Chrobry Embankment

The riverside terraces, built in the early 20th century on the site of the old Leopold Fort, are 500 m long and 19 m high. The Chrobry Embankment is a part of an architectural complex which also includes the National Museum and Contemporary Theatre.

Chrobry Embankment (formerly Hakenterrasse) was built on the site of the former Fort Leopold, which was demolished in the second half of the 19th century. The decision to erect the terraces was made at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the efforts of the then mayor, Hermann Haken. The design of the facility was prepared by the most famous Szczecin architect, Wilhelm Meyer-Schwartau. The terraces are 500 meters long and rise 19 meters above the Oder line. It is from here that we can see the islands of Grodzka, Bielawa and Łasztnia, the right bank of the Odra river, its canals and branches.

In the years 1902 - 1907 pavilions on the terraces and stairs were created. On the walls, there are plaques with motifs of marine fauna and flora, and the coats of arms of Szczecin and coastal cities. At the top of the terraces, a walking path lined with trees was created, in the central part, a smaller semicircular terrace was built a little lower, in the center of which there is a sculpture depicting a fight between a man and a centaur by Ludwig Manzl. Below, there is a vast fountain, in front of which two light towers were built, stylized as lighthouses.

The next stage of work on the terraces was the construction of representative public buildings on their top. In the central part, the building of the municipal museum was erected in the years 1908 - 1911, also according to the design of Wilhelm Meyer-Schwartau. The official opening of the facility took place on June 23, 1913, it was planned to expand it towards the park located behind the buildings - due to the outbreak of World War I, and as a result of the crisis in Germany, the facility was never completed. Currently, the building houses the National Museum in Szczecin and the stage of the Współczesny Theater.

On the right side of the museum building, according to the design of Paul Kieschke, the building of the then Szczecin district, which today houses the West Pomeranian Voivodeship Office, was built. The building was erected in the years 1906-1912. On the left side of the museum building, two buildings were built: the Social Insurance Institution erected in 1902-1905, according to the design of Emil Drews, and the headquarters of the Supreme Customs Directorate, started by Hinckledeyn and completed at the latest, in 1918-1921 by Osterwold. Today, both buildings are combined into one and it houses the Maritime University.

The terraces survived the war without major losses. After 1945, Polish names were replaced by German ones, a restaurant was created in the basement of the northern pavilion, and wooden buildings of two restaurants were erected at the ends of the alley. After 1989, the elevations of the terraces and buildings of the National Museum and the West Pomeranian Voivodship Office as well as the "lighthouses" were cleaned. The plaque with a dedication to the mayor Hermann Haken was also restored.

The whole thing is one of the most interesting urban assumptions from the beginning of the 20th century in this part of Europe. Moreover, Wały Chrobrego is probably the most famous place of Szczecin in Poland. The building was entered on the provincial list of monuments in December 1996.