The Imperial Castle in Poznań, popularly called Zamek (Polish: Zamek Cesarski w Poznaniu, German: Königliches Residenzschloss Posen), is a palace in Poznań, Poland. It was constructed in 1910 by Franz Schwechten for William II, German Emperor, with significant input from William himself. Since its completion, the building has housed government offices of Germany (to 1918 and during the Second World War) and Poland (1918–1939, 1945–present).
The name of this structure is misleading, as the building is a palace rather than a castle. Another difference arises from the adjective imperial (cesarski) preferred by the Poles and royal (königliches) used by the Germans. The German name refers to William II as King of Prussia, in this function he built the palace as his provincial residence, while the Polish name refers to him as Emperor of Germany because the term "royal" is reserved to Poznań's Royal Castle of the Kings of Poland.
The location of the castle was not accidental. After the deconstruction of the polygonal part of the Stronghold Poznań, Poznań was transformed to a residential city (Haupt- und Residenzstadt). On the new lands, Prussian authorities - who acquired the city in the Second Partition of Poland in 1793 - decided to build a new Germanic heart of city, known as the "Imperial District". The projects of the new districts were prepared by Joseph Stübben. Monumental buildings of the Imperial Districts surrounding the castle included:
* Post Office building
* Building of Settlement Commission (now Collegium Maius)
* Buildings of the Royal Academy (Königliche Akademie in Posen) (today Aula of the Adam Mickiewicz University, Collegium Minus and the Collegium Iuridicum)
* City Theatre (today Opera house)
* Building of the Academy of Music (Akademia Muzyczna w Poznaniu)
* Evangelical-Augsburg Church of St. Paul (today Roman Catholic Church of the Holiest Savior)
* Monument of Otto von Bismarck
Construction began in 1905 (plans were ready in 1904), and five years later, on 21 August 1910, during a visit of the emperor in Poznań (called Posener Kaisertage), the architect presented the keys to the new residence to William. The total cost of the building was five million German marks, and the castle is the youngest in Europe. William's first, and only, burgrave (Schlosshauptmann) in 1906 - 1918 was the Pomeranian noble, Count Bogdan Hutten-Czapski.
The castle was built in Neo-Romanesque style, considered by William to be the most "Germanic" and representing the glory of the Holy Roman Empire. The new residence was intended to reflect the control over Greater Poland by the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Empire
My photos from yesterday.
Weather was rather warm (+ 8 Centigrade), so snow is almost gone. I will be posting here photos of the castle and surounding builings like opera hause, medcine university.
Nearby street seen from the gate:
Interesting:
Closer:
Castle garden:
View from the front of the castle on St. Marcin Street:
Kościuszki Street close to the castle, the tram is seen on Fredry Street:
Poznań Opera:
Plane tree in the opera park:
Poznań Medical University rector's office:
Adam Mickiewicz University rector's office:
The name of this structure is misleading, as the building is a palace rather than a castle. Another difference arises from the adjective imperial (cesarski) preferred by the Poles and royal (königliches) used by the Germans. The German name refers to William II as King of Prussia, in this function he built the palace as his provincial residence, while the Polish name refers to him as Emperor of Germany because the term "royal" is reserved to Poznań's Royal Castle of the Kings of Poland.
The location of the castle was not accidental. After the deconstruction of the polygonal part of the Stronghold Poznań, Poznań was transformed to a residential city (Haupt- und Residenzstadt). On the new lands, Prussian authorities - who acquired the city in the Second Partition of Poland in 1793 - decided to build a new Germanic heart of city, known as the "Imperial District". The projects of the new districts were prepared by Joseph Stübben. Monumental buildings of the Imperial Districts surrounding the castle included:
* Post Office building
* Building of Settlement Commission (now Collegium Maius)
* Buildings of the Royal Academy (Königliche Akademie in Posen) (today Aula of the Adam Mickiewicz University, Collegium Minus and the Collegium Iuridicum)
* City Theatre (today Opera house)
* Building of the Academy of Music (Akademia Muzyczna w Poznaniu)
* Evangelical-Augsburg Church of St. Paul (today Roman Catholic Church of the Holiest Savior)
* Monument of Otto von Bismarck
Construction began in 1905 (plans were ready in 1904), and five years later, on 21 August 1910, during a visit of the emperor in Poznań (called Posener Kaisertage), the architect presented the keys to the new residence to William. The total cost of the building was five million German marks, and the castle is the youngest in Europe. William's first, and only, burgrave (Schlosshauptmann) in 1906 - 1918 was the Pomeranian noble, Count Bogdan Hutten-Czapski.
The castle was built in Neo-Romanesque style, considered by William to be the most "Germanic" and representing the glory of the Holy Roman Empire. The new residence was intended to reflect the control over Greater Poland by the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Empire
My photos from yesterday.
Weather was rather warm (+ 8 Centigrade), so snow is almost gone. I will be posting here photos of the castle and surounding builings like opera hause, medcine university.
Nearby street seen from the gate:
Interesting:
Closer:
Castle garden:
View from the front of the castle on St. Marcin Street:
Kościuszki Street close to the castle, the tram is seen on Fredry Street:
Poznań Opera:
Plane tree in the opera park:
Poznań Medical University rector's office:
Adam Mickiewicz University rector's office: