Monopol Hotel

Historic Building in Wrocław

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Basik07 - Barbara Wrzesińska

The Monopol Hotel was built in 1892 in what was then Breslau, Germany, showcasing a blend of Art Nouveau and Neo-Baroque architecture. It was constructed on the site of the former St. Dorothy’s Church graveyard, which had been repurposed into a jail in 1817. Near the end of the 19th century, the land was purchased for 600,000 marks by banker Wallenberg Pachaly and architect Karl Grosser, both influential figures in Breslau’s Jewish community. They transformed the space into a trade house and hotel, featuring 69 luxurious rooms, including 21 singles, 46 doubles, and 2 apartments. Room sizes ranged from 10 to 36 square meters, which, by 19th-century standards, was considered exceptionally spacious. Due to its elegance and prestige, the hotel was affectionately called “the pearl of Lower Silesia” (die Perle Niederschlesiens).

During its German era, the Monopol Hotel attracted distinguished guests, including playwright Gerhart Hauptmann. In 1937, a balcony was built above the entrance in anticipation of Adolf Hitler’s visit to Breslau, and the following year, he delivered a speech from it during the German Gymnastics and Sports Festival. After World War II, the same balcony became a symbol of a new era when singer Jan Kiepura performed for a gathered crowd. The hotel originally housed an in-house department store at the corner of Świdnicka and Modrzejewskiej Streets, which suffered severe damage during the final months of the war. It was rebuilt in 1961, becoming the exclusive Café Monopol, before transitioning back to its commercial function at the end of the 20th century.

Despite wartime destruction in much of Breslau, the Monopol Hotel survived largely intact. After Breslau was transferred to Poland in 1945, the hotel became an important cultural venue, hosting the World Congress of Intellectuals during the 1948 Exhibition of the Recovered Territories, with prominent figures such as Pablo Picasso, Irène Joliot-Curie, Ilya Ehrenburg, Jorge Amado, and Mikhail Sholokhov in attendance. Over the years, it welcomed other famous guests, including Marlene Dietrich, Zbigniew Cybulski, and Jerzy Grotowski. The hotel also served as a filming location for notable Polish films, including Andrzej Wajda’s Ashes and Diamonds and Wojciech Has’s The Doll, as well as the TV series More Than Life at Stake. Recognized for its architectural and historical significance, the hotel was added to Wrocław’s register of monuments in 1984, and in 2008, its façade underwent a restoration. Today, the Monopol Hotel continues to be a symbol of elegance, featuring two restaurants (Polish and Mediterranean cuisine), a spa and wellness center, and facilities for conferences and banquets. It also gained international attention when it hosted the Czech national team during Euro 2012.

The Monopol Hotel appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Wrocław!

This website uses affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you!