Market Square in Prudnik

A rectangular square in the heart of the Old Town of one of the oldest towns in Upper Silesia, chartered under Magdeburg law in 1279. In the centre stands the Baroque-Classical town hall of 1782 with a 63 m tower, and at the corners — an ensemble of Baroque monuments.

A town hall through many fires

The first, timber town hall stood here in the Middle Ages — the Swedes burnt it down in 1627. Subsequent buildings were destroyed by fires in 1650, 1653, 1735 and 1779; the last broke out after the Austrian bombardment of the town on 28 February 1779, during the War of the Bavarian Succession. The present building was erected in 1782. In laying out the square the Flemish "rope" was used — its area was set at 2 × 1 ropes, i.e. one morgan. The first mention of the square comes from a document of 1481.

The column and the fountains

The Marian Column of 1694, commemorating the victims of the plague, was modelled on the column at Munich's Marienplatz; it was built of sandstone and marble, and its pedestal carries figures of four saints and the Virgin with Child. The Habsburg Fountain of 1696 is the oldest fountain in Opole Silesia — Atlantes bear a shell crowned by an eagle with a crown. In the south-eastern corner stands the figure of St John of Nepomuk from 1733, and by the square survives the Weidinger town house of 1769.

Practical information

The square is accessible around the clock, and 200 m from it stands the Wok Tower, a remnant of the medieval town walls.