''Iglica'' (; "spire" or "needle") is a needle-like monument in
Wrocław
Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. It was built in 1948 and was 106 metres tall. Today, after renovation, the top ten metres have been removed and it is now 90 metres tall.
History
This structure was constructed by Polish Communists for
an exhibition to celebrate regaining control over the "
Regained Territories" after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
with Stanisław Hempel being chosen as the designer. The Iglica is located very close to the
Centennial Hall. Considering the hall’s German origin, planners decided to build a spire next to it that could become a symbol of Polish Wrocław and Polish technology.
It was originally topped by a spinning contraption of mirrors, creating an "umbrella of light" at night, but this was struck by lightning within a day of completion, and prior to the official opening. The remnants of this damaged structure were apparently removed by two climbing enthusiasts at no cost, the military being unable to tackle the task.
The spire was named one of Poland's official national
Historic Monuments (''
Pomnik historii''), as designated 20 April 2005, together with the Four Domes Pavilion, the Pergola, and
Centennial Hall. Its listing is maintained by the
National Heritage Board of Poland
The National Institute of Cultural Heritage of Poland ( pl, Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa NID) is a Polish governmental institution responsible for documenting cultural property and the intangible cultural heritage, as well as for supporting and ...
.
See also
*
Spire of Dublin
The Spire of Dublin, alternatively titled the Monument of Light ( ga, An Túr Solais), is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument in height, located on the site of the former Nelson's Pillar (and prior to that a statue of William Blakeney) ...
– similar design with a height of 120 metres, but of stainless steel and newer.
*
List of towers
Several extant building fulfill the engineering definition of a tower: "a tall human structure, always taller than it is wide, for public or regular operational access by humans, but not for living in or office work, and are ''self-supporting' ...
References
External links
*
1948 sculptures
Buildings and structures in Wrocław
Monumental columns in Poland
Tourist attractions in Wrocław
{{Wrocław