# Saviour Square

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{{Short description|Urban square and roundabout in Warsaw, Poland}}
{{Infobox street
| name                    = Saviour Square 
| former_names            = 
| namesake                = 
| image                   = File:Plac Zbawiciela Warsaw 2022 aerial.jpg
| image_size              = 
| caption                 = Saviour Square in 2022
| postal_code             = 
| location                = [Downtown, Warsaw](/source/Downtown%2C_Warsaw), Poland
| maint                   = 
| map_type                = Poland Warsaw
| map_caption             = 
| coordinates             = {{Coord|52|13|11|N|21|01|04|E|region:|display=inline,title}} 
| completion_date         = c. 1768
| north                   =  {{plainlist|
*[Marszałkowska Street](/source/Marsza%C5%82kowska_Street%2C_Warsaw)
*[Mokotowska Street](/source/Mokotowska_Street%2C_Warsaw)}}
| south                   = {{plainlist|
*[Marszałkowska Street](/source/Marsza%C5%82kowska_Street%2C_Warsaw)
*[Mokotowska Street](/source/Mokotowska_Street%2C_Warsaw)}}
| west                    = Nowowiejska Street 
| east                    = Wyzwolenia Avenue
| website                 = 
| designer                = [Jan Chrystian Schuch](/source/Johann_Christian_Schuch)
}}
'''Saviour Square''' ({{Langx|pl|Plac Zbawiciela}}) is an [urban square](/source/Town_square) and [roundabout](/source/roundabout) in [Downtown, Warsaw](/source/Downtown%2C_Warsaw), Poland. It is formed by the intersection of [Marszałkowska Street](/source/Marsza%C5%82kowska_Street%2C_Warsaw), [Mokotowska Street](/source/Mokotowska_Street%2C_Warsaw), Nowowiejska Street, and Wyzwolenia Avenue.

The square was originally constructed about 1768. It is surrounded by postwar tenements of the [Marshal Residential District](/source/Marshal_Residential_District), several prewar tenements, and the early-20th-century [Church of the Holiest Saviour](/source/Church_of_the_Holiest_Saviour).

== History ==
[[File:Kościół Najświętszego Zbawiciela w Warszawie 2019c.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The [Church of the Holiest Saviour](/source/Church_of_the_Holiest_Saviour), built between 1901 and 1927]]
The square was developed around 1768, as part of the [Stanislavian Axis](/source/Stanislavian_Axis), an urban layout made of five circular squares and roads, connecting [Warsaw](/source/Warsaw) with [Ujazdów Castle](/source/Ujazd%C3%B3w_Castle), developed from the initiative of king [Stanisław August Poniatowski](/source/Stanis%C5%82aw_August_Poniatowski).<ref name=szwan/> It was designed by Jan Chrystian Schuch.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polskieradio.pl/39/156/artykul/875371,jan-chrystian-szuch-%E2%80%93-ogrodnik-krola-stanislawa|website=polskieradio.pl|language=pl|title=Jan Chrystian Szuch – ogrodnik króla Stanisława|date=28 June 2013}}</ref> Due to its shape, it was known as the ''Rotunda''.<ref name=szwan>Eugeniusz Szwankowski: ''Ulice i place Warszawy''. Warsaw: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1970, p. 264. (in Polish)</ref>

In 1784, from the initiative of king Stanisław August Poniatowski, alongside [Nowowiejska Street](/source/Nowowiejska_Street%2C_Warsaw), the settlement of [Nowa Wieś](/source/Nowa_Wie%C5%9B%2C_Warsaw) (lit. from [Polish](/source/Polish_language): ''New Village'') was built, where the inhabitants of the village of [Ujazdów](/source/Ujazd%C3%B3w%2C_Warsaw), who were displaced due to construction of Ujazdów Castle there, were settled. It consisted of twelve houses, placed symmetrically on both sides of the street, located between Saviour Square and [Polytechnic Square](/source/Polytechnic_Square).<ref>Jarosław Zieliński: ''Atlas dawnej architektury ulic i placów Warszawy''. vol. 14. Warsaw: Biblioteka Towarzystwa Opieki nad Zabytkami, 2008, p. 11. ISBN 978-83-88372-37-7. (In Polish).</ref>

In 1822, next to the square, between [Marszałkowska](/source/Marsza%C5%82kowska_Street%2C_Warsaw) and [Mokotowska Streets](/source/Mokotowska_Street%2C_Warsaw), the Piskorowski Farm, a 5-hectare farm, with an [orchard](/source/orchard) and a greenhouse vineyard, was founded.<ref name=szwan/><ref name=kas>Jerzy Kasprzycki: ''Korzenie miasta. Tom I. Śródmieście Południowe''. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Veda, 2004, p. 309. ISBN 83-85584-45-5. (in Polish)</ref> In 1829, on a part of the farmland, the Garnier family built the Red Tavern (Polish: {{Lang|pl|Czerowna Karczma}}), made from red brick.<ref name=kas/><ref name=ew>''Encyklopedia Warszawy''. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 1994, p. 1011. ISBN 83-01-08836-2. (in Polish)</ref>

