old Town Hall
(Ratusz) is one of the finest
muni cipal build ings in
Europe. It was built betweenWorld War II, but others
escaped any serious damage.
They include Mielżyński
Palace, which dates from
1796–8, and Działyński Palace,
both in Neo-Classical style.MŁYŃSKAGO Ł ĘBIAWY SOK
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Chopin
Park
Cemetery
Raczyński
Library
St Adalbert’s
Hill
National
Museum
Church of Sts
Mary Magdalene
and Stanisław
Discalced Carmelites’
Church of St Joseph
Church of
St Adalbert
Archaeological
Museum
Przemysław
Castle
Old
Town
Hall
Działyński
Palace
Airport
7 km (4 miles)
Former Kaiser
District
Railway Station
1.6 km (1 mile)