Hala Ludowa
Encyclopedia
The Centennial Hall is a historic building in Wrocław, Poland
. It was constructed according to the plans of architect Max Berg
in 1911–1913, when the city was part of the German Empire
. As an early landmark of reinforced concrete
architecture, it was listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
in 2006.
The building is frequently visited by tourists and the local populace. It lies close to other popular tourist attractions, such as the Wrocław Zoo
, the Japanese Garden, and the Pergola with its Multimedia Fountain
.
n capital of Breslau on 10 March 1813 where King Frederick William III of Prussia
called upon the Prussian and German people in his proclamation An Mein Volk
to rise up against Napoleon's
occupation. In October of that year, at the Battle of Leipzig
, Napoleon was defeated.
The opening of the hall was part of the celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of the battle, hence the name. Breslau's municipal authorities had vainly awaited state funding and ultimately had to defray the enormous costs out of their own pockets. The landscaping and buildings surrounding the hall were laid out by Hans Poelzig
were opened on 20 May 1913 in the presence of Crown Prince William of Hohenzollern. The grounds include a huge pond with fountains enclosed by a huge concrete pergola in the form of half an ellipse. Beyond this, to the north, a Japanese garden
was created. The Silesian author Gerhart Hauptmann
had specially prepared a play Festspiel in deutschen Reimen, however the mise-en-scène by Max Reinhardt
was suspended by national-conservative circles for its antimilitaristic tendencies.
After the memorial events, the building served as multi-purpose recreational building, situated in the Exhibition Grounds, previously used for horse racing. It was largely spared from the devastation by the Siege of Breslau and after the city had become part of the Republic of Poland
according to the 1945 Potsdam Agreement
, the hall was renamed Hala Ludowa ("People's Hall") by the communist government. In 1948, a 106 m (347.8 ft) high needle-like metal sculpture called Iglica
was set up in front of it. The hall was extensively renovated in 1997. Recently the Polish translation of the original German name, Hala Stulecia, is also used with reference to the history of the building.
Centennial Hall hosted EuroBasket 1963
and a preliminary round group of the EuroBasket 2009
tournament.
The hall continues to be in active use for sporting events and concerts.
was made of reinforced concrete, and with an inner diameter of 69 m (226.4 ft) and 42 m (137.8 ft) high it was the largest building of its kind at the time of construction. The symmetrical quatrefoil shape with a large circular central space seats 7,000 persons. The dome itself is 23 m (75.5 ft) high, made of in steel and glass. The Jahrhunderthalle became a key reference for the development of reinforced concrete structures in the 20th century.
The hall was originally provided with a Sauer pipe organ
built by Walcker Orgelbau
, which then, with 15,133 pipes and 200 stops, ranked as the world's largest. On 24 September 1913, Karl Straube
was the first to play it, performing Max Reger
's Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue for Organ Op. 127, specially composed to celebrate the occasion. Most parts of the organ were transferred to the rebuilt Wrocław Cathedral after World War II.
or bus.
The hall is open daily to visitors for a small entrance fee.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It was constructed according to the plans of architect Max Berg
Max Berg
Max Berg was a German architect and urban planner.Berg was born in Stettin in Prussian Pomerania. He attended the Technical University in Charlottenburg, where he was taught by Carl Schäfer who favoured Gothic architecture...
in 1911–1913, when the city was part of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. As an early landmark of reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
architecture, it was listed as a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 2006.
The building is frequently visited by tourists and the local populace. It lies close to other popular tourist attractions, such as the Wrocław Zoo
Zoological Garden in Wrocław
The Wrocław Zoological Garden, known simply as the Wrocław Zoo is a scientific zoo on Wróblewskiego Street in Wrocław, Poland. It is the oldest zoo in Poland, having been founded in 1865 as the Breslau Zoological Garden while the city was part of Prussia. The zoo covers about in downtown Wrocław...
, the Japanese Garden, and the Pergola with its Multimedia Fountain
Wrocław Fountain
The Wrocław Fountain or Wrocław Multimedia Fountain is a multimedia fountain located within in the Pergola next to Centennial Hall in Wrocław. The one-hectare fountain incorporates about 300 jets to create a screen of water for animation display. There are also 800 lights...
.
History
It was in the Lower SilesiaLower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
n capital of Breslau on 10 March 1813 where King Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III was king of Prussia from 1797 to 1840. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel .-Early life:...
called upon the Prussian and German people in his proclamation An Mein Volk
An Mein Volk
The proclamation An Mein Volk was issued by Frederick William III of Prussia on 17 March 1813 in Breslau . Addressed to his subjects, Preußen und Deutsche , it appealed for their support in the struggle against Napoleon...
to rise up against Napoleon's
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
occupation. In October of that year, at the Battle of Leipzig
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig or Battle of the Nations, on 16–19 October 1813, was fought by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against the French army of Napoleon. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine...