thumb|left|upright|Saviour Square in 1920
After 1880, tenements were constructed around the square.<ref name=ew/> Around 1881, the square was connected with the [horsecar](/source/horsecar) line, which was replaced in 1908 with an [electric tram](/source/Trams_in_Warsaw) line.<ref>''Warszawskie tramwaje elektryczne 1908−1998'', vol. 1. Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Komunikacji i Łączności, 1998, p. 6. ISBN 83-907574-00. (in Polish)</ref> The tram track followed the same path as the roundabout until 1968, when the track was rebuilt to go through the middle of the square.<ref name=ew/><ref>''Warszawskie tramwaje elektryczne 1908−1998'', vol. 1. Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Komunikacji i Łączności, 1998, p. 134. ISBN 83-907574-00. (in Polish)</ref>

Between 1901 and 1927, in the place where the tavern had been, the [Catholic](/source/Catholic_Church) [Church of the Holiest Saviour](/source/Church_of_the_Holiest_Saviour) was constructed.<ref name=kas/> In 1922, the square was named ''Saviour Square'' after it.<ref>Kwiryna Handke: ''Słownik nazewnictwa Warszawy''. Warsaw: Slawistyczny Ośrodek Wydawniczy, 1998, p. 242. ISBN 83-86619-97X. (in Polish)</ref>

During the Second World War, while the city was under the [German occupation](/source/Occupation_of_Poland_(1939%E2%80%931945)), the [Ringstand](/source/Ringstand) small bunker made from [reinforced concrete](/source/reinforced_concrete) was placed at the square. It was one of 60 bunkers of its type, installed across the city, as part of the fortification project known as ''[Festung Warschau](/source/Festung_Warschau)''. The bunker was part of the fortification lines stretching between [Narutowicz Square](/source/Narutowicz_Square) and the [Vistula](/source/Vistula) river. It was discovered in 2011 during the renovation works.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warszawa.wyborcza.pl/warszawa/1,34889,9425840,Poniemiecki_bunkier_wstrzymal_remont_torowiska__Zdjecia.html|website=warszawa.wyborcza.pl|language=pl|title=Poniemiecki bunkier wstrzymał remont torowiska. Zdjęcia|date=13 April 2011}}</ref><ref>Jacek Olecki: ''Wojenne tajemnice Warszawy i Mazowsza. Cz. I''. Warsaw: Agencja Wydawnicza CB, 2006, p. 9–10. ISBN 83-7339-036-7. (in Polish)</ref>  It was originally planned to remove and relocate it to the [Polish Army Museum](/source/Polish_Army_Museum), however, it was ultimately decided to leave it in its current location.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://old.tw.waw.pl/node?page=36|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805162030/http://old.tw.waw.pl/node?page=36|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-08-05|title=Informacja na temat schronu bojowego na Placu Zbawiciela|website=old.tw.waw.pl|language=pl|access-date=2024-07-29}}</ref>

In 1944, during the [Warsaw Uprising](/source/Warsaw_Uprising), the square and its surrounding area was a site of battle, which among others, included the [Ruczaj Battalion](/source/Ruczaj_Battalion) of the [Home Army](/source/Home_Army).<ref>Piotr Rozwadowski (editor): ''Wielka Ilustrowana Encyklopedia Powstania Warszawskiego'', vol. 1. Warsaw Dom Wydawniczy Bellona, Fundacja Warszawa Walczy 1939–1945, 2005, p. 519–521. ISBN 83-11-10124-8. (in Polish)</ref> It was controlled by the German forces, from the bunker in the nearby building of the former [Ministry of War](/source/Ministry_of_War_(Poland)).<ref>Izabella Maliszewska, Stanisław Maliszewski: ''Śródmieście Południowe. Warszawskie Termopile 1944''. Warsaw: Fundacja Wystawa Warszawa walczy 1939–1945, 2001, p. 118. ISBN 83-87545-42-2. (in Polish)</ref> After the fall of the uprising, the buildings around the square were destroyed by the German forces. This included the Church of the Holiest Saviour, in which a bomb was detonated. It was fully reconstructed in 1955.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://varsavianista.pl/index.php/2022/01/09/kosciol-najswietszego-zbawiciela-w-warszawie-powrot-do-dawnej-kolorystyki-wnetrza/|website=varsavianista.pl|language=pl|title=Kościół Najświętszego Zbawiciela w Warszawie – powrót do dawnej kolorystyki wnętrza}}</ref>

Between 1950 and 1952, around the southern portion of the square, [socialist realistic](/source/Socialist_realism) multifamily buildings, with a [colonnade](/source/colonnade) and stores behind the [arcade](/source/Arcade_(architecture)), were constructed.<ref name=ziel1/> The three best-preserved tenements were also reconstructed.<ref name=ziel2/> The area became part of a then-developed housing estate of the [Marshal Residential District](/source/Marshal_Residential_District).<ref name=ziel1>Jarosław Zieliński: ''Realizm socjalistyczny w Warszawie''. Warsaw: Fundacja Hereditas, 2009, p. 78. ISBN 978-83-927791-3-1. (in Polish)</ref>

