Palace of the Wallenberg-Pachaly family
Except for Hatzfeld’s palace, the mansion at ul. Szajnochy is the only building in Wroclaw where original classicistic interiors have survived.
Occasional sightseeing of the building is possible. It is worth waiting for such a chance to see a phenomenal staircase, an oval room with a fireplace and premises formerly used by a forwarding company, including the stable.
The restoration of the 18th-century palace between contemporary Kazimierza Wielkiego and Szajnochy streets (the main entrance is from ul. Szajnochy) should be regarded as a miracle. The Main Square and its immediate surroundings were entirely destroyed.
Father and son
The establishment of the magnate’s mansion involves the famous name of 18th- and 19th-century architecture. The building erected in the years 1785-1787 was designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans – one of the most outstanding European architects of the classicistic era.
He came from Kamienna Góra and lived in Wroclaw for many years. He designed many palaces, churches and public buildings in the former Prussia, and Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate is considered to be his most famous work. Situated near ul. Szajnocha today, the palace was built as the seat of the Wallenberg-Pachaly family.
Carl Ferdinand Langhans, the famous architect’s son, created a mansion expansion plan thirty years after his father. His fame was not as big as his father’s, although he could boast a large number of imposing projects, such as the building of the Opera and the Synagogue Under White Stork. In the 19th century, the building was rebuilt a number of times.
Currency exchange bureau, stables, librarians’ apartments
The entrance to the building is marked by a huge two floors high porch. The staircase looks very impressive. It has an oval shape and an expanded system of imposing stars that led to private rooms, to the oval room and to the premises formerly occupied by a currency exchange bureau and a trading enterprise run by the owner. It is one of the most beautiful and most unique staircases in Wroclaw.
The elements that have survived in the cosy oval room include a fireplace with caryatids on both sides, original stuccos and a plafond with a painting presenting the allegory of time. The latter is exceptional, too, because Chronos is usually presented as a stern man with a scythe, but here he is playing the flute (even though he is holding a scythe, too).
The original layout of a suite of rooms has been retained until now.
The building at ul. Szajnochy functioned not only as a city mansion, but also as the place of business of a forwarding & trading company, a currency exchange bureau and other enterprises. Tradesmen’s carts stopped inside the premises, where they were unloaded and horses were brought to the stable. The original furnishing of some non-residential premises still exists in excellent condition. Visitors can see, among others, stables with stone mangers.
Until 1945, Commerzbank and other companies had their offices here. After World War II, the building was taken over by the University of Wroclaw. For a few dozen years, it served as a place of residence for employees of the University Library. However, the most part of the building was occupied by the administration of the Library, including director’s rooms, stores and specialist workshops.
In 2013, having started the removal of the Library to a new place, the University of Wroclaw put up the palace for sale. Representatives of the Wallenberg-Pachaly family were genuinely interested in its purchase, but the building worth over PLN 11 million was eventually not bought and still belongs to the university.
