History

The Polish Gate was erected in the 15th century on the site formerly occupied by a fourteenth-century, probably wooden, gate. It was part of the town fortifications, which were the third line of defence next to a castle with a fortified tower and its ramparts. In the 17th and 19th century the gate was renovated and partly altered, and adapted for residential purposes. In the 19th century the embrasures designed to protect the defending riflemen against enemy fire were replaced with windows. After the Second World War the building remained uninhabited. Since the 1960s the building served as a hostel managed by the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society (PTTK). At the turn of the 20th and 21st century the Polish Angling Association took ownership of the building and adapted its rooms for use as guest rooms after complete renovation.

Description

The Polish Gate is located in the eastern part of the medieval town layout, in the grounds of the castle, above T. Kościuszki Street. It was built in the Gothic style.

The structure is made of brick,, with a section of the loft designed as a wattle-and-daub structure. It was built on a rectangular floor plan, with a compact body consisting of two storeys, with a usable loft, without a basement, and is topped with a tall half-hip roof covered in ceramic ‘beaver tail’ tiles. The central part on the first-storey level features a passage terminating in pointed arches, covered with a wooden ceiling. The facades are made of brick, not covered with plaster, without architectural detail. The gables of the side facades feature a wattle-and-daub structure. The entrance to the building is located in the north-facing facade, from the side of the castle, on the eastern side, and topped with a segmental arch.

Limited access to the monument. The structure can be viewed from the outside.

Compiled by Marta Kłaczkowska, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Zielona Góra, 27-10-2014 r.

Bibliography

• Karta ewidencyjna, Brama Polska, oprac. Dębska A., 2006 r, Archiwum Wojewódzkiego Urzędu Ochrony Zabytków w Zielonej Górze.
• Garbacz K., Przewodnik po zabytkach województwa lubuskiego, t. 1, Zielona Góra 2011, s. 162.
• Kowalski S., Zabytki architektury województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2010, s. 213.