, Napoleon was defeated.
The opening of the hall was part of the celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of the battle, hence the name. Breslau's municipal authorities had vainly awaited state funding and ultimately had to defray the enormous costs out of their own pockets. The landscaping and buildings surrounding the hall were laid out by Hans Poelzig
Hans Poelzig
Hans Poelzig was a German architect, painter and set designer.-Life:Poelzig was born in Berlin in 1869 to the countess Clara Henrietta Maria Poelzig while she was married to George Acland Ames, an Englishman...
were opened on 20 May 1913 in the presence of Crown Prince William of Hohenzollern. The grounds include a huge pond with fountains enclosed by a huge concrete pergola in the form of half an ellipse. Beyond this, to the north, a Japanese garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
was created. The Silesian author Gerhart Hauptmann
Gerhart Hauptmann
Gerhart Hauptmann was a German dramatist and novelist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1912.-Life and work:...
had specially prepared a play Festspiel in deutschen Reimen, however the mise-en-scène by Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
was suspended by national-conservative circles for its antimilitaristic tendencies.
After the memorial events, the building served as multi-purpose recreational building, situated in the Exhibition Grounds, previously used for horse racing. It was largely spared from the devastation by the Siege of Breslau and after the city had become part of the Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
according to the 1945 Potsdam Agreement
Potsdam Agreement
The Potsdam Agreement was the Allied plan of tripartite military occupation and reconstruction of Germany—referring to the German Reich with its pre-war 1937 borders including the former eastern territories—and the entire European Theatre of War territory...
, the hall was renamed Hala Ludowa ("People's Hall") by the communist government. In 1948, a 106 m (347.8 ft) high needle-like metal sculpture called Iglica
Iglica
thumb|Iglica against the background of the Centennial Hall.Iglica is a needle-like monument in Wrocław, Poland. It was built in 1948 and was 106 meters tall...
was set up in front of it. The hall was extensively renovated in 1997. Recently the Polish translation of the original German name, Hala Stulecia, is also used with reference to the history of the building.
Centennial Hall hosted EuroBasket 1963
EuroBasket 1963
The 1963 European Basketball Championship, commonly called Eurobasket 1963, was the 13th regional championship held by FIBA Europe. Seventeen national teams affiliated with the International Basketball Federation entered the competition...
and a preliminary round group of the EuroBasket 2009
EuroBasket 2009
The EuroBasket 2009 was the 36th EuroBasket, the biennial regional basketball championship contested by European nations and held by FIBA Europe. The tournament, which was hosted by Poland, began on 7 September 2009 and concluded with the final on 20 September 2009...
tournament.
The hall continues to be in active use for sporting events and concerts.
Construction
The cupola modeled on the Festhalle FrankfurtFesthalle Frankfurt
The Festhalle Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany in Frankfurt is a representative Built in 1907 and 1908 multi-purpose hall at the Frankfurt Exhibition Centre. The interior of about 40 metres high dome provides an area of 5646 square metres up to 4880 seats...
was made of reinforced concrete, and with an inner diameter of 69 m (226.4 ft) and 42 m (137.8 ft) high it was the largest building of its kind at the time of construction. The symmetrical quatrefoil shape with a large circular central space seats 7,000 persons. The dome itself is 23 m (75.5 ft) high, made of in steel and glass. The Jahrhunderthalle became a key reference for the development of reinforced concrete structures in the 20th century.
The hall was originally provided with a Sauer pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
built by Walcker Orgelbau
Walcker Orgelbau
Walcker Orgelbau of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is a builder of pipe organs. It was founded in Cannstatt, a suburb of Stuttgart in 1780 by Johann Eberhard Walcker...
, which then, with 15,133 pipes and 200 stops, ranked as the world's largest. On 24 September 1913, Karl Straube
Karl Straube
Montgomery Rufus Karl/Carl Siegfried Straube was a German church musician , organist, and choral conductor, famous above all for championing the abundant organ music of Max Reger. He studied organ under Heinrich Reimann in Berlin from 1894 to 1897 and became a widely respected concert organist...
was the first to play it, performing Max Reger
Max Reger
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.-Life:...
's Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue for Organ Op. 127, specially composed to celebrate the occasion. Most parts of the organ were transferred to the rebuilt Wrocław Cathedral after World War II.
Access
The hall lies east of the city centre, but can easily be reached by tramTramways in Wrocław
The tramways in Wrocław form one of the oldest tram systems in Poland. The tram system is operated by MPK Wrocław . The system consists of 23 lines with a total length of lines of . There are six depots and 20 loops...
or bus.
The hall is open daily to visitors for a small entrance fee.