[[File:Plac Zbawiciela w Warszawie 014.JPG|thumb|upright=1.0|[Rainbow art installation](/source/Rainbow_(Warsaw)), erected 2012, removed 2015]]
On 8 July 2012, at the square, the [Rainbow](/source/Rainbow_(Warsaw)) art installation, made by [Julita Wójcik](/source/Julita_W%C3%B3jcik), which consisted of a metal arch, covered in thousands of plastic colourful flowers, was unveiled.<ref name=bryla>{{cite web|url=https://www.bryla.pl/bryla/7,85301,21932872,wspominamy-tecze-na-placu-zbawiciela-sztuka-nieobojetna.html/amp|website=bryla.pl|language=pl|title=Wspominamy Tęczę na Placu Zbawiciela. Sztuka nieobojętna|date=8 June 2017}}</ref> It became associated with the [LGBT rights movement](/source/LGBT_movements) due its resemblance to its symbol, the [rainbow flag](/source/rainbow_flag). Said association, and its location near the Church if the Holiest Saviour, caused numerous controversies and protests by conservative groups, with many calls for its removal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://culture.pl/pl/wydarzenie/tecza-julity-wojcik-w-warszawie|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203004723/http://culture.pl/pl/wydarzenie/tecza-julity-wojcik-w-warszawie|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-12-03|website=culture.pl|language=pl|title='Tęcza' Julity Wójcik w Warszawie}}</ref> The sculpture was set on fire during the night from 12 to 13 October 2012 by an [arson](/source/arson)ist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvn24.pl/tvnwarszawa/najnowsze/splonela-tecza-na-pl-zbawiciela-zostala-podpalona-ls204613|title=Spłonęła tęcza na pl. Zbawiciela. 'Została podpalona'|language=pl|website=tvn24.pl|date=13 October 2012}}</ref>  Between 2012 and 2014, the installation was set on fire by arsonists four more times, including by a large group of far-right rioters during the celebrations of the [National Independence Day of Poland](/source/National_Independence_Day_(Poland)) on 11 November 2013. It was rebuilt each time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.pl/opinie/plac-zbawiciela-usuniecie-teczy-newsweekpl/yf8bgtx|language=pl|website=newsweek.pl|title=Tęczy żal|date=7 August 2015|author=Katarzyna Burda}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tvn24.pl/tvnwarszawa/najnowsze/splonela-tecza-na-pl-zbawiciela-ratusz-moze-obciazymy-organizatora-ls104258|website=tvn24.pl|language=pl|title=Spłonęła tęcza na pl. Zbawiciela. Ratusz: Może obciążymy organizatora|date=11 November 2013}}</ref> It was eventually permanently removed by the city on 27 August 2015.<ref name=bryla/>

In the first quarter of the 21st century, the square has become a meeting place for students, artists, and [hipsters](/source/Hipster_(contemporary_subculture)).<ref name=wyb2019>{{cite web|url=http://warszawa.wyborcza.pl/warszawa/7,34905,24985982,gdzie-sie-chodzi-tego-lata.html|author=Arkadiusz Gruszczyński|title=Gdzie się chodzi tego lata w Warszawie? Najlepsze wakacyjne miejsca w stolicy|website=warszawa.wyborcza.pl|date=12 July 2019|language=pl}}</ref>

== Characteristics ==
thumb|upright=1.0|17 Mokotowska Street, at Saviour Square
Saviour Square forms a roundabout at the intersection of [Marszałkowska Street](/source/Marsza%C5%82kowska_Street%2C_Warsaw), [Mokotowska Street](/source/Mokotowska_Street%2C_Warsaw), Nowowiejska Street, and Wyzwolenia Avenue.<ref name=szwan/><ref name=ew/>

The square is enclosed by tenements of the [Marshal Residential District](/source/Marshal_Residential_District), with a [colonnade](/source/colonnade) and shops within the [arcade](/source/Arcade_(architecture));<ref name=ziel1/> by three historical tenements: the Pawłowicz Tenement (ca. 1894), Domański Tenement (1895), and Jasieńczyk-Jabłoński Tenement (1910);<ref name=ziel2>Jarosław Zieliński: ''Atlas dawnej architektury ulic i placów Warszawy'', vol. 11. Warsaw, Biblioteka Towarzystwa Opieki nad Zabytkami, 2004, ISBN 83-88372-30-0, pp. 78, 205, 313–314, 375 (in Polish).</ref> and by the early-20th-century [Catholic](/source/Catholic_Church) [Church of the Holiest Saviour](/source/Church_of_the_Holiest_Saviour).<ref name=kas/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Squares in Warsaw}}
{{authority control}}

Category:Squares in Warsaw
Category:Tourist attractions in Warsaw
Category:Śródmieście Południowe
Category:1768 establishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1768
Category:Transport infrastructure completed in 1768
Category:Roundabouts and traffic circles in Poland

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Saviour Square](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saviour_Square) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saviour_Square?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.