Old towns & squares

Former Town Hall in Legnica

A Baroque building on Legnica's market square, raised in 1737–1741, which served as the seat of the town council for over 160 years and has been tied to the theatre since 1928. Today the administration of the Helena Modrzejewska Theatre works inside.

From a wooden town hall to the Baroque

Legnica's first wooden town hall was built as early as the 14th century under a charter from Duke Bolesław III the Generous; successive buildings kept falling to fires. The current masonry hall was erected in 1737–1741 by Franz Michael Sheerhofer as part of the market square frontage. The first council meeting took place on 15 May 1741, and the last — exactly 164 years later — on 8 April 1905.

The town hall that became a theatre

The building was remodelled in 1836, and in 1926–1928 it was converted into a theatre, with a low tower added at the time. Since then the Baroque block has been integrally joined to the theatre building to the north. The interiors now house the theatre's administration and the actors' dressing rooms.

What to look for

A risalit rises on the building's axis, emphasised by two flights of outdoor stairs; the rusticated ground floor is carried by pilasters dividing the facade. The whole is covered with a mansard roof with dormers, and the risalit is crowned with an onion helmet. The town hall was entered in the register of monuments on 29 March 1949.

Practical tips

This is a working theatre building, so you view it from the outside — allow 10–15 minutes for the details and a photo from the square. Combine the walk with the New Town Hall, the Piast castle and the cathedral, and in the evening check the repertory of the Modrzejewska Theatre.