The Grey Castle (German: Graues Schloß, Polish: Szary Zamek, Polish pronunciation: [ˈʃarɨ ˈzãmɛk]) was a tenement house in Szczecin, which was located at the corner of today's Polish Soldier Square and Independence Avenue, on the north-western edge of the Old Town, in the Centre district. It was destroyed during World War II.

Grey Castle in Szczecin
Szary Zamek w Szczecinie
Grey Castle seen from the former Königsplatz (nowadays Żołnierza Polskiego Square)
Grey Castle is located in Szczecin
Grey Castle
Grey Castle
Location within Szczecin
Former namesGraues Schloß
General information
Typetenement house
AddressKönigsplatz 1
Town or citySzczecin
CountryPoland
Coordinates53°25′42″N 14°33′10″E / 53.42828°N 14.55285°E / 53.42828; 14.55285
Construction started1904
Completed1905
Destroyed1944
Technical details
Materialbrick
Floor count4
Other information
Public transit accesstrams

History

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The Grey Castle was built between 1904 and 1905 on the site of former barracks,[1][2] existing between 1729 and 1903.[3] The ground floor housed retail outlets as well as restaurants and coffeehouses.

The building was bombed by the British Royal Air Force on 5/6 January 1944. Due to extensive damage, the building was demolished before the end of World War II. At the turn of the 1960s and 1970s, the Grey Castle was replaced by two twin blocks of flats designed by Alina Bursze, Teodor Bursze, Stanisław Płoski and Roman Szymborski.[4]

Description

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The tenement was a four-storey corner building. The façade facing Polish Soldier Square had six axes, with the two middle axes situated in an avant-corps topped with a triangular gable with pinnacles. Balconies adjoined both sides of the avant-corps. The corners of the building had the form of angular towers covered with the tented roof. The façades of the side wings of the building were 8-axial. The three outer axes of the first and second floor of both side wings were located in bay windows. The tenement house was covered with a mansard roof, which was accentuated with a tower. The tower had a two-part tented roof. The tented roof housed an observation deck.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "1904 – Encyklopedia Pomorza Zachodniego - pomeranica.pl". pomeranica.pl. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  2. ^ "1905 – Encyklopedia Pomorza Zachodniego - pomeranica.pl". pomeranica.pl. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  3. ^ Czejarek, Roman (2016). Szczecin, którego nie ma = Stettin, das es nicht mehr gibt (1 ed.). Łódź: Księży Młyn Dom Wydawniczy. p. 164. ISBN 978-83-7729-339-3. OCLC 992532859.
  4. ^ "To miało być szczecińskie "city". Jest architektoniczny chaos. Co się wkrótce zmieni?". wszczecinie.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  5. ^ "Szczecin - Żołnierza Polskiego 1 - stare zdjęcia, mapa". fotopolska.eu. Retrieved 2021-03-24.