Iron-Gate Square (''Plac Żelaznej Bramy'') is a large open space in the

city center A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is official ...

. The square took its name from a large iron gate that once secured the western boundary of the

Saxon Garden The Saxon Garden ( pl, Ogród Saski) is a 15.5–hectare public garden in central ('' Śródmieście'') Warsaw, Poland, facing Piłsudski Square. It is the oldest public park in the city. Founded in the late 17th century, it was opened to the pub ...

History

In the 17th century, the area to the west of Warsaw's

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...

was being parceled out and rapidly built up. It was there that the widow of Jan Wielopolski founded a small town ('' jurydyka'') named ''Wielopole'' after her late husband. The town was centered on a small market place dubbed ''Targowica Wielopolska'', "Wielopole Market Place." Though the town was small and poor, it was probably designed by

Tylman van Gameren Tylman van Gameren, also ''Tilman'' or ''Tielman'' and Tylman Gamerski, (Utrecht, 3 July 1632 – c. 1706, Warsaw) was a Dutch-born Polish architect and engineer who, at the age of 28, settled in Poland and worked for Queen Marie Casimire, ...

, one of the most renowned architects of the age. The town bordered another small market town, Mirów. In the 18th century, the mighty Radziwiłł family built a palace there. The structure was later bought and expanded by the

Lubomirski The House of Lubomirski is a Polish princely family. The Lubomirski family's coat of arms is the Drużyna coat of arms, which is similar to the Szreniawa coat of arms but without a cross. Origin and the coat of arms The Lubomirski f ...

family, which gave their name to the palace. About the time the palace was built, the town began to prosper. Under

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ...

August II, the area was completely rebuilt. As August was obsessed with the idea of a " Saxon Axis," he decided to demolish the poor wooden houses in the area and incorporate the market place into the city of Warsaw. The Lubomirski Palace was also to be demolished, as it was constructed some 30 degrees off the axis. However, the plan had to be called off due to financial difficulties and the eventual death of the monarch. Nevertheless, the area continued growing thanks to both the palace and the local market place. It was there that the first permanent

coffee house A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...

in Warsaw was opened in 1759. It was also there, in the market place, that six large barracks of the

Royal Horse Guard The Crown Horse Guard Regiment ( pl, Regiment Gwardii Konnej Koronnej) was a military unit of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and then of Poland. Formed in 1717 as a dragoon regiment by Jacob Heinrich von Flemming, it was initially commande ...

were built. The barracks were demolished by the Russians in the 19th century. In their place a new, smaller square was created. It inherited the name "'' Plac Mirowski''," after the village of Mirów that once stood there. Between 1899 and 1901, two large markets were built there. The entire area, excluding the two markets, was completely demolished by the Germans in the aftermath of the 1944

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising ( pl, powstanie warszawskie; german: Warschauer Aufstand) was a major World War II operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occurred in the summer of 1944, and it was led ...

. After the war, the Saxon Garden was delimited on the west, and the place of the former iron gate is now occupied by a street. The Lubomirski Palace was partially rebuilt, but was rotated some 30 degrees to conform to the Saxon Axis. In the 1960s, under

Władysław Gomułka Władysław Gomułka (; 6 February 1905 – 1 September 1982) was a Polish communist politician. He was the ''de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized ...

, the former square was built up with large apartment blocks. Even though the square no longer exists, the new buildings retain "Iron-Gate Square" addresses.

External links

Current and prewar views of the Lubomirski Palace

{{coord, 52, 14, 22, N, 21, 00, 07, E, region:PL-MZ_type:landmark, display=title Squares in Warsaw