Why is it imperative to come and visit us?
If you are interested in history and architecture, take a look at Piłsudskiego Street. This Wrocław street stretches for several kilometres through the main station square. A walk along this historic street can take several hours. There is much to see here: the station building, hotels, confectionery, shops, restaurants, the Transition monument, the theatre and, of course, the house with its huge carved doors and two giants. This is the Wrocławska Rada Federacji Stowarzyszeń Naukowo-Technicznych NOT.
How to get to the Litera Centre in Wrocław
It's easy to find the house with the giants bending under the weight of the columns. If you walk from the main station of Wrocław (Wrocław Główny), it is only 300 metres away. Turn left and across the road you will see an unusual building. If you are coming from the centre, head towards the station from the Przystanek Arkady Capitol stop. After 50 metres, on the opposite side of the theatre, you will see Dom Technika NOT.
For fans of modern technologies we leave the exact address: Wrocław, ul. Piłsudskiego 74.
It is difficult to miss this magnificent architectural structure. It is as mesmerising in its beauty as in its history.
History of the building
It began in 1892, when Wrocław was still the German city of Breslau and Piłsudski's street was Gartenstrasse. It was then that the Union of Provinces of Lower Silesia commissioned the engineer Blümner to build a building for the parliament (gmachu sejmowego). Blümner worked on the project for almost a year and the building took 5 years to complete.
And it's no wonder, the grandiosity of the construction still amazes even now.
Stop for a few minutes in front of the façade and look up. The architecture and sculptural design of the facade will impress you with the beauty of the bas-relief in the form of the coat of arms of Lower Silesia, above the massive doors. At the top is the head of a lion with an open mouth and two
columns in the form of nude statues of Hercules. The facade was designed by Wrocław sculptors Christian Behrens and his pupil Ernst Seger.
Now look around you. Who do you see?
Of course gnomes are the symbol of the city. You will be surprised, but long before the sculptures of fairy-tale creatures appeared on the doorstep of this building, the king himself was welcomed!
And it was in September 1896. The Russian royal family - Emperor Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna - arrived in Lower Silesia only 5 months after the coronation of Nicholas II in Moscow. And the future Dom Technika NOT became a royal residence for a few days. Here balls were given and guests were welcomed.
Unfortunately, after the Second World War, the building was in need of repair. A group of Polish engineers worked on the restoration, and only in 1951 the house was handed over to the Naczelnej Organizacji Technicznej. It was then that the building was named Dom Technika NOT. The building is still owned by this organisation, and the lease lasts until 2072 (according to a contract from 1973).
Enough historical dates, let's take a look inside
Open the heavy wooden door and you'll find yourself in front of wide staircases with white handrails. Stroll through the fireplace room and admire the intricate ceilings that play with light and shade. Be sure to take a seat on an ancient stone bench and enjoy the view of the atrium, the space between the two floors and the geometric patterned floor.
And now we invite you to the first floor
This is where our Development and Education Centre "LITERA" has been located for several years. Over a cup of flavoured coffee we'd love to tell you many more interesting facts about the city and the building.
For example, that in the hall of the Silesian Senate was the Atom cinema from the 1930s until 2008. Although the cinema has ceased to function, it is in very good condition and fully functional.
We are waiting for you at the address: Wrocław, Pilsudski Street 74, Auditorium 215. Our doors are open to everyone!
