White Eagle Square in Szczecin

White Eagle Square, formerly known as Roßmarkt, is one of the central points of Szczecin's Old Town, with a history dating back to the Middle Ages when it served as the main market square of the Upper Town. Important buildings such as the Upper Town Hall and the Cloth Hall were located nearby, and the square was a site for horse markets, as reflected in its German name. Over the years, since the 14th century, the square underwent changes in both name and form. After the destruction during the Thirty Years' War and the Prussian takeover of the city, the ruined buildings were removed, and new structures, such as the Palace of the Chief President of the Pomeranian Province and the White Eagle Fountain, began to dominate the square. In the 19th century, many of these structures were destroyed by bombings during World War II; only parts of the facades and the fountain survived. After the war, the square was renamed White Eagle Square, and its area was expanded to include the sites of destroyed tenement houses. In the following years, various attempts were made to reconstruct and develop the area, including the construction of an apartment block and the revitalization of historic buildings. In 1991, the Statue of Flora was placed on the square, becoming a cultural landmark. In 2021, a tender was announced for the square's redevelopment project. Architecturally, the square is characterized by a diversity of buildings, and its history is reflected in preserved architectural ornaments, such as a decorative rosette for attaching overhead lines on one of the buildings, a reminder of the trams that once ran through the square. Despite the destruction, White Eagle Square remains a key cultural and historical site in Szczecin, symbolizing the survival and evolution of urban architecture.