Travel Guide
Centennial House
The Centennial Hall (Jahrhunderhalle) is situated in the Exhibition Grounds, on the edge of the largest park in Wroclaw, Szczytnicki Park. Constructed in 1913 by architect Max Berg, the renowned Modernist architect, the Centennial Hall has gained the reputation of Wroclaw's major symbol. This monumental reinforced concrete structure was designed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig.
What is interesting is that Max Berg's most creative and innovative proposition was chosen over 42 others by the city council. The initial assumption was that the Hall would function both as an exhibition and as a meeting venue. It was here that Adolf Hitler held rallies during wartime. In 1948, the World Congress of Intellectuals for Peace convened in the Centennial Hall was attended by such notable personages as Pablo Picasso, Aldous Huxley or Max Frisch. In the same year, the Centennial Hall hosted Regained Territories Exhibition, a propaganda exhibition celebrating "the restoration of the recovered territories to Poland" after the war. In 1997, the International Eucharistic Congress with Pope John Paul II was also held here. With great acoustics and the capacity of 18,000 seat, this massive building today serves successfully as a multi-purpose recreational venue, used primarily for sporting events (boxing, handball, basketball, volleyball), concerts, congresses and trade fairs. In 2006, the Centennial Hall was included in the World Heritage of Culture list of UNESCO among other twelve UNESCO-registered locations in Poland. According to the World Heritage Committee, the Centennial Hall "occupies a key position in the evolution of methods of reinforcement in architecture, and one of the climax points in the history of the use of metal in structural consolidation." Some experts though voiced criticism that the site is nothing more than a colossal concrete hat box or a cement birthday cake. At the time when the building was constructed, its huge dome boasted a record 65-metre span (and also impressive 42-meters height). Entering the building, most people couldn't help but think that it would collapse at any time. [Around Central Wroclaw]
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