Sanok District Court Building

The Sanok District Court building, located at 3 Tadeusz Kościuszki Street, was built in 1885 and entered into the register of historical monuments in 1991. Architecturally monumental, it originally served as the seat of the Imperial-Royal District Court, which began its operations on September 1, 1887. The building was constructed on the initiative of the Austrian construction entrepreneur Saul Pineles, who obtained government approval to use his tenement house as a court seat. The construction cost was 80,000 złoty, and the lease agreement for the court was signed for 25 years. During the period of Austrian partition, the building witnessed many important legal events, as well as changes in the judicial administration. After World War I, the building became the property of the State Treasury of the Second Polish Republic, housing the District Court and the Municipal Court. After the outbreak of World War II, in 1940, a German special court issued death sentences for the prisoners held there, which were carried out. During the Polish People's Republic, the building served as the County Court, and since the 1970s, it has been home to the District Court. Modern renovation works carried out between 1997 and 2001 significantly improved the functionality and aesthetics of the building. Today, it houses various court departments and remains a venue for important cultural and social events, including protests related to judicial reforms in Poland. An interesting fact is that the building also once housed the prosecutor's office, which later moved to a separate location. Thus, the history of this building is rich, and its architecture and social functions make it a key element of Sanok's cultural heritage.