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Centennial Hall - Live Music Venue in Wrocław

The Centennial Hall (Polish: Hala Stulecia); German: Jahrhunderthalle), formerly named People's Hall (Hala Ludowa), is a historic building in Wrocław, Poland. It was constructed according to the plans of architect Max Berg in 1911-1913.

Venue
Centennial Hall
Town
Wrocław, PL
Capacity
7,200

The Centennial Hall (Polish: Hala Stulecia); German: Jahrhunderthalle), formerly named People's Hall (Hala Ludowa), is a historic building in Wrocław, Poland. It was constructed according to the plans of architect Max Berg in 1911-1913. Max Berg designed Centennial Hall to serve as a multifunctional structure to host "exhibitions, concerts, theatrical and opera performances, and sporting events". The hall continues to be used for sporting events, business summits, and concerts. As an early landmark of reinforced concrete architecture, the building became one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomnik historii), as designated 20 April 2005, together with the Four Domes Pavilion, the Pergola, and the Iglica. Its listing is maintained by the National Heritage Board of Poland. It was also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. It was in the Silesian capital of Breslau where, on 10 March 1813, King Frederick William III of Prussia called upon the Prussian people his proclamation An Mein Volk ("To My People") to rise up against Napoleon's occupation. In this proclamation king Frederick created also the Iron Cross award, which later became the most famous German military honor and symbol. In October of that year, Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Leipzig. The opening of the hall was part of the celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of the battle in the German Empire, hence the name Jahrhunderthalle. Breslau's municipal authorities had vainly awaited state funding and ultimately had to defray the enormous costs out of their own pockets. The landscaping and buildings surrounding the hall were laid out by Hans Poelzig and were opened on 20 May 1913 in the presence of Crown Prince William of Hohenzollern. The grounds include a huge pond with fountains enclosed by a huge concrete pergola in the form of half an ellipse. Beyond this, to the north, a Japanese garden was created. The Silesian author Gerhart Hauptmann had specially prepared a pl