Plac ks. Józefa Londzina in Katowice

Plac ks. Józefa Londzina in Załęże is a city square of about 10,000 m², on Gliwicka Street. It is commonly called the Gruszka (“Pear”), after the former name Gruschkaplatz. It is a remnant of the southern part of the park by the Załęże palace.

Where the name comes from and what was here before

The square is named after Prelate Fr Józef Londzin, and the name was given in 1929, after his death. Earlier, until 1922, it was called Gruschkaplatz, then Plac Gruszki. A green space with a bathing pool for children was opened in July 1929, and the pools were designed by the architect Lucjan Sikorski. In 1930 a monument to Fr Londzin was erected here. In time the pool was turned into a flower bed, and the square was neglected.

What the square looks like today

After a revitalisation completed in 2020 the square has an outdoor gym, a chess area, a playground and an area for seniors. Educational boards have been placed along the historic axis. The trees are a remnant of an older oak forest from the park layout. In the middle part stands a stone with a commemorative plaque, moved here in 2000 from in front of the building of the Culture House of the “Baildon” Steelworks. The plaque was put up in 1995 on the initiative of the Association of Poles Persecuted by the Third Reich.

Practical information

• Location: Katowice-Załęże, in the area of the junction of Gliwicka, Bracka and F. Bocheńskiego streets.
• Entrances: three, the main one on the axis of the historic park layout, from Gliwicka Street and from the east.
• Further on in Chorzów: the Silesian Zoological Garden is about 1.7 km from the square.