Juliusz Słowacki Theatre

The facade bears the motto "Kraków to the national art", and on the stage behind it, on 16 March 1901, Wyspiański's play "The Wedding" had its world premiere — one of the defining moments of Polish culture. The Juliusz Słowacki Theatre, opened in 1893, is a Neo-Baroque building on Plac Świętego Ducha, modelled on the finest theatres in Europe, including the Palais Garnier in Paris. It still runs three stages, and the main auditorium is graced by a curtain painted by Henryk Siemiradzki.

History: a theatre in place of a church

The idea of a new municipal stage was first put to the city council by the photographer and councillor Walery Rzewuski in 1872, but the international design competition was only announced in 1888. It was won by the Kraków architect Jan Zawiejski. The building went up in 1891–1893 on the site of the medieval Church of the Holy Spirit, demolished in 1892, and among those who placed documents beneath the foundation stone was the actress Helena Modrzejewska (Modjeska). It was the first building in Kraków with electric lighting. It opened as the Municipal Theatre on 21 October 1893 and was named after the Romantic poet Juliusz Słowacki in 1909.

A stage that made history

The turn of the 20th century was the theatre's golden age. Stanisław Wyspiański staged most of his works here, and in 1901 he was the first to present all parts of Mickiewicz's "Forefathers' Eve". In 1921 Witkacy made his debut here with "Tumor Mózgowicz", a play the critics savaged. During the German occupation a German theatre used the building for five years, and Governor-General Hans Frank liked to host visitors from the Reich in the imperial box. The Polish company returned on 19 February 1945; in the 1940s actors such as Gustaw Holoubek, Tadeusz Łomnicki and Aleksandra Śląska began their careers here. After the political thaw of October 1956 the theatre staged the first post-war production of Wyspiański's "Liberation".

What to see

• The facade with its allegorical figures: Poetry, Drama and Comedy on the left, Music, Opera and Operetta on the right. At the top stand statues of Tadeusz and Zosia, the young lovers from Mickiewicz's epic "Pan Tadeusz".
• The Siemiradzki curtain of 1892–1894, measuring 11.9 by 9.6 m, with allegories of Inspiration, Beauty, Truth, Tragedy and Comedy.
• Two newer curtains: since 2018 one based on Wyspiański's 1892 competition design, and since 2023 a hand-woven curtain bearing the names of 130 women of Kraków.
• The auditorium chandelier, 3.5 m across with 120 bulbs, and the eclectic staircase with stucco work by Alfred Putz.

Interesting facts

The auditorium originally held 922 people. Later alterations reduced the capacity, as the rows were spaced further apart and the fold-down extra seats were removed. During the 1990/1991 renovation the actors performed behind the lowered iron safety curtain, with the audience seated on chairs on the stage itself. In 2018 the National Bank of Poland issued a silver 10-złoty coin for the theatre's 125th anniversary, featuring Wyspiański's bust and a detail of the Siemiradzki curtain.

Tripto tip

The best way to see the interior is to attend a performance. We could not confirm a regular programme of guided tours, although the theatre runs them occasionally, for example during the Night of Theatres. Check the repertoire and tickets on the theatre's website (teatrwkrakowie.pl). The facade is best photographed from Plac Świętego Ducha, where the whole composition, including the statues on top, fits in the frame. The theatre is a few minutes' walk from the Main Market Square and right next to the Planty park ring, so it fits easily into a walk around the UNESCO-listed Old Town.