Juliusz Słowacki Theatre
Kraków's eclectic 1893 municipal theatre on plac Świętego Ducha, still a working drama house.
The theatre was built between 1891 and 1893 to a design by Jan Zawiejski on the site of a medieval hospital complex belonging to the Order of the Holy Spirit, whose demolition was fiercely contested at the time. Zawiejski drew on the Paris Opéra and other late nineteenth-century houses for an eclectic composition of loggias, sculpture and a domed roof. It was the first public building in Kraków to be lit by electricity. Named after the poet Juliusz Słowacki in 1909, it staged the premieres of Stanisław Wyspiański.
The auditorium of the Grand Stage seats around 500 beneath a painted ceiling, and its historic drop curtain was painted by Henryk Siemiradzki. The company today works across several venues: the Grand Stage, the Miniature stage in the adjacent Machine House, and the Małopolska Garden of Arts on ul. Rajska, a converted riding hall that also houses a cinema. Programming mixes Polish classics with new writing and international drama, and guided tours of the building are offered on selected days.
Highlights
- Jan Zawiejski's eclectic 1893 facade and domed roofline
- Painted drop curtain by Henryk Siemiradzki
- First public building in Kraków lit by electricity
- Company also plays at the Małopolska Garden of Arts
