Town Scales House, currently a library - Zabytek.pl
Address
Nysa, Sukiennicza 2
Location
woj. opolskie, pow. nyski, gm. Nysa - miasto
Medieval scales offices are mentioned in archaeological researches and sources. The sixteenth-century town scales building in Nysa is the only known preserved structure of this kind in this region. In addition, it is the only surviving structure from the former buildings that were located in the middle of the market square, though it was severely damaged in 1945.
History
Nysa had the privilege of maintaining the scales by the town probably as early as at the beginning of the 14th century. The form and exact location of the scales building are unknown; it is known that it was one of the buildings in the middle of the market square together with the town hall and town hall tower. Next to it were stalls, shopping booths, and benches. The present building was erected in 1602-1604. It housed the town scales office and was used for storing measurement patterns. In the late 19th century, the façades were renovated by complementing and repainting painted decorations and the interior underwent alterations. The building was severely damaged in 1945; it was then that the front façade, among others, collapsed. The preserved details were used during reconstruction (1947-1948), but the architectural form was simplified. Since 1955 the building has been the seat of a public library. In 2010-2012, it underwent renovation which involved, among others, conservation of murals and reconstruction of the gable sculptures.
Description
The town scales building is located in the south-western part of the market square block damaged at the end of World War 2. It is located at a gable end and projects before the line of buildings; originally, it was separated from neighbouring buildings by internal streets on three sides. It was built of brick on a rectangular floor plan, with a cloister in the front; it consists of three storeys and is covered with a gable roof. The façades are plastered and topped with a crowning corbel cornice; the structure features a double-arcaded cloister with rustication made of ashlar. Once rich outer decoration including murals, figurative sculptures, obelisks, sphinxes, has been preserved only in the form of one sculpture (Justice) and small fragments of paintings on side façades which, however, were repainted. The late Renaissance four-storey gable is decorated with allegorical sculptures reconstructed in 2010-2012. The three-bay interiors were modernised during reconstruction.
The building houses the Wł. Broniewski's Town and Municipal Public Library, information: http://migbp.nysa.pl.
compiled by Joanna Szot, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Opole, 23-10-2014.
Bibliography
- Czerner R., Zabudowy rynków. Średniowieczne bloki śródrynkowe wybranych dużych miast Śląska, Wrocław 2002.
- Eysymontt R., Nysa w średniowieczu. Między Gandawą a Opawą, [in:] Nysa. Sztuka w dawnej stolicy księstwa biskupiego, R. Hołownia, M. Kapustka (eds.), Wrocław 2008, pp. 9-39.
- Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce, vol. VII: Województwo opolskie, T. Chrzanowski, M. Kornecki (eds.), issue 9: Powiat nyski, prepared by T. Chrzanowski, M. Kornecki, Warsaw 1963.
- Lutsch H., Verzeichnis der Kunstdenkmäler der Provinz Schlesien, Bd. 4: Die Kunstdenkmäler des Reg.-Bezirks Oppeln, Tl. 1, Breslau 1890.
- Zabytki sztuki w Polsce. Śląsk, collective work, Warsaw 2006.
Category: public building
Architecture: Renaissance
Building material:
brick
Protection: Register of monuments, Monuments records
Inspire id: PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_N_16_BK.22657, PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_E_16_BK.21882