Auditorium Leopoldina
The Aula Leopoldina ( Auditorium Academicum ) is the baroque auditorium of the University of Wroclaw .
history
The Aula Leopoldina was built from 1728 to 1732 in honor of the founder of the University of Breslau, the Roman-German Emperor Leopold I from the Habsburg dynasty. The client was his son, Emperor Karl VI. who, like his father, was King of Bohemia and thus Silesian sovereign. It is Poland's largest and one of the largest baroque halls in Europe.
Christoph Tausch designed the hall . The stucco decorations were made by the sculptor Franz Joseph Mangoldt and the ceiling painting by Johann Christoph Handke . Krzysztof Hollandt was responsible for the wooden sculptures.
The Aula Leopoldina remained undamaged during the Second World War . Nevertheless, it was hardly used and had to be extensively renovated at the end of the 1990s. A large part of the money for the renovation came from Germany from official bodies and the like. a. with funds from the then Federal President Johannes Rau . On November 17, 2001, the Aula Leopoldina was officially reopened with a classical concert by a German-Polish orchestra, the Wroclaw Chamber Orchestra.
Today the auditorium is both a part of the university museum and a place for official, annual ceremonies, e.g. B. for matriculations . The Aula Leopoldina is often used for concerts because of its excellent acoustics.
Equipment and architecture
The trapezoidal construction of the hall due to the low storey height is divided into a podium on the west side, the auditorium and a music gallery located directly above the entrance. The sculptural design in the area of the podium praises the emperors' services to the university. As patron of science and art, Leopold I is flanked in the midst of “diligence” (industria) and “cleverness” (consilio), and “folly” and “discord” plunge into the depths. Statues of Joseph I , Leopold's successor as a sponsor of the university, and Charles VI. who wanted to erect a monument to himself and his two Habsburg predecessors with this state hall stand on the side of the outer walls.
The paintings above the central part of the room show the glorification of God's wisdom, source of knowledge for all, and represent personifications of the science and art of the time. Smaller sculptures in the window niches show important scientists and artists, but also ecclesiastical and secular dignitaries.
Sixteen portraits of the Jesuit Order of Merit , who initially played a key role in the construction and operation of the university, hang on the walls . Eight of these portraits were stolen in 1997, only one was found. The remaining seven portraits were replaced by copies.
The entrance area, richly decorated with carvings, which leads into the hall, is outstanding. The musicians' area above the entrance contains contemporary frescoes, including the Allegory of Silesa ( Silesia ) seated on the throne, surrounded by Viadrus ( Oder ) and Wratislav ( Wrocław ). The floor of the entire auditorium is covered with marble slabs.
Web links
- Aula Leopoldyńska - Aula Leopoldina na portalu polska-org.pl
Coordinates: 51 ° 6 ′ 49.4 " N , 17 ° 1 ′ 59.3" E