Juliusz Słowacki Theatre

You’re now standing in front of a beautiful example of Baroque architecture: the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre, Poland’s most famous theatre. It was built in 1893 on the ruins of the Holy Spirit Monastery. Constructing a cultural institution on a religious site caused quite a scandal! The renowned painter Jan Matejko even refused the title of honorary citizen of the city in protest. It was Kraków’s largest public investment in the 19th century—and the very first building in the city to be fitted with electricity! It was here that audiences first saw The Wedding, the major drama by Polish playwright Stanisław Wyspiański. In 1896, it was also the site of the first screening in Poland of the Lumière brothers’ cinematograph! They showed twelve films before the evening’s play began. The event was a massive success, and at least 10,000 Cracovians came to see it—that’s one in eight residents at the time! In 1909, the theatre was renamed in honour of the great Romantic poet Juliusz Słowacki, marking the 100th anniversary of his birth. Later, in 1994, the theatre received the European Heritage Award from Europa Nostra, a leading organisation for cultural preservation. It’s also listed as one of Poland’s cultural landmarks.