The Rifle Brotherhood has existed in Krakow for more than 700 years. At first, they were really the defenders of the city. But then the union turned into a kind of elite club. Once a year, competitions were held to test the "combat readiness of citizens. " Participants fired at a wooden or tin chicken. "King Kurkov" was chosen from the best shooters.
Since 1831 the fraternity has been officially called the "Towarzystwo Strzelecke" (Rifle Society). In the second half of the XIX century it was quite popular. Even a professor at the Jagiellonian University took part in the competition, and among the honored guests were Caesar Franz Joseph and his son Rudolf.
In 1837, this area was bought by the cloth merchant Joseph Louis and given to the society, which built the main building - Celestat, pavilion, shooting range and other buildings for the needs of society. Both the buildings and the garden were designed by architect Tomasz Majewski.
The park became the second after the Plants city public park, a place for meetings and recreation of citizens, holding cultural events.
In 1875 the park was completely redesigned by the director of the Botanical Garden of the University of Lviv Karol Bauer in the style of the "English Garden". Now the park has about 200 trees of different species, 50 single bushes and 18 hedges. Among the trees are an oak tree of the 3rd millennium, planted by the society in 2000, and a plane tree of John Paul II, planted on the day of his death.
Solemn events, receptions, concerts were held in Celestat. The main relics of the society were kept here, including the famous silver chickens. During the First World War, valuables were kept in the State Bank in Vienna, and during the Second World War - partly in the Franciscan Monastery of Krakow, partly - in the homes of members of the society.
Since 1951, the activities of the society were banned, the garden, all buildings and valuables were confiscated by the communist regime.
The first monuments to the work of sculptor Michał Korpal were erected in 1883 by the kings of Poland Zygmunt August and Jan III Sobieski. A monument to Lenin and Stalin was erected in the garden in 1955, but the sculpture was removed the following year. Currently, 16 monuments and memorials and more than 20 memorial plaques have been erected in the park, much of which is directly related to the history of the Kurkov (Rifle) Society. There are also monuments to John Paul II, composer Ignatius Paderewski, and outstanding events in Polish history.
Since 1831 the fraternity has been officially called the "Towarzystwo Strzelecke" (Rifle Society). In the second half of the XIX century it was quite popular. Even a professor at the Jagiellonian University took part in the competition, and among the honored guests were Caesar Franz Joseph and his son Rudolf.
In 1837, this area was bought by the cloth merchant Joseph Louis and given to the society, which built the main building - Celestat, pavilion, shooting range and other buildings for the needs of society. Both the buildings and the garden were designed by architect Tomasz Majewski.
The park became the second after the Plants city public park, a place for meetings and recreation of citizens, holding cultural events.
In 1875 the park was completely redesigned by the director of the Botanical Garden of the University of Lviv Karol Bauer in the style of the "English Garden". Now the park has about 200 trees of different species, 50 single bushes and 18 hedges. Among the trees are an oak tree of the 3rd millennium, planted by the society in 2000, and a plane tree of John Paul II, planted on the day of his death.
Solemn events, receptions, concerts were held in Celestat. The main relics of the society were kept here, including the famous silver chickens. During the First World War, valuables were kept in the State Bank in Vienna, and during the Second World War - partly in the Franciscan Monastery of Krakow, partly - in the homes of members of the society.
Since 1951, the activities of the society were banned, the garden, all buildings and valuables were confiscated by the communist regime.
The first monuments to the work of sculptor Michał Korpal were erected in 1883 by the kings of Poland Zygmunt August and Jan III Sobieski. A monument to Lenin and Stalin was erected in the garden in 1955, but the sculpture was removed the following year. Currently, 16 monuments and memorials and more than 20 memorial plaques have been erected in the park, much of which is directly related to the history of the Kurkov (Rifle) Society. There are also monuments to John Paul II, composer Ignatius Paderewski, and outstanding events in Polish history.
Translated automatically from Ukrainian. View original
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