We pause to see the Hala Targowa Market Hall and visit the open air produce market.

HALA TARGOWA MARKET HALL - The market hall, built in the years 1894-1896 in the eclectic style, is the only building of this kind in Gdansk that has survived to this day and still performs its original function. It was intended to eliminate, or at least significantly reduce, the phenomenon of hawker trade in the Main Town and in the Old Town. The interiors of the market hall, apart from 188 stalls for merchants in the form of wooden kiosks and stands, contained administrative offices, a police station and sanitary facilities. The so-called green market, where various goods were sold from stalls, operated outside the building. Between the 1930s and the 1940s the exterior decorations were simplified through the removal of the eclectic spires crowning the turrets and a mezzanine running along the western interior wall was erected during the same period. During the final year of WW II, the market hall was used as a food storage facility. The hostilities in March 1945 did not result in any serious damage to the building. After the war ended, the market hall still performed its original, commercial function, although it was now operated by a state-owned enterprise. In 1999 architectural research began, aimed at preparing for a comprehensive restoration of the building. In the course of the renovation works, the building was refurbished and modernized; the missing detailing of the facades was restored. In 2001, remains of an early medieval trading settlement, the original (Romanesque) St Nicholas church and the surrounding cemetery were discovered underneath the market hall. A decision was taken to exhibit these valuable findings in the form of an underground archaeological museum which included the remnants of the church’s chancel and parts of the nave. The exhibition was supplemented by descriptions of the findings as well as a collection of moveable items obtained in the course of the research. Since 2005, the market hall once again performs its original function.


Notes
TRIP INFO: Set # 1 provides a brief introduction, maps and information for the entire series. Find it at:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-693834-1.html

DETAILS ON POLAND: Set 56 provides an intro, see: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-700547-1.html

DETAILS ON GDANSK/DANZIG: Set 83 provides an intro, see: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-703812-1.html

EARLIER POSTS of this series: Access my topic list, the new posts are listed in reverse chronological order:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/user-topic-list?usernum=45105

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