Prison Castle and District Court, Wroclaw

At the corner of Podwale and Sądowa streets, we can see a large red brick building of fairly simple architecture with rare elements of Neo-Gothic. This is the Breslau prison, built in 1895. Actually, we can only see the outer walls where the administrative offices were located, and the prison itself is a cruciform building in the courtyard with separate wings for men and women. After the First World War, a police headquarters building (Polizeipresidium) was built nearby. Breslau prison is known for the fact that at various times it housed first leftist activists (including Rosa Luxemburg), and since 1933 antifascists. After the occupation of Poland in 1939, Polish university professors were held in prison. The Nazis used Breslau prison as an execution site. In addition to German prisoners, 638 Czech and at least 300 Polish political prisoners were executed in prison, as well as many prisoners from other countries of Nazi-occupied Europe. The guillotine was used for the execution. According to the memoirs of the surviving prisoners, it was a dirty and gloomy place, with hordes of bedbugs that did not allow them to sleep, besides, the food was so scarce that the prisoners constantly experienced excruciating hunger, dampness in the cells contributed to the development of various diseases, as a result, most of the survivors of imprisonment received health problems for life. After the war, Silesia was ceded to Poland, and the Soviet occupation authorities used the prison to imprison Polish independence fighters, members of the Polish Home Army, and others who opposed the communist regime. Many of these prisoners were executed or died due to poor conditions. In the 1980s, activists of the Solidarity movement were held in prison. It currently houses 1,200 prisoners and employs about 400 security and administrative staff. It is the largest prison in Lower Silesia. Due to the architectural features, the conditions are still harsh compared to newer prison facilities. However, current prisoners have access to an extensive library for reading and professional training, and the prison hospital specializes in the treatment of drug addiction.