The Embassy of Poland in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

() is the diplomatic mission of the

Republic of Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

to the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. The chancery is located at ul. Valdštejnská 8, Prague.

The Embassy

The Polish embassy today finds itself situated in a building which was once the private residence of the noble, Berků of Dubá. The palace was originally built in a late

renaissance style Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

, reflecting the most popular architectural elements of the time. However, in 1600 the palace was restyled into a baroque form. Enlarged in 1714, the palace was then again redesigned to incorporate the most modern and elaborate elements of high baroque. In 1822 the palace was bought by the Fürstenberg family who set about completely rebuilding it. The palace was both enlarged and restyled internally, and its garden was redesigned and enlarged so that it would provide better views of

Prague Castle Prague Castle (; ) is a castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic serving as the official residence and workplace of the president of the Czech Republic. Built in the 9th century, the castle has long served as the seat of power for List of rulers ...

directly to the north. It was during these days that the palace came to be known as the Fürstenberg Palace and became known for its lavish receptions. Unfortunately the palace was not to continue its existence as a grand residence for the nobles of the Habsburg lands and soon became a warehouse for the goods of the family business, Fürstenbergských železárny. The building's ultimate saviour came to be the Polish government, who in 1919 purchased the building from the Fürstenbergs for it to become the new permanent seat of the country's legation to

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

and since 1994 the Czech Republic. The building, which is covered with a

mansard roof A mansard or mansard roof (also called French roof or curb roof) is a multi-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterised by two slopes on each of its sides, with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper, and often punctured by dormer wi ...

has a number of extremely interesting architectural features. The palace itself is surrounded on three sides by buildings which were eventually, over the years annexed to expand the floor plan of the palace, however on its one open side it is entered through a large monumental entrance surrounded by stuccoed wall decorations and surmounted by the personal coat of arms of Berků of Dubá, the palace's original occupant. Near to this, the original and recently restored official plaque of the Polish Republic is still affixed to the wall of the palace. Additional elements of the palace's design include its long garden, bordered by an elaborate wrought iron screen fence and enhanced within by the addition in the late 19th century of a small fountain. It is from a mast within this garden that the state flag of the Polish Republic now flies. Internally the palace is characterised by a more baroque styling, which includes a monumental stone staircase which extends from the grand reception hall into the first floor of the palace. The hall itself is decorated with ornamental plaster, stuccos and a large ceiling painting of Polypodiaceae's triumph by a range of unknown artists from the 18th century.

Other sections

Other sections of the embassy in Prague include the

Polish Institute The Polish Institutes is a network of cultural diplomatic missions reporting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland. , there were 27 of them.Old Town Square Old Town Square ( or colloquially , ) is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. It is located between Wenceslas Square and Charles Bridge. Buildings The square features buildings belonging t ...

. The institute is particularly noticeable as it is usually covered in handsome banners advertising its presence to any willing passerby. Its presence is also made known by the state flag which, as with all Polish diplomatic offices, is flown from the building's facade. The consular section of the Embassy of the Polish Republic deals with documentation for all those visa-nationals wishing to travel to Poland or reside there as well as providing many other services relating to immigration and legal advice. The consular section also provides Polish citizens with help confirming there nationality and with the issuing of new passports whilst abroad. It is located at Via úžlabině 14, 100 00 Praha 10.

References

External links

Embassy of Poland in Prague
{{Authority control Diplomatic missions in Prague, Poland

Czech Republic–Poland relations Czechoslovakia–Poland relations Palaces in Prague

The Embassy

Other sections

See also

References

Further reading

External links