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The Underground Of WROCŁAW
Hello and welcome to our tour. Today we will guide you through, probably, the most mysterious part of the history of our city. We’re not going to show you the monuments you can see all over the city, but the ones that escape your attention on a daily basis. As you may know, there are many urban legends surrounding the underground of Wrocław, which is why we decided to take you on this dark and exciting journey.
Wrocław, the marketplace Underneath our city, there’s about 1100 km of sewers and other tunnels, including over 300 km of these, through which an average man could easily pass.
The red lines represent the tunnels with diameter bigger than one meter, built before 1945, the crosses represent crypts under churches and cathedrals, most of them built before twentieth century, and the numbers in circles represent major bunkers and shelters within the city, most of which are the memoirs of the second world war.
City walls near the arsenal The oldest tunnels we might point in our city, would be the ones that were built as a form of defence, or an optional escape route from besieged city.
Remains of citywalls– the Oławska Gate. Many of such tunnels still remain in the sphere of myths and legends, it is actually possible to see some of them with your own eyes. For example, the tunnel under the tenement house number 22 in the very center of the city, was built in the year 1519, and it is still there today.
The cryptunder St. Maciej’s Church We must alsomention all the crypts that you can find under our city’s churches. The most impressive among them are crypts under St. Wojciech’s Church near the Dominican Square – it’s a real maze of underground tunnels and chambers, and a place of eternal rest for many Dominican monks.
The cellar of Leśnica Castle As we’re talking about very old parts of our underground, we cannot forget the chateaus and palaces, among which many possess some very interesting cellars, like the one in the picture – the chateau in Leśnica, the outskirts of Wrocław, where now many concerts and art festivals take place.
Cellars of Orphanotropheum, beforerenovation There is also the Orphanotropheum, built in 1715, an old orphanage for children of noble birth. It is located on Katedralna Street 4, and today, it houses the residence of the academic priest office. It has recently been renovated, and should be open for visitors. That’s what its cellars looked like before the renovation…
Cellars of Orphanotropheum, afterrenovation …and that’s how they look now.
Oldinfantry fort, built in the XIX century. On the other hand though, Wrocław has many military monuments, such as the old infantry shelter you can see in the picture. It was built in 1892, and is still standing today, in good condition. It can be found near Dembowskiego Street, on the eastern side of the city.
The Ceglarski Bastion, built in 1585 Now, a little jump back in time, precisely to 1585, which is the date when The Ceglarski Bastion was built. Located in the center of the city, on the Dunikowski’s Boulevard, it is one of the most impressive monuments to be found here. Back in the sixteenth century, it had its own dungeons, that were inundated and destroyed by the French in 1807, and the whole bastion was turned into a strolling promenade.
Anti-Aircraft shelter, Legnicka Street Still, the biggest impact on the city’s evolution when it comes to all kinds of bunkers, shelters and tunnels, was made by Germans, and precisely by the Third Reich. The anti-aircraft shelters, as seen on the photo, can be a perfect example. They were built by the Nazis between 1940 and 1942, as a form of protection from airstrikes. Still standing today, they serve as museums, archives, and even apartments.
Entrance to the underground tunnels- Post Office building, Powstańców Śląskich Street. Although, the most interesting thing, and a great mystery, that Germans left us with, are the tunnels. They can be entered from many major old buildings around the city center, such as the Railway Station or the Post Office, as seen on the photo.
Old German tunnelunder the Railway Station They are not always accessible, and sometimes the entrances look deceptively ordinarily, but they lead to a much more unusual parts of Wrocław.
Deepertunnelsunder the Railway Station One of the most notable tunnel systems is located underneath the Main Railway Station. Some of them can, with a bit of luck, be accessed from the Station. Many legends are being told about them, most interesting being the tunnel leading to the underground city or the escape route to the outskirts of Wrocław.
Deepertunnelsunder the Railway Station However it is not possible to either confirm or disprove those theories, it’s a fact that during the second world war, Germans built things that were even more shocking, and that we’re discovering and exploring yet today.
German underground First Aid Point To realize how serious and resolute Germans were about building the underground fortifications, you don’t have to go far. Take a while, and visit the underground shelters underneath Solny Square. The shelter itself is over 450 square meters big, and has everything you need in case you had to stay inside for a bit longer. A first aid point…
German underground Kitchen ...or a kitchen. Some of such shelters have even had showers and phones.
A recentlydiscovered German tunnel, locatedunder the Main Railway Station As we’re getting close to the end of our tour, let us think about how much more there is to explore under our feet, what great secrets does our city keep? All that you saw here, my little presentation, was just the tip of the iceberg, for it is a very, very vast subject, and a big part of it still remains a mystery, even to those who dedicate their lives to it.
We want to encourage you all to explore these places on your own, for there is much to see, and, perhaps, much to discover! Besides, where else can you feel like Indiana Jones, without risking your life? ;) Thank you.
Sources: • opolandia.redblog.nto.pl • FestungBreslauReenactmentGroupofficialwebsite • gazeta.pl • odkrywca.pl • stareobiekty.pl • tuwroclaw.pl
