Emil Serkowski Square in Kraków

Emil Serkowski Square lies in Kraków's Podgórze and surrounds the Florian Nowacki Gardens (planty), laid out in 1868 to 1888. Krasickiego, Długosza and Wareńczyka streets lead off it. It is the site of a former pond, not a historic market square.

Origin of the square and its name

The square was laid out at the beginning of the 20th century as Plac Sienny (Hay Square), on the site of a filled-in medieval royal pond. In 1908 the Kraków City Council gave it its present name in memory of Emil Serkowski, a construction engineer, city councillor and mayor of the town of Podgórze in 1888.

The Siła-Nowicki obelisk

On the square stands an obelisk from 1898 commemorating Maksymilian Siła-Nowicki. He was a zoologist and professor at the Jagiellonian University, a researcher of the fauna and flora of the Tatras and a pioneer of nature conservation in Poland. He co-founded the Tatra Society, and in 1879 he founded the Provincial Fishing Society in Kraków, the first Polish angling organisation.

Practical information

• Location: Kraków, Podgórze, between Krasickiego, Długosza and Wareńczyka streets.
• The square is a stop on a walk around Podgórze. Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory is about 1.4 km from here.