Liberty Square- a historical place of Poznań.
During the Prussian partition in 1798, the city bought a vast area from a nobleman called Dobrzycki. A mountain was levelled together with the Jewish cemetery, which was located in the north-western part; the function of the Jewish cemetery was taken over in 1804, by the cemetery in Glogowska Street. The so-called Upper Town was established on the newly acquired land, and one of the elements of its urban design was the square, which served both representative and commercial functions, and was named Wilhelm Square (Wilhelmsplatz), in honour of Friedrich Wilhelm III. The changes were accelerated by a fire in 1803.
(Duchy of Warsaw) After French troops entered Poznań the square received a new patron - Napoleon until 1815. At the beginning of the 19th century, the square changed, but almost from the beginning of its existence it pulsated with social life, with cafés and restaurants, performances and music. Its character was determined by cultural buildings, including Polish foundations such as the Raczynski Library and the Bazar Hotel
The square received its present name in 1919. After winning the Wielkopolska Uprising, Poles celebrated their victory over Germany. The name of the square commemorates the regaining of freedom and the streets around it bear names associated with this event.
The Raczynski Library is the oldest existing public library in Poland. It was founded in 1829 by Edward Raczyński, who defined its public character in its statute: "The purpose of the Raczynski Library is that in the reading room, which will be arranged in this library, everyone, without distinction of persons, on days and hours marked, should have the right to use it". The architectural style was modelled on the Louvre in Paris. It housed manuscripts, old prints and cartographic objects. During the Prussian partition, efforts were made to germanise the institution, but it was nevertheless a Polish mainstay, thanks to its staff. The regaining of independence by Poland changed the situation of the Raczynski Library. In 1924 the city of Poznan took it over and developed it. Its development was halted by the outbreak of World War II. During the German occupation, the library was accessible only to Germans. Its liquidation was planned, but thanks to the efforts of its manager, Józef Raczyński, who came from the Kurland line of the family, it survived. But in early 1945, during the fighting for Poznan, the library was destroyed. Over 90% of the book collection was burnt. Only about 17,000 units of the special collection survived, transported two years earlier by Józef Raczyński to the Obrzycko estate near Poznań. Thanks to this, the continuity of the library collection was preserved. At present, the library has been rebuilt and is open under the patronage of Józef Raczyński.
Near the Raczynski Library, there is a statue of Hygiela with an artificial spring. It is dedicated to the Greek goddess of health - Higiela. The goddess resembles the founder's wife - Konstancja Raczyńska. In 1841, Edward Raczyński endowed the town with a water supply system, bringing spring water from the Winiarski hill and built a well dedicated to Vincent Priessnitz - the founder of water therapy.
In the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, the square was made more attractive by exclusive hotels (Rzymski Hotel, which went bankrupt after the pandemic), a bank from 1908, luxurious tenement houses, the Municipal Theatre was built in the west, there was a park in the east, and the western part was transformed into a typical square with monuments. In June 2012, the Fountain of Liberty appeared on the square, consisting of two 10-metre wings over which water flows. The square's surface is used for various purposes, from exhibition (e.g. international exhibition of monumental sculpture, e.g. "Prelude", "Sculpture in the city", and in winter as an ice rink, market, fair or stadium.
