Liberty Square (Freedom Square)
Constructed towards the end of the 18th century, following the Second Partition of Poland, Liberty Square quickly became a witness to a significant chapter in European history — the prolonged cultural struggle between Poles and Prussians. Posnanians of that era, facing the loss of their national identity, language, and traditions under foreign rule, employed various methods to resist without resorting to outright rebellion. Meanwhile, the new Prussian rulers attempted to impose their own culture on Poznań. The buildings surrounding Liberty Square serve as reminders of this tumultuous period: The Raczyński Library, modeled after the Louvre in Paris and founded by Count Edward Raczyński; Arkadia, formerly the German Theatre, which hosted performances by renowned artists like Ferenc Liszt and Niccolò Paganini; and the Bazar Hotel, a focal point of Polish political life in the 19th century and the site where the Greater Poland Uprising began.
Today, the former Emperor Frederick Museum houses the Sculpture and Painting Gallery of the National Museum in Poznań, featuring notable works such as Claude Monet’s “The Beach in Pourville” — the only painting by the famous impressionist displayed in Poland. Stay tuned for the incredible story behind its widely publicized theft and miraculous recovery a decade later
