Icchak Lejb Perec Square

Icchak Lejb Perec Square lies in the Gajowice estate, in the triangle formed by Żelazna, Icchaka Lejba Pereca and Szczęśliwa streets. It is a small, quiet inner-city square where the layers of history are more visible than on many a larger Wrocław square, although the space itself is easy to pass without stopping.

Where the name comes from

The square has changed its name several times. Until 1906 it was called Rhedigerplatz, then until 1945 it functioned as Rehdigerplatz, in honour of Thomas Rehdiger, founder of Wrocław's City Library. After the war, until 1951, the name plac Zbożowy applied, then plac Leona Pereca, and since the 1980s the square has borne the name of Icchok Lejb Perec, a Polish and Jewish writer, poet and playwright, one of the classic authors of Yiddish and Hebrew literature.

Orphanage and Jewish school

The square itself was laid out in 1903, based on a regulation plan from 1895, and the tenement houses surrounding it were built by 1910, some of which have survived to this day in the northern and eastern frontages. In 1907-1909 a Jewish orphanage was built at the square to a design by Paul and Richard Ehrlich, run by the Union for the Education of Jewish Children. From 1920 a Jewish school operated there, renamed after the war as the Sholem Aleichem primary school, and since 1998 the Lauder Etz-Chaim School has been located on the site.

Post-war development and the protests of the 1980s

The area around the square was largely rebuilt in the 1960s as part of the post-war Gajowice estate: a tower block dating from 1964 was built then, among other things, and in 1992-1995 a residential and commercial complex was added. In the 1980s the square was the site of numerous demonstrations and clashes with the militia, including on 13 and 28 June and 31 August; because of the tear gas used at the time, residents commonly nicknamed it "Gas Square".

Practical information

• Icchak Lejb Perec Square, Gajowice estate in Wrocław, between Żelazna, Icchaka Lejba Pereca and Szczęśliwa streets
• A publicly accessible place, a walk around the square and surrounding streets
• Worth combining with a visit to the Old Jewish Cemetery in Wrocław, thematically linked to the history of Jewish Wrocław