Voivodeship Office Building in Szczecin

The building at Wały Chrobrego 4 is a complex of three monumental buildings joined by a common, richly decorated façade. It was built in 1906-1911 for the Szczecin regency and is still one of the most recognisable buildings on the Oder. From its south tower, 72 m high, a figure of a sailor looks out, and the interiors have kept their prestigious decoration from the early 20th century.

Construction

The chief designer was the Berlin architect Paul Kieschke. After his death in 1905 the project was continued, and the construction supervised, by Paul Lehmgrübner. Work began in 1906 on a plot of 12,860 m², on the site of the former Leopold Fort. The shape of the terrain required extensive earthworks: the moats were filled in, the peaty ground was replaced and drainage was installed. The building was set on concrete foundations that reach in places 11 m below street level. The total floor area of the building is 19,451 m².

Style and layout

The style draws on German historicism, especially on the northern Renaissance. The complex has two inner courtyards and two towers. The interiors, among them the main hall, the staircase and the conference room, have a prestigious character and have kept their original decoration. According to the Wikipedia entry, the interwar appearance of the interior is being systematically restored, recreating the painting of the walls and vaults and the stucco.

After it was put into use in 1911, the middle part was occupied by the Szczecin regency, the south part held the official flat of the president of the regency, and the north part the offices of maritime institutions, among them Lloyd's Agency and the Harbour Police. The building did not suffer during the air raids on Szczecin. According to the entry, on 30 April 1945 Piotr Zaremba, the first Polish administrator of the city, ordered the Polish flag to be hung on it. In 1985 the building was entered in the heritage register.

The sailor on the tower

The south tower is crowned by a figure of a sailor placed around 1912. It is made of thick, pressed sheet metal, measures 225 cm, weighs about 160 kg and is hollow inside. In his right hand the sailor holds an anchor, and in his left a steel mast 360 cm high with an image of the Polish eagle. Originally the mast bore the Prussian eagle, replaced by the Polish one in 1945 or 1946, and after 1989 its image was replaced.

In the mid-1970s the figure began to lean from the vertical, so it was taken down by helicopter on 25 May 1975. It turned out to have 112 bullet holes, a torn-off left arm and a crushed foot, most probably from the fighting of 1945. After repair by the Szczecin locksmith Tadeusz Drogosz, the first attempt to put it back on the tower failed, and it was successfully set in place again on 4 August 1976.

Interiors and visiting

According to the Wikipedia entry, since 2011, in connection with the building's centenary, the building has been open to visits in groups, with a guide and only along designated routes. They include the cellars, where there is an unexplored, water-filled tunnel running towards the Oder, and the towers with a collection of mascarons gathered by the Germans. The conditions of visiting may have changed since then, so the information must be confirmed before a visit.

Neighbourhood

The building stands on the Chrobry Embankment, above the Oder.

Right next to it is the National Museum in Szczecin, about 200 m from the building.

About 600 m further on stands the Maritime Science Centre.

Practical information

• Address: Wały Chrobrego 4, Szczecin.
• Interiors and towers: visits only in groups with a guide along designated routes, according to information from the entry. Dates and bookings are given by the building's manager.