📖 Introduction

At the point where the Royal Route extends from historic Warsaw toward Solec (Książęca Street), Ujazdów (Wiejska Street), Rakowiec (Mokotowska Street), and Grzybów (Bracka Street), you’ll find a square that was shaped in the 18th century. Initially, the intersection was smaller than the present-day square.

The Three Crosses ✞✞✞

The square’s name traces back to the crosses that adorned it, with origins dating to the early 18th century. During this tumultuous period, Augustus II the Strong, the elective king of Poland, converted from Lutheranism to participate in the election. The square was dedicated to the Catholic faith, initially funded by the king himself and later by his son, Augustus III of Saxony. This square feature an external Stations of the Cross, commonly known as a calvary. For Catholics, a calvary symbolizes Christ’s final journey and serves as a place of pilgrimage, prayer, and reflection. While the authentic path exists in the Holy Land, local replicas were built for easier access by the faithful. The Ujazdów Calvary, established on this square, no longer stands today. Construction began in 1724, and it was solemnly opened during Holy Week in 1732. The calvary included chapels adorned with bas-reliefs and poetic inscriptions by Bishop Józef Andrzej Załuski, fostering contemplation. The final station, inspired by a Jerusalem chapel, depicted the Tomb of Christ with a figure of Jesus. A marble figure from the late 17th century, brought to Poland by Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski, graced this sacred site.

Due to their poor condition, the calvary shrines were dismantled at the end of the 18th century. However, two reconstructed stone obelisks with crosses have survived to this day, dating back to the 19th century. In 1756, to commemorate the paving of Warsaw’s streets and the extension of pavement to the square, the Grand Marshal of the Crown, Franciszek Bieliński, erected a statue of Saint John Nepomucene near a column, holding a cross. This was the third cross, leading to the square being called the Three Golden Crosses Square during the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the Crossroads of the Golden Crosses. The current official name was bestowed in 1919.

Additionally, the sculpture of Christ from the Holy Sepulchre Chapel has been preserved. You can see it in the Church of St. Alexander, located on the square, in a side altar on the left.

Towards the end of the 18th century, the square was used as a marketplace, and in 1831, it was paved.

🏢 Architecture of Three Crosses Square

Church of St. Alexander the Martyr ⛪

On November 12, 1815, Tsar Alexander I made his inaugural visit to Warsaw. His role in the revival of the Kingdom of Poland was widely acknowledged. To honor this occasion, the city initially planned a temporary triumphal arch, later to be replaced by a permanent monument. However, upon learning of these intentions, the Tsar redirected the funds earmarked for the monument toward the construction of a church. Between 1818 and 1826, a Neoclassical-style temple took shape, designed by Piotr Aigner and inspired by the Roman Pantheon. Although the original structure no longer stands, today’s church serves as its post-war reconstruction.

In 1826, the St. Alexander Parish was the fifth in Warsaw, and right next to it, at the current address 23, a parish house was built according to the design by Józef Lessel. In that house, during the night from January 16 to 17, 1863, the Central National Committee, constituting the Provisional Government, gathered in the apartment of Father Karol Mikoszewski. They determined the date for the outbreak of the January Uprising, which remains Poland’s largest and longest-lasting uprising against the Russian Empire. In 1865, after the uprising’s defeat, the house was confiscated and sold. A new rectory was finally constructed in 1902 at 21 Książęca Street.

Between 1886 and 1895, due to the growing needs of the parish, the church underwent expansion in a Renaissance style, following the design by Józef Pius Dziekoński. Unfortunately, the impressive form of this parish can now only be admired through pre-war photographs. The church suffered damage during the defense of Warsaw in September 1939 and was nearly completely destroyed during the German bombardment in September 1944. Only the left tower of the temple survived, initially intended as a symbol of wartime destruction. However, it was eventually dismantled in 1951, and the reconstructed structure now echoes the original design by Aigner from the early 19th century. Nevertheless, we can imagine the size of the pre-war parish, with today’s square pedestals marking the former locations of the towers.

The Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 🏢

In 1827, on the eastern side of the square, a Neoclassical-style building was erected to house the Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The institute was established in 1817 through the initiative of Father Jakub Falkowski, making it the first school for the hearing-impaired in Polish lands. Initially, it was located in the Kazimierzowski Palace within the grounds of the present-day University of Warsaw. The funds for constructing the institute were raised through social contributions and the priest’s personal savings. In 1842, a school for the blind was also opened within the same institution. Between 1873 and 1874, an additional floor was added, and the building has survived in this form to the present day.

