Cathedral Square in Wrocław

Cathedral Square lies in Wrocław on Ostrów Tumski, in the Plac Grunwaldzki estate, in the former Śródmieście district. Its western side is closed off by the Archcathedral of St John the Baptist, and other buildings of the former church district stand around the square.

The cathedral and church buildings around the square

The western part of the square is occupied by the Archcathedral of St John the Baptist. The square is also home to the seminary building (at number 14), the former chapter house, today the seat of the Archdiocesan Museum (at number 16), the Church of St Giles and canonries. In the south-western corner of the square stands the episcopal palace complex. In the eastern part of the square stands the Column of Christ the King, erected in 2000 for the millennium of the Diocese of Wrocław.

Where the name comes from

The name of the square, in both Polish and German (Domplatz), comes directly from the cathedral: the German word "Dom" means precisely "cathedral". The same root is found in the former name of the neighbouring street (Domstrasse) and of the bridge linking Ostrów Tumski with the rest of the city (Dombrücke).

Wartime destruction and rebuilding

The origins of the cathedral go back to the year 1000, and the present, neo-Gothic form is already the fourth building on this site. The square itself was formally laid out in 1824, and the buildings surrounding it were added after 1864. The square and the buildings standing by it were seriously damaged during the siege of the city in 1945 and later rebuilt.

Practical information

• Location: Ostrów Tumski, Plac Grunwaldzki estate, Wrocław
• Getting there: on foot across the Tumski Bridge from the direction of the city centre
• Nearby it is worth visiting the Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław
• It is also worth visiting the National Museum in Wrocław, which lies in the same area