Brick Bastion

The Brick Bastion, built in 1585 in Wrocław as part of the defensive walls of the New Town, was an important architectural element designed in the neo-Italian style by Hans Schneider von Lindau. It is an example of fortifications that featured casemates and was later enhanced with a ravelin and a cavalier. The bastion was constructed on the site of a former bastion near the Brick Gate and played a strategic role in the city's defensive system. After the city fortifications were dismantled in 1807, the bastion was transformed into a viewing hill, which became part of a promenade, with all military structures removed. The filled-in casemates ceased to serve defensive functions. A monument to the writer and actor Karl von Holtei was erected there, reflecting the cultural significance of the site. In the post-war period, the hill was named Polish Hill (Wzgórze Polskie), and its current location is situated within the area bordered by four streets, adding a modern urban context. The Brick Bastion is often mentioned in the historical context of the city and serves as an example of changes in the use of urban space over the centuries.