Royal Gate in Szczecin

The Royal Gate is a Baroque town gate on Prussian Homage Square (plac Hołdu Pruskiego), one of the town gates of the former Prussian fortress. It was built of brick in the first half of the 18th century, and its gables are decorated with sculptures of Mars and Hercules.

Who built it and when

The gate was built in 1725-1728, after the city was taken by Prussia. It was designed by Gerhard Cornelius van Wallrawe, a Dutch fortification designer who also worked on the rebuilding of the fortresses in Kłodzko and Magdeburg. The heritage register describes its function as a fortress gate and its style as Baroque.

The gate was built on the site of the former town walls, like the Port Gate. It formed part of the Prussian fortifications of Szczecin and combined defensive and decorative tasks.

Gables with Mars and Hercules

The most striking features are the gables made by Bartholomé Damart, court sculptor to the Prussian king Frederick William I. They show, among other things, Mars with a sword and shield and Hercules with a club and a lion skin.

Above the passage a panoply was placed with a shield bearing the Prussian eagle, surrounded by the chain of the Order of the Black Eagle and topped with a royal crown. The gate is also decorated with carved weapons, armour, shields and banners. This set refers to the Roman tradition of triumphal processions, when captured weapons were hung on town gates.

Names of the gate

It was originally called Anklamer Tor, after the town of Anklam, which in older Polish publications is also called Nakło nad Pianą. In 1806 it was given the name Königstor, that is the Royal Gate. After the war the names Anklam Gate, Nakło Gate and Prussian Homage Gate were in use, and in the end a translation of the German name was adopted.

War and reconstruction

During the Second World War, for fear of destruction, the decorations from the gables were dismantled and hidden in the Arkoński Forest Park. The gate itself was covered with ivy and in this way survived the war. The decorations were found in 1957 and put back.

In 1994 the gate was renovated. Later it housed an art gallery, from 2000 the Brama Jazz Cafe, and from 2017 a chocolate pump room.

Nearby

The gate stands on the edge of the Old Town. About 300 metres further on rises the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes, and in the same area lies the Chrobry Embankment.

Practical information

• Address: Plac Hołdu Pruskiego 1, Szczecin, Old Town, at the junction of Matejki Street and Polish Soldier Square (plac Żołnierza Polskiego).
• The gate is entered in the heritage register.
• The interiors have served as a gallery and a catering venue, so the extent of access depends on the tenant; check this before your visit.