Market Square in Żary

The Market Square in Żary is the centre of the largest town in Polish Lusatia, which according to Statistics Poland (2021) has 36,004 inhabitants. In the middle of the square stands a free-standing town hall whose brick origins go back to the first half of the 14th century, surrounded by 17th–19th-century houses and a bench commemorating Georg Philipp Telemann, who began his career as a court Kapellmeister here.

History: a town hall shaped by fires and rebuilds

Żary received its town charter in 1260, and the first brick town hall was built in the first half of the 14th century. The building's present form results from rebuilding after the fires of 1523, 1617, 1684 and 1690. In 1700 the wooden tower was replaced with a square brick one topped with a pyramid-shaped roof. In 1830–1845 the arcades were bricked up and the small houses of poor merchants – the old stalls beside the town hall – were incorporated into the building. Alterations in 1920–1926 removed most of its Renaissance character. After wartime damage the town hall was repaired in 1961–1966, the façade was renewed in 1997, and the interiors and roof in 2010.

What to see

• The Renaissance portal in the town hall's west façade, decorated with a mosaic in 1929, as well as Renaissance and Baroque vaults on the ground floor.
• The houses around the square – the oldest date from the 17th century, among them the former "Golden Star" inn (Rynek 12) from 1770.
• The well with a basilisk figure beside the town hall, with a board telling the local legend.
• The Telemann bench in front of the Art Exhibition Gallery, unveiled on 17 April 2010 for the town's 750th anniversary. The figure of the composer playing the violin is the work of Marek Szala from Zakopane, in collaboration with the Żary artist Kazimierz Polak.

Did you know

Telemann came to Żary from Leipzig in 1704 at the invitation of Count Erdmann II von Promnitz and directed the court orchestra until 1708. Works from this period feature motifs from Polish folk music. According to the town's Telemann website, it was at the Żary court that he fell in love with Amalia Louise Juliane Eberlin, a lady-in-waiting to the countess, who arrived here in 1706. He also met the poet Erdmann Neumeister here and set his texts to music.

Tripto tips

• The town hall houses the Town Office (Rynek 1–5), so its interiors are not open to visitors. You can see the portal and the building from the square; in 2026 an energy-efficiency upgrade worth almost PLN 4 million is under way.
• The town's tourist information point is at Rynek 17. In winter 2025/2026 a 350 m² ice rink was set up beside the town hall.
• Half an hour is enough for a walk around the square. A few minutes away stand the Biberstein Castle and the Baroque Promnitz Palace; the castle's revitalisation, costing around PLN 51 million, is scheduled to run until the end of 2029.