Castle in Wrocław-Arsenał

uring archaeological research conducted in the sixties of the twentieth century by Jerzy Romanów in the vicinity of the Wrocław arsenal, brick walls were found probably from the second half of the thirteenth century. Wrocław was surrounded by the first ring of walls in the years 1260-1270, probably the next Silesian prince Henry IV began the construction of the first left-bank castle outside the city walls in the late eighties of the thirteenth century. The construction was not completed probably due to too high burdens on the prince's treasury, from which funds had already been used for the modernization of the castle on Ostrów Tumski.

The castle was to be a vast and strong stronghold protecting Wrocław from the west in the face of the planned unification of Polish and Henry IV's accession to the throne in Kraków. It was planned in the form of an 

View from the south-east, photo by ZeroJeden, IX 2003

irregular quadrilateral, the entrance was probably to lead through the tower in the south-west corner, the other corners were also to have towers. From the north and east there was a spacious zwinger.

It is possible that most of the left-bank castle did not rise above the foundations, but the buildings that were erected probably served in the fourteenth century as the seat of vogts, and during the erection of the second perimeter of the defensive walls they were included in their line. When in 1459 the construction of the granary began, the traces of the castle were blurred. The granary was later transformed into an arsenal, and in 1542 a hospital was built in the eastern part of the castle area. The remains of the castle, which was forgotten, were completely hidden. It was only Romanov's research, long received with disbelief, that discovered the history of this place after five centuries.

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