Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: market square

In the "Chronicon Moissiacense" 806 the place Halle is mentioned for the first time as "Halla". In 968, Otto I founded the Archdiocese of Magdeburg, to which Halle belonged until 1680. Around 1120 the city was extensively expanded. This was possible due to the increasing salt trade and the wealth associated with it. Initially, this was managed by archbishops. From the end of the 12th century the Guild of the Panners (salt makers) was formed. This gave rise to a self-confident bourgeoisie, which concluded a contract with Archbishop Rupert of Magdeburg in 1263, according to which the archbishop was not permitted to build any castles within a mile radius. The Panners determined the politics of the city for centuries. Halle was first mentioned in a document in 1281 as a member of the Hanseatic League, and in 1310 the city's self-government was contractually recorded. In 1341 the construction of a strong tower between the scales and the town hall began, which was used until 1835 to securely accommodate the city's privileges. In 1418 construction began on the Red Tower, a bell tower "to the glory of God and the city of Halle as well as the whole area for adornment". It later became the symbol of the city. 1478 ended the approximately 200-year city independence. In 1484, Archbishop Ernst II (1464–1513) had Moritzburg Castle built as a fortified residential palace in the north-west corner of the city and ceremoniously moved into it in 1503. It was actually supposed to be a stronghold against Halle's self-confident citizens, the salt workers. Until 1680, Halle was the capital and residence of the Archdiocese of Magdeburg. The market square includes the "Roter Turm" (Red Tower, right). In 1418 construction began on the tower, a bell tower "to the glory of God and the city of Halle as well as the whole area for adornment". In the backdrop is the four-towered Marktkirche Unserer Lieben Frau. The church replaced two former churches in the market area, whose towers were integrated into the new building. It is considered an important late Gothic building in Germany. Georg Friedrich Handel was baptized in this church in 1685.

The history of Wroclaw dates back more than a thousand years. At various times, it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia, and Germany. Wrocław became part of Poland again in 1945 as part of the result of extensive border changes and expulsions after WWII. In 990 Mieszko I of Poland conquered Silesia and Wrocław. The town became a commercial center. In the 12th century Polish, Bohemian, Jewish, Walloon, and German communities existed here. Wroclaw was devastated in 1241 during the first Mongol invasion of Poland. In the 13th century due to migration from Saxony and Bavaria, Wroclaw got germanised. The population adopted the German language and culture and the name changed to Breslau. Between 1342 and 1344 two fires destroyed large parts of the city, which was a part of the Bohemian Kingdom at that time. Charles IV`s , successors Wenceslaus and Sigismund became involved in a long-lasting feud with the city and its magistrate, culminating in the revolt in 1418 when local craftsmen killed seven councilors. After the city had defeated the Bohemian Hussites the city was besieged by a combined Polish-Czech force in 1474, however, a ceasefire was signed, according to which the city remained under Hungarian rule. The Reformation reached Breslau already in 1518, and in 1523 the town council unanimously appointed a new pastor and thus introduced the Reformation in Breslau. In 1526, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria inherited Bohemia, Silesia, and the city of Breslau. In 1609 German emperor Rudolf II granted the free exercise of church services to all Bohemian and Silesian Protestants. In the following Thirty Years' War, the city suffered badly. It was occupied by Saxon and Swedish troops and lost 18,000 of its 40,000 residents to the plague. The Counter-Reformation had started with Rudolf II who encouraged Catholic orders to settle in Breslau. The dominance of the German population under the Habsburg rule in the city became more visible, while the Polish population diminished in numbers. After Frederick the Great besieged the city for a year, it surrendered in 1741. In 1742, Queen Maria Theresa handed over Silesia to the Prussian king. - The Rynek (the Ring) is a medieval market square. It has the shape of a rectangle with the dimensions 205 m x 175 m. In the center is the Old Town Hall. In the 14th century, the first two-story patrician houses with pointed roofs were built. In the middle of the 14th century, these already formed a closed perimeter. Gradually, larger and larger residential and commercial buildings were built. After the great fire of 1363, the first Gothic houses were built. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the fronts were remodeled in the Renaissance style. During WWII most 60% of the buildings were damaged. Only 17 houses were largely preserved. After the war, the restoration of the partially preserved buildings began immediately.

