Stara Rzeźnia in Szczecin

Stara Rzeźnia (the Old Slaughterhouse) is a former municipal abattoir on Łasztownia island in Szczecin, where the Euroregion Culture Centre "Stara Rzeźnia" has operated since December 2014. The address is Tadeusza Wendy 14. The surviving building was put up in 1888-1898 to a design by Conrad Kruhl and Carl Schmidt.

History of the building

The slaughterhouse was built on the site of the former municipal carpenters' yard and the timber and tar stores for shipwrights. The complex was linked by tram to the city centre over the Kłodny Bridge, blown up by the retreating German troops in 1945. After the war the building belonged to the meat processing plants, and in the 1980s it was turned into a warehouse. Renovation was carried out in 2013-2014.

What is inside

The rooms were adapted into the "Iluzjon" conference and screening room, a restaurant, the "Kubryk Literacki" bookshop and the Szczecin Gallery (Galeria Szczecińska) with a children's corner. The building hosts many cultural events, including recurring ones: the monthly meetings of the Studium of Art, Philosophy and Medicine and the annual Zbożowa Street Days. The centre also promotes the port and maritime traditions of Szczecin.

The view from the surroundings

From around Stara Rzeźnia you can see Grodzka Island, the Chrobry Embankment and the Old Town with the Ducal Castle. Nearby are also the Maritime Science Centre and Szczecin Port.

Practical information

• Address: Tadeusza Wendy 14, Szczecin, Łasztownia island.
• The building is open to the public, as it houses a restaurant, a bookshop and a gallery. Opening hours and admission rules for events are given on the centre's website (ckesr.pl), so check them before a visit.