In addition, the tavern also remains an aesthetically pleasing part of the surrounding landscape, its original, largely unchanged silhouette emphasising the authenticity of both its form and function. A notable feature of the tavern is the surviving utility section combining the functions of a stable and carriage house. The building also forms an important part of the street frontage, with the surrounding area also being included in the register of historical monuments as an urban complex.

History

Sławków is one of the oldest settlements in Poland, with the earliest mentions thereof in written sources dating back to the year 1220, where it is referred to as the location of a number of taverns the proceeds from which were allocated to the bishops of Cracow. The first reference to Sławków as a town dates back to 1286, the year which, by convention, is considered to be the date when it obtained municipal rights. According to the date inscribed on the ceiling beam in the main hall, the tavern, commonly referred to as an “austeria” (an old Polish term designating an inn of above-average standard) was established in 1701 and was one of the most significant among all the buildings in town, remaining under the direct supervision of the mayor and the members of the town council. The tavern would be leased out to a tenant who placed the winning bid in public tender proceedings. The archaeological surveys conducted during the last decade have led to the discovery of fragments of 13th-century walls beneath the foundations of the tavern, although the exact function of the structure to which they had once belonged is now difficult to determine. The tavern in Sławków was being leased out by the municipal authorities on an ongoing basis right until World War II; during the Nazi occupation, the tavern served as a “German House”. In 1958, the tavern underwent a full-scale renovation, while in years 1969-1984 the building served as the Regional Museum in Sławków. In the 1970s, a series of renovation works were carried out inside the carriage house, including a partial reconstruction of its structure. From 2003 onwards, the tavern has served as a restaurant.

Description

The tavern is located in the town centre, at the south-eastern corner of the market square, its front façade facing the street. The building stands on lot no. 2. The wooden building is a typical example of an old Polish inn. It is a single-storey structure designed on a T-shaped plan, consisting of two main sections: the front building and the section containing the stables and the carriage house. The wide front section is a wooden log structure designed on a rectangular floor plan and preceded by an arcade supported by six profiled columns, their surfaces covered with plaster. The building is covered with a two-tier hip roof with pronounced eaves up front. The main entrance is located in the centre of the five-axial front façade and takes the form of a massive double door with a simple woodcarved surround. The interior layout is centred around the wide middle vestibule positioned on the building’s middle axis, with the main hall positioned on the left side thereof, while the guest rooms are situated on the right. The individual rooms feature simple, wooden beamed ceilings, with the brick cellar with its barrel vault being the sole exception. The second section of the building, positioned at a right angle vis-à-vis the front section, was designed on an elongated rectangular floor plan. This section, containing the stables and the carriage house, features a mixture of wooden log structure and post-and-plank structure. The building, initially designed to accommodate carriages and horses, is partitioned by two rows of sturdy posts with diagonal braces. The main entrance is positioned in the middle of the eastern façade and takes the form of an entrance gate accentuated with a wooden surround, while the interior features a simple, beamed ceiling.

Accessible historical monument, currently serving as a restaurant.

compiled by Agata Mucha, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Katowice, 28-10-2014.

Bibliography

• Archives of the Regional Monuments Protection Office in Kielce.
• Baranowski B., Polska karczma. Restauracja. Kawiarnia, Wrocław 1979
• Pilch J., Leksykon zabytków architektury Dolnego Śląska, Warsaw 2008, p. 373
• Ruszczyk G., Architektura drewniana w Polsce, Warsaw 2009, pp. 447
• Dzieje Sławkowa, F. Kiryk (ed.), Kraków 2001, pp. 595-596
• Przewodniki po Zagłębiu Dąbrowskim, Sosnowiec 1939, pp. 110-110