Krapkowice Market Square

The location of Krapkowice, between 1280 and 1294 was made by the Duke of Opole Bolesław I. Previously, there was a commercial and fishing settlement here, and not far away the agricultural village of Oracze (Opolska Street), which with time it became a suburb of Krapkowice. At the origin of the creation of the city lay the protection of the forthouse, and later the bridge on the Odra River and the trade routes running through it, connecting Opole with Koźle and Strzelce Opolskie with Głubczyce and further with Karniów and Opava. The reconstruction of the city was influenced by frequent fires. After the largest of them, from June 16, 1722, in place of wooden buildings, stone and brick buildings began to be erected. At the end of the 30s of the twentieth century, Krapkowice was a modern urban center with great potential for development, with as many as 5568 inhabitants. Being outside the area of military operations, they avoided major damage during World War II. Unfortunately, in the 70s and 80s, many centuries-old tenement houses in the Market Square and downtown were demolished or rebuilt. However, the most important historic buildings have been preserved to this day and are the pride of the city. The market square, as the most important place of the city, was designated on a rectangular plan, from the corners of which two perpendicular streets depart. The market square was a place where fairs and fairs were held. Until 1722, a wooden town hall stood in the middle of the square, its towers can be seen in engravings depicting Krapkowice from that time. The buildings located around the market square most often belonged to the wealthiest townspeople – merchants and traders. In the further distance from the center, craftsmen owned their homes. Today, the oldest preserved tenement house is number 4, and its beginning dates back to the seventeenth century.