This is the city’s central square, through which the 18th meridian of eastern longitude runs. Cape Town and Stockholm, for example, lie on the same meridian.

The Old Market Square was established in 1346, when King Casimir the Great granted Bydgoszcz its city charter. Over the centuries, the buildings on the Market Square have changed many times. The ones you see today date mainly from the 19th century.

From historical descriptions and archaeological excavations, we know that the town hall once stood in the center of the Market Square. It was likely originally made of wood and burned down in the city fire of 1425. The next one was built of stone in the Gothic style, but it, too, was destroyed by fire. The construction of the next one was fraught with difficulties, but it was finally completed after many years.

It housed the offices of the mayor, the town administrator, and the town council, as well as the town archives, a courtroom, and a library. On the second floor was the treasury with an armory, and the attic served as quarters for the town trumpeter. The basements served as a remand prison, and an interrogation chamber was located next to it. A separate section of the basement was designated for a tavern. Stalls, including butcher’s stalls, were set up in the town hall’s arcades.

The building was largely destroyed by military operations during the Polish-Swedish wars of the second half of the 17th century. Further damage was caused by a fire in 1708. Due to the building’s condition, city authorities were forced to relocate their headquarters in 1753. Thus, city officials first met in private homes, then in a tenement house on Farna Street, and later on Długa Street. The current seat on Jezuicka Street was chosen in the 19th century.

The imposing Gothic building was demolished in the 19th century. However, its foundations have survived and are now hidden beneath the market square’s paving slabs. The location of these foundations, along with the outline of the town hall tower, is indicated by the darker, reddish-colored granite slabs on the market square’s surface.

Old Market Square

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