During World War II, at the initiative of physical education teacher Wiesław Jabłoński, the IV Platoon of the Warsaw Uprising, numbered 1107, was formed within the institute. This platoon operated clandestinely. Thanks to identification cards stamped with a German raven emblem and armbands labeled ‘Taubstumme’ (deaf and dumb), they were virtually ignored by the Germans, allowing them to act covertly. Twenty-nine deaf fighters participated in the uprising, defending the Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

They never received orders to the front lines; their role was always auxiliary. They worked alongside hearing fighters, mimicking their actions, which helped them anticipate danger. The platoon also included two female medics.

During the Warsaw Uprising, a cemetery was established in the institute’s courtyard. In October 1944, the building was set on fire. Reconstruction was completed in August 1948. In 1962, blind children were relocated to Laski, and the institute reverted to its original name, the Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Later, in 1983, it was named after its founder, Father Jakub Falkowski. The center continues to operate to this day. In 2022, the last surviving deaf and dumb insurgent, Karol Stefaniak (alias Kajtek), passed away.

Tenement Under the Griffins 🏛️

The Fuchs family tenement, designed between 1884 and 1886 by one of the most prominent representatives of Polish eclecticism, Józef Huss, stands as a testament to architectural excellence. Franciszek Fuchs, the founder of a sugar and chocolate factory operating since 1829 under the name “Franciszek Fuchs & Co. Commercial and Industrial House,” owned this remarkable building. Over the years, the company expanded to include a wholesale store, coffee roasting facilities, and a coffee, tea, olive oil, and other exotic goods packaging unit. After World War II, the company was nationalized and became known as Fuchs-Syrena Works.

Unfortunately, during the war, the tenement building suffered significant damage. It lost its original glory, including the domes and several griffins that adorned it—a motif borrowed from the now-defunct Reich Bank in Berlin. The present-day structure is a post-war reconstruction, housing office spaces.

the State Female Gymnasium 🏫

Behind the statue of Wincenty Witos, we could glimpse it—the school. Its front bore a faint resemblance to the background building’s facade. However, this was no historic edifice.

This school merits mention not only for its status as one of Warsaw’s premier educational institutions in the late 19th century but also for its unique focus: educating Polish girls living under Russian occupation and regime. Amidst the fervent Russification efforts in Polish territories, Jadwiga Sikorska, a Polish teacher, and philanthropist, established a private girls’ boarding school in 1874. Initially granted permission for just four classes, the school gradually expanded until, by 1917, it boasted a full complement of eight classes. Remarkably, despite official government curricula and bureaucratic scrutiny, this exceptional educator conducted secret classes in the Polish language. She deftly balanced dual lesson plans, emphasizing tolerance and openness. Collaborating with outstanding educators, she introduced innovative subjects like economics, law, geography, and anatomy. Among the school’s graduates were numerous exceptional women, including the renowned Nobel laureate, Marie Skłodowska-Curie.

After World War I, when Poland regained its  independence, Jadwiga Sikorska transferred ownership of the school to the state on August 7, 1918. From then on, the school was known as the State Female Gymnasium named after Queen Jadwiga, colloquially referred to as the ‘Królówka’ (which translates to ‘Queen’s School’). This name was due to its original location on Królewska Street. In 1924, the gymnasium moved to a new building at Trzech Krzyży Square, which unfortunately no longer exists today. Jadwiga Sikorska passed away in Warsaw on December 20, 1927.

World War II did not interrupt the school’s educational activities, although from December 1, 1939, teaching resumed in secret classes. Remarkably, despite these challenging circumstances, 250 wartime high school diplomas were awarded. The school building was taken over by the German authorities, who transformed it into a Soldatenheim—a facility serving as a hotel, restaurant, and public space for traveling soldiers of the Wehrmacht and SS.

Today, the building remains unseen; its main part was destroyed in 1944. The school now stands as the contemporary X Liceum Ogólnokształcące (10th High School), named after Queen Jadwiga, with its premises located at 8 Jana Pawła Woronicza Street.