Protzen House

Protzen House at Kazimierza Wielkiego Street 13 is a Gothic townhouse from the first half of the 15th century, standing on the eastern side of the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Queen of the World. It is counted among the finest Gothic townhouses in Poland, and today it houses a music school.

History of the house

The history of its construction is not known. According to the account of the historian Berghaus, the house was the only one of six medieval gabled townhouses on the former Wielkomłyńska Street to survive the fire of 1635. They belonged to wealthy merchants and served both as dwellings and warehouses. It was built on a rectangular plan measuring 18 by 11.4 metres. Above the cellars rose a high ground floor and four warehouse storeys with small windows in the gable.

The gable and rebuilding

The house acquired its present form around the middle of the 17th century, when the warehouse storeys were converted into living space. This was when the gable decorations referring to the tower of the collegiate church were made, known as the Stargard blind arcading. In 1945 the building was destroyed, leaving only the gable wall. It was rebuilt in 1957-1959 and assigned to a music school. The townhouse stands on the European Route of Brick Gothic.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego 13, Stargard. The State Music School operates in the building, so the interiors are not visited.
• Next to it stand the town hall and the collegiate church.