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Presidential Palace, Picture by Szczecinolog

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Presidential Palace, Warsaw

Presidential Palace is the official residence of the Polish head of state and president alongside the Belweder Palace located in Warsaw, Poland. Initially constructed in 1643 as an aristocratic mansion.

It was rebuilt and remodeled several times over the course of its existence by notable architects. The current neoclassical palace was completed in 1818.

Throughout its history, the palace was a venue for important historical events in Polish, European, and world history. In 1791, the facility hosted authors and advocates of the Constitution of May 3, 1791, the first modern European constitution. In 1818, the palace began its ongoing career as a governmental structure when it became the Viceroy (namiestnik) seat of Congress Poland. 

The following are some of the fascinating facts about the Presidential Palace, Warsaw;

1. The Palace was erected by Hetman Stanisław

Poland Stanisław Koniecpolski. Picture Teresa Grzybkowska

The Palace was erected in the 1640s by the Great Crown Hetman StanisÅ‚aw Koniecpolski and his son Aleksander, according to a design of Constantino Tencalla – a court architect of King WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw IV.

Only a few years after the palace was erected it became the property of the Lubomirski family and since 1674, for almost 150 years it was in the hands of the Radziwiłł family of the Nieświeska branch.

Between 1768 and 1778 it was adapted to serve as a theater, where King Stanisław August Poniatowski had his box.

2. The palace played a significant role in politics

The palace played a significant role during the Great Sejm session; the first political party. The Assembly of Friends of the Government Act of 3rd May was in session there between 1791 and 1792.

In 1818 it was purchased by the government of the Congress Kingdom. It was adapted to be the seat of the Governor. Then General Józef Zajączek started to live there.

An 8-year-old Frederic Chopin performed publicly for the first time in the palace in February 1818 at a concert organized by the Warsaw Charity Society.

3. The palace became the seat of the Prime Minister 

After Poland regained independence in 1918, the palace became the seat of the Prime Minister and the side wings were occupied by the offices of the Chancellery of the Council of Ministers.

At the time of occupation, between 1941 and 1942 the palace was rebuilt into the Deutsches Haus. It was then a luxurious hotel with a casino.

As it was not destroyed during the defense of Warsaw in September 1939 and during the Warsaw Rising, after the end of World War II, and after the adverse changes in its architecture introduced by the Germans were removed, it could fulfill public functions again – it became the seat of the prime minister and the Council of Ministers.

4. A plaque commemorating the victims of the plane catastrophe is situated here

Flowers and burning candles in front of the President Palace in Warsaw, Poland after the death of President Lech Kaczyński in a plane crash in Smoleńsk. By Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland

In August 2010 a plaque commemorating the victims of the plane catastrophe near Smolensk, including the presidential couple Maria and Lech Kaczyński, was unveiled on the wall of the southern wing of the palace, on the side of Krakowskie Przedmieście, near the place where a cross was placed in the days of the mourning.

In September 2010 the President of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski unveiled a plaque at the chapel. It was commemorating all persons connected with the presidential office both from the Chancellery of the President and from the National Security Bureau who died in the catastrophe near Smolensk.

On the first anniversary of the Smolensk catastrophe, a plaque was unveiled in the palace chapel commemorating priest Roman Indrzejczyk, the chaplain of President Lech Kaczyński, who died tragically at the Smolensk catastrophe.

5. The Column Hall (The Ball Room) is the largest room

The Column Hall is the largest room in the Presidential Palace that is best known from TV reports. All ceremonies with a greater number of people participating take place in this room.

This is the place where the President appoints and dismisses governments. He confers scientific titles, appoints judges, and confers ranks of general, highest state decorations and orders.

That room was also witnessing important events in the recent history of Poland. 

6. Statue of Prince Jozef Poniatowski, is situated here

The Józef Poniatowski Monument in front of the Presidential Palace, Warsaw. By Ethan Doyle White

You’ll also notice the large equestrian statue of Prince Jozef Poniatowski, created by Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen.

The statue is modeled after a similar one of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius from Capitoline Hill in Rome. The original statue was destroyed during the Nazi occupation of Poland, and this recreation was made in 1950.

It was based on Thorvaldsen’s original models, donated from the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen.

7. The palace had been destroyed but the palace was rebuilt and renovated

It was here that the President of the Republic of Poland signed the Constitution of the Republic of Poland (1997). The president also ratified the Treaty of Poland’s accession to NATO (1999) and the EU (2003).

During its long history, the palace was rebuilt and renovated many times as it currently is. In April 2011 the staircase was renovated. Also, commemorative plaques were unveiled on the facade of the palace.

In February 2010, exactly at the 192nd anniversary of Frederic Chopin’s first public concert, which took place in the palace, a plaque commemorating that event was unveiled.

8. The Warsaw Pact was signed in the Palace

Here in 1955, the authorities of the People’s Republic of Poland, the Soviet Union, and other communist bloc states signed the Warsaw Pact. In 1989 representatives of the government met at the round table with the representatives of the opposition in this room.

10 years later, on 12th March 1999, the treaty of accession of Poland to NATO was signed here, and on 23rd July 2003 the treaty of accession of Poland to the EU.

9. Presidential Palace has been recently enriched by a dynamic lighting system

The presidential palace in Warsaw on Krakowskie Przedmiescie by night. Picture Magnus Franklin from Brussels

Set along the Royal Route, the Presidential Palace has been recently enriched by a dynamic lighting system.

It has successfully designed and installed by GRIVEN’s authorized distributor for Poland, the company PROLIGHT Co.Ltd. Located next to the swanky Bristol Hotel and guarded by four stone lions, the Presidential Palace presents now a lively colored facade background capable of further enhancing the existing selective white light scheme.

This new combination of changing colors and warm and cold white hues allows the massive vaulting of the ground floor, along with the ornamental columns, pilasters, balustrade, and stone statues of the Corinthian order that decorate the whole facade, to stand out as gorgeously as never before.

10. The Chapel of the Presidential palace

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel is a place of prayers for the President, the First Lady, the ministers of the Chancellery, and the invited guests.

There are gifts from popes: John Paul II and Benedict XVI, on the walls as well as a cross cut in the remains of the World Trade Center towers destroyed in 2001.

There are commemorative plaques on the floor, at the place where John Paul II and Benedict XVI prayed. On the wall, there are plaques commemorating the officers of the Chancellery of the President and the National Security Bureau, who died in the catastrophe near Smolensk as well as the President’s chaplain, priest Roman Indrzejczyk.

Also, the peace light from Bethlehem given every year to the President by scouts is kept at the chapel.