''Iglica'' (; "spire" or "needle") is a needle-like monument in
Wrocław
Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. It was built in 1948 and was 106 metres tall. Today, after renovation, the top ten metres have been removed and it is now 90 metres tall.
History
This structure was constructed by Polish Communists for
an exhibition to celebrate regaining control over the "
Regained Territories
The Recovered Territories or Regained Lands () are the lands east of the Oder-Neisse line that over the centuries were gradually lost by Poland and colonized by the Germans, and that returned to Poland after World War II. This term includes W ...
" after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
with Stanisław Hempel being chosen as the designer. The Iglica is located very close to the
Centennial Hall Centennial Hall (, ) may refer to:
in Canada
* Centennial Hall (London, Ontario), London, Ontario, Canada
* Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
* Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium, former name of TCU Place
in Germany
* , 1902
* Ce ...
. Considering the hall's German origin, planners decided to build a spire next to it that could become a symbol of Polish Wrocław and Polish technology.
It was originally topped by a spinning contraption of mirrors, creating an "umbrella of light" at night, but this was struck by lightning within a day of completion, and prior to the official opening. The remnants of this damaged structure were apparently removed by two climbing enthusiasts at no cost, the military being unable to tackle the task.
The spire was named one of Poland's official national
Historic Monuments (''
Pomnik historii
Historic Monument (, ) is one of several categories of objects of cultural heritage in Poland, objects of cultural heritage (in the singular, ''zabytek'') in Poland.
To be recognized as a Polish historic monument, an object must be declared suc ...
''), as designated 20 April 2005, together with the Four Domes Pavilion, the Pergola, and
Centennial Hall Centennial Hall (, ) may refer to:
in Canada
* Centennial Hall (London, Ontario), London, Ontario, Canada
* Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
* Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium, former name of TCU Place
in Germany
* , 1902
* Ce ...
. Its listing is maintained by the
National Institute of Cultural Heritage
The National Institute of Cultural Heritage of Poland () is a Polish governmental institution responsible for documenting cultural property and the intangible cultural heritage, as well as for supporting and coordinating their protection. .
See also
*
Spire of Dublin
The Spire of Dublin, alternatively titled the Millennium Spire or the ''Monument of Light'' (), is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument in height, located on the site of the former Nelson's Pillar (and prior to that a statue of William B ...
– similar design with a height of 120 metres, but of stainless steel and newer.
*
List of towers
The tallest structure in the world is the Burj Khalifa skyscraper at . Listed are guyed masts (such as telecommunication masts), self-supporting towers (such as the CN Tower), skyscrapers (such as the Willis Tower), oil platforms, electricity ...
References
External links
*
1948 sculptures
Buildings and structures in Wrocław
Monumental columns in Poland
Tourist attractions in Wrocław
{{Wrocław