The history of Wroclaw dates back more than a thousand years. At various times, it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia, and Germany. Wrocław became part of Poland again in 1945 as part of the result of extensive border changes and expulsions after WWII. In 990 Mieszko I of Poland conquered Silesia and Wrocław. The town became a commercial center. In the 12th century Polish, Bohemian, Jewish, Walloon, and German communities existed here. Wroclaw was devastated in 1241 during the first Mongol invasion of Poland. In the 13th century due to migration from Saxony and Bavaria, Wroclaw got germanised. The population adopted the German language and culture and the name changed to Breslau. Between 1342 and 1344 two fires destroyed large parts of the city, which was a part of the Bohemian Kingdom at that time. Charles IV`s , successors Wenceslaus and Sigismund became involved in a long-lasting feud with the city and its magistrate, culminating in the revolt in 1418 when local craftsmen killed seven councilors. After the city had defeated the Bohemian Hussites the city was besieged by a combined Polish-Czech force in 1474, however, a ceasefire was signed, according to which the city remained under Hungarian rule. The Reformation reached Breslau already in 1518, and in 1523 the town council unanimously appointed a new pastor and thus introduced the Reformation in Breslau. In 1526, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria inherited Bohemia, Silesia, and the city of Breslau. In 1609 German emperor Rudolf II granted the free exercise of church services to all Bohemian and Silesian Protestants. In the following Thirty Years' War, the city suffered badly. It was occupied by Saxon and Swedish troops and lost 18,000 of its 40,000 residents to the plague. The Counter-Reformation had started with Rudolf II who encouraged Catholic orders to settle in Breslau. The dominance of the German population under the Habsburg rule in the city became more visible, while the Polish population diminished in numbers. After Frederick the Great besieged the city for a year, it surrendered in 1741. In 1742, Queen Maria Theresa handed over Silesia to the Prussian king. - The Rynek (the Ring) is a medieval market square. It has the shape of a rectangle with the dimensions 205 m x 175 m. In the center is the Old Town Hall. In the 14th century, the first two-story patrician houses with pointed roofs were built. In the middle of the 14th century, these already formed a closed perimeter. Gradually, larger and larger residential and commercial buildings were built. After the great fire of 1363, the first Gothic houses were built. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the fronts were remodeled in the Renaissance style. During WWII most 60% of the buildings were damaged. Only 17 houses were largely preserved. After the war, the restoration of the partially preserved buildings began immediately.

The history of Wroclaw dates back more than a thousand years. At various times, it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia, and Germany. Wrocław became part of Poland again in 1945 as part of the result of extensive border changes and expulsions after WWII. In 990 Mieszko I of Poland conquered Silesia and Wrocław. The town became a commercial center. In the 12th century Polish, Bohemian, Jewish, Walloon, and German communities existed here. Wroclaw was devastated in 1241 during the first Mongol invasion of Poland. In the 13th century due to migration from Saxony and Bavaria, Wroclaw got germanised. The population adopted the German language and culture and the name changed to Breslau. Between 1342 and 1344 two fires destroyed large parts of the city, which was a part of the Bohemian Kingdom at that time. Charles IV`s , successors Wenceslaus and Sigismund became involved in a long-lasting feud with the city and its magistrate, culminating in the revolt in 1418 when local craftsmen killed seven councilors. After the city had defeated the Bohemian Hussites the city was besieged by a combined Polish-Czech force in 1474, however, a ceasefire was signed, according to which the city remained under Hungarian rule. The Reformation reached Breslau already in 1518, and in 1523 the town council unanimously appointed a new pastor and thus introduced the Reformation in Breslau. In 1526, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria inherited Bohemia, Silesia, and the city of Breslau. In 1609 German emperor Rudolf II granted the free exercise of church services to all Bohemian and Silesian Protestants. In the following Thirty Years' War, the city suffered badly. It was occupied by Saxon and Swedish troops and lost 18,000 of its 40,000 residents to the plague. The Counter-Reformation had started with Rudolf II who encouraged Catholic orders to settle in Breslau. The dominance of the German population under the Habsburg rule in the city became more visible, while the Polish population diminished in numbers. After Frederick the Great besieged the city for a year, it surrendered in 1741. In 1742, Queen Maria Theresa handed over Silesia to the Prussian king. - The Rynek (the Ring) is a medieval market square. It has the shape of a rectangle with the dimensions 205 m x 175 m. In the center is the Old Town Hall. In the 14th century, the first two-story patrician houses with pointed roofs were built. In the middle of the 14th century, these already formed a closed perimeter. Gradually, larger and larger residential and commercial buildings were built. After the great fire of 1363, the first Gothic houses were built. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the fronts were remodeled in the Renaissance style. During WWII most 60% of the buildings were damaged. Only 17 houses were largely preserved. After the war, the restoration of the partially preserved buildings began immediately.

