Town Hall Square (Bardejov)

Town Hall Square (Slovak: Radničné Námestie) is a public open town square in Bardejov, Slovakia. The town square, which used to be the town's medieval marketplace, is surrounded by well-preserved Gothic and Renaissance burghers’ houses as well as the basilica. Nowadays, the Town Hall is a national cultural monument and also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[1][2][3]

The city center is a rectangular square with an area of 260 x 80 meters, surrounded on three sides by 46 three-story burgher houses, built on typical narrow medieval plots, perpendicular to the square.^[4]

The construction of the town hall began in 1505 by Master Alexander. The Renaissance floor and bay window were built on the original Gothic foundations by Masters Alexius and Ján of Prešov.^[1][5][6]

After the initial spontaneous construction of the city, the basic urban planning changed from the mid-14th century. In 1352, in connection with a possible threat to the royal cities, Louis I of Hungary ordered the city to be surrounded by walls. Simultaneously with their construction, a planned network of streets was created, opening onto the central city area. Since time immemorial, almost all social and economic life has taken place there. As early as 1320, Bardejov received a privilege from King Charles I of Hungary, according to which an eight-day fair could be held in the city. In 1403, King Sigismund extended its duration to sixteen days and in 1427 he allowed another fair to be held. The fairs used to be held in the central city square.^[2][4][6]

In 1903, the city administration decided to establish a museum in the town hall. Its collections were made available to the public in 1907. Since 1990, an exhibition entitled "Bardejov - a free royal city" has been installed in the historical department of the Šariš Museum.^[2][5][6]

The concept of establishing a museum emerged as early as 1897; however, the museum officially opened a few years later, on December 21, 1903, under the name Museum of Sáros County. Within a short period, nearly 3,000 valuable museum items were amassed. The first historical exhibition, which concentrated on the history of Šariš, was inaugurated on June 23, 1907, in the local Town Hall. The items on display were either donated or lent by various institutions and organizations, primarily of a religious nature. This collection endured the two world wars with minimal alterations. The display underwent re-installations in 1954, 1967, and 1991. From its inception, the Šariš Museum faced challenges related to finances and staffing. The period from 1907 to 1950 witnessed only slight growth in its collections, and no research activities were conducted. The years between 1914 and 1918 were characterized by attempts to relocate its most significant exhibits to a museum in Budapest. Following the conclusion of the Second World War, the retreating German Army also showed interest in the collections. After 1945, the museum began to focus on national history and geography, emphasizing the documentation of the evolution of nature and society in the districts of Bardejov, Giraltovce, Stropkov, and Svidník, from the Stone Age to contemporary times. Beginning in 1950, it shifted its focus to the documentation of the Bardejov Town Reserve.^[6][8][9]

Basilica of St Giles is a Gothic sacral building, which is situated in the northern part of the Town Hall Square.^[10]

The origins of the church trace back to the 13th century. The church’s patronage also originates from this era. Around 1206, Cistercian monks from Koprzywnica, Poland, established a monastery dedicated to St. Giles in this location. A royal deed from 1247, in which King Béla IV confirmed the Cistercian Order's ownership of extensive lands near Bardejov (referred to as 'Terra Bardfa'), includes the earliest reference to a church in this region. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Cistercians departed from this site in the latter half of the 13th century (approximately 1271). The construction of the church commenced in the mid-14th century, and the basilica was completed in 1415. Over the following centuries, the church suffered damage from fires, earthquakes, and bombing in 1944. The temple has experienced numerous reconstructions. In 1990, both church bells – Urban and Ján – were damaged and subsequently replaced by the bell Joseph, coinciding with the church's designation as Basilica Minor.^[11][12]

The Burgher house is one of the most important and rare burgher houses in the square. The originally Gothic building was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in 1556 and 1778.^[13] During the reconstruction, the Renaissance windows were replaced with Baroque ones. The building is decorated with a Rococo mural. The burgher coat of arms, which is located on the portal, belonged to the wealthy patrician Czebner family. The richly decorated portal bears the date 1566. There is a mural painting on the facade from 1778. It is currently the administrative headquarters of the Šariš Museum and an exhibition hall is located on the ground floor.^[7][14][15]

The Humanistic Gymnasium is originally a Renaissance building of the former city humanistic school, closing the northern edge of the Town Hall Square.

Around 1538, a new town school building was built near the castle wall near the eastern part of the parish Church of St. Egidius, possibly on the site of the original parish church school. This is evidenced by the inscription ERECTA ANNO 1538 on the front facade under the roof, uncovered during the restoration of the building. Other dates on the building in 1612 and 1841 document extensions and reconstructions of the building. Significant structural modifications were required after the building was damaged in a fire in 1878. The following year, reconstruction took place in the spirit of the classicist architectural style. The probable appearance of the building from the 17th century was reconstructed during the conversion into a music school in 1959 - 1960.^[16][17][18]

The statue of the executioner is 190 cm high and is placed in front of the town hall and the Basilica of St. Giles.^[19] Nearby is the Executioner's House, where the executioner lived and had his own bench in the church. The statue of the executioner was created by a father and son - Martin and Viktor Kutný.^[20] The statue was financed by the authors together with sponsors and also contributed by the city of Bardejov.^[21] Socha Kata was opened on 4 July 2016.^[22]

• List of city squares

• List of town squares by size
• Wikimedia Commons has media related to Town Hall Square (Bardejov)