Description of the attraction
The Century Hall is a sports and entertainment complex located in a historic building in the city of Wroclaw. The Century Hall was built in 1911-1913 by the architect Max Berg.
The name of the sports and entertainment complex is associated with the centenary of the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig, which took place in 1813. In 1907, the authorities of the city of Breslau decided to celebrate the anniversary by holding a large-scale exhibition, for the opening of which land was allocated near the Zoological Garden. The city authorities held an architectural competition for the most interesting design of the exhibition complex, in which the team of architects Berg, Trauer and Miller won. The project was grandiose: the most massive reinforced concrete floors in the world, a dome with a diameter of 67 meters, 56 rooms for exhibitions. The hall could receive about 10 thousand visitors.
The construction of the Hall was completed at the end of 1912, in addition to the complex itself, other objects were built in the surrounding area. The largest organ in the world was brought to the Hall of the Centenary, which had 222 registers and 16706 pipes. The grand opening took place in May 1913 in the presence of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Hohenzollern, as well as a screening of Hauptmann's play.
During the Second World War, the Hall was practically not damaged, only the organ was damaged. After the war, the Hall of the Century was closed for renovations: central heating was installed, Nazi symbols were removed, the floor was renewed, and the sound system was improved.
Currently, the Hall of the Centenary hosts major international exhibitions, fairs, music festivals, and sports competitions. In 1997, the Eucharistic Congress was held here, in which Pope John Paul II took part.
In 2006, the Hall of the Centenary was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
