New Market in Szczecin

The New Market (Rynek Nowy) is an irregularly shaped square in the Old Town of Szczecin, north-east of the Hay Market. Eight streets meet here, among them Księcia Mściwoja II, Panieńska, Kurkowa, Sienna and Wielka Odrzańska. The Old Town Hall adjoins the square and is assigned to Księcia Mściwoja II Street.

The church, the fire and the new square

The square came into being on the site of St Nicholas' Church, mentioned in 1243 and built in brick in the Gothic style from 1335. Around the church stood burghers' houses and stalls selling meat and bread. On the night of 9 to 10 December 1811 a fire consumed the church and the surrounding buildings, and in 1816 the ruins were pulled down. In 1821 the empty site was paved and named the New Market.

From wartime destruction to today's buildings

During the Second World War the buildings were destroyed, and after the war the ruins of the Old Town Hall were secured, the rest was demolished and a view was opened from the square onto the Oder and the port. The area of the square was then incorporated into the Hay Market, forming Rzepichy Square. In the 1970s the northern frontage was built up with the Arkona hotel, demolished in 2008. The historic name was restored in 1995, and postmodern townhouses were built on the pre-war foundations of the southern and eastern frontages. In 2016-2017 the foundations of the former townhouses on the northern side were uncovered, and a new hotel whose form refers to their divisions was completed in November 2021.

Practical information

• Location: the Old Town, right by the Hay Market and near the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes.
• This is an open city square, with no tickets or hours. The townhouses by the square house, among others, the editorial office of Głos Szczeciński.