The history of Wroclaw dates back more than a thousand years. At various times, it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia, and Germany. Wrocław became part of Poland again in 1945 as part of the result of extensive border changes and expulsions after WWII. In 990 Mieszko I of Poland conquered Silesia and Wrocław. The town became a commercial center. In the 12th century Polish, Bohemian, Jewish, Walloon, and German communities existed here. Wroclaw was devastated in 1241 during the first Mongol invasion of Poland. In the 13th century due to migration from Saxony and Bavaria, Wroclaw got germanised. The population adopted the German language and culture and the name changed to Breslau. Between 1342 and 1344 two fires destroyed large parts of the city, which was a part of the Bohemian Kingdom at that time. Charles IV`s , successors Wenceslaus and Sigismund became involved in a long-lasting feud with the city and its magistrate, culminating in the revolt in 1418 when local craftsmen killed seven councilors. After the city had defeated the Bohemian Hussites the city was besieged by a combined Polish-Czech force in 1474, however, a ceasefire was signed, according to which the city remained under Hungarian rule. The Reformation reached Breslau already in 1518, and in 1523 the town council unanimously appointed a new pastor and thus introduced the Reformation in Breslau. In 1526, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria inherited Bohemia, Silesia, and the city of Breslau. In 1609 German emperor Rudolf II granted the free exercise of church services to all Bohemian and Silesian Protestants. In the following Thirty Years' War, the city suffered badly. It was occupied by Saxon and Swedish troops and lost 18,000 of its 40,000 residents to the plague. The Counter-Reformation had started with Rudolf II who encouraged Catholic orders to settle in Breslau. The dominance of the German population under the Habsburg rule in the city became more visible, while the Polish population diminished in numbers. After Frederick the Great besieged the city for a year, it surrendered in 1741. In 1742, Queen Maria Theresa handed over Silesia to the Prussian king. - The Rynek (the Ring) is a medieval market square. It has the shape of a rectangle with the dimensions 205 m x 175 m. In the center is the Old Town Hall. In the 14th century, the first two-story patrician houses with pointed roofs were built. In the middle of the 14th century, these already formed a closed perimeter. Gradually, larger and larger residential and commercial buildings were built. After the great fire of 1363, the first Gothic houses were built. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the fronts were remodeled in the Renaissance style. During WWII most 60% of the buildings were damaged. Only 17 houses were largely preserved. After the war, the restoration of the partially preserved buildings began immediately.

A fortress of a regional tribe is attested here. After its destruction, Casimir I the Restorer, son of Mieszko II Lambert, had a castle built here. In 1205 Roman of Volhynia unsuccessfully besieged the castle. In 1241 Lublin was destroyed by the Tatars. In 1244 the place was conquered by Lithuanians, in the same year, Daniel Romanovich of Galicia conquered and fortified it. Under the protection of the castle, the settlement developed into a trade center. In 1317 it received the town charter. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the town grew rapidly. The largest trade fairs of the Polish-Lithuanian community were held in Lublin. In the 16th century, the parliaments (Sejm) of the Kingdom of Poland were held in Lublin several times. At one of the most important ones, the "Union of Lublin" was proclaimed in 1569, uniting Poland and Lithuania. After the capital was moved from Krakow to Warsaw in 1596, Lublin was located away from the main traffic and trade routes. As a result, there was an economic and cultural decline. In the course of the Counter-Reformation, the Protestants were forcibly expelled from the city in 1631, so many merchants emigrated. In 1655 Cossacks sacked the town and the following year Swedish soldiers. After the Northern War, the reconstruction of the town began. Stanislaus II August Poniatowski allowed Protestants to settle in the city again. At this time, a significant Jewish community was also established. The Jews were an important part of life in the city until the Holocaust. During WWII they were deported by Nazi Germany to the infamous Lublin Ghetto and eventually murdered. After the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, Lublin was part of the Austrian Empire, after the Austro-Polish War of 1809 it was part of the short-lived Polish Duchy of Warsaw, and in 1815 it was part of Congress Poland as part of the Russian partition of Poland. Russian rule ended in 1915 when the city was occupied by German and Austro-Hungarian armies. After the end of WWI, the Provisional People's Government of the Republic of Poland - the first government of independent Poland - was based in Lublin for a short time. - In the center of the square stands a large building, originally built in 1389 and rebuilt in 1781 in neoclassical style in 1781. It served and later as a court. A city festival was held, so the old town was crowded with numerous visitors.