Imperial Castle in Wrocław

The Imperial Castle in Wrocław, also known as the Left-Bank Castle or the Castle of the Silesian Dukes, is a castle that has not survived, its site today occupied by the main building of the University of Wrocław.

From a wooden manor to a ducal seat

The first buildings on this site were erected in the time of Henry I the Bearded, who built a manor here, probably made of wood. Over time the building developed into a castle made up of a palace, a service wing and a brick tower, forming a triangular courtyard adjoining the Oder. The Left-Bank Castle was the seat of the Dukes of Wrocław.

Expansion under Charles IV of Luxembourg

After the extinction of the Wrocław line of the Piast dynasty, the expansion was continued in 1346-1378 by Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg, who visited the city many times. Under his rule another tower was built, and the complex took on a five-wing form with three irregular courtyards. Further rebuilding in the 15th and 16th centuries brought, among other things, Renaissance cloisters surrounding two courtyards.

Demolition and handover to the Jesuits

In 1659 Emperor Leopold I handed over the castle grounds to the Jesuits, who began demolishing the site and erecting buildings there for the needs of a college. The south wing was demolished first, and the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus was built in its place. The west wing and the stables were pulled down to make way for the academy's main building, and the north wing was demolished over the following decades.

What has survived to this day

The only surviving element of the former castle is an upper-storey fragment of the east wing, now serving as the sacristy of the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus. On the site of the former castle gate an arched passage was built into the academy building, today connecting University Square via Grodzka Street with the University Bridge. The castle itself can no longer be visited, as it no longer exists.

Nearby

The site of the former castle lies in the very centre of Wrocław, close to the Wrocław Town Hall, the Market Square and the Tumski Bridge, not far from the Archcathedral of St John the Baptist either.

Practical information

• Location: the Old Town in Wrocław, the site of today's main building of the University of Wrocław
• Getting there: the very centre of the city, a few hundred metres from the Market Square
• What to expect: the former castle no longer exists; what can be seen is the university building, University Square and the sacristy of the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus with the surviving fragment of the east wing