The former market square of the town of Biała from 1723, a pedestrian zone since 2023, with a fountain with frogs and the Art Nouveau Under the Frogs tenement house.
Polish Army Square (Plac Wojska Polskiego) is the former market square of the town of Biała, laid out in 1723 when Biała received its town rights. It lies in the centre of Bielsko-Biała right by the pedestrian street of 11 Listopada. Since its redevelopment in 2021-2023 it has been entirely a pedestrian zone, with a fountain, trees and sculptures.
The square is close to rectangular in shape, about 100 by 80 m, with an area of about 7,700 m2. On the south it is bounded by 11 Listopada Street, the town's main promenade. After the redevelopment trees were planted along the western and eastern frontages, and in the southern part a fountain was built with two bronze figures of frogs, referring to the decoration of the Under the Frogs tenement house. An outdoor piano has also been permanently fixed here.
By the former town hall, at the mouth of Ratuszowa Street, stand bronze monuments of characters from the animated series The Abduction of Baltazar Gąbka: the Wawel Dragon, Bartolini Bartłomiej of the Green Parsley coat of arms and the spy Don Pedro. They belong to the trail of cartoon character monuments of the Bielsko Studio of Animated Films. Other monuments to fairy-tale heroes can be found nearby, among them the Monument to Bolek and Lolek.
The buildings are very varied: from tenement houses of the mid-19th century, through Art Nouveau buildings, to the Cooperative Department Store “Klimczok” opened in 1988. The Art Nouveau Under the Frogs tenement house from 1903 stands out, with a corner tower, stucco decoration imitating half-timbering, reliefs of insects and a portal topped with figures of two frogs in tailcoats leaning on a barrel of wine. It was built for Rudolf Nahowski, who ran a wine bar here, and the ground floor still serves as a catering venue.
On 11 Listopada Street stands the former Biała town hall from 1825-1827, extended in 1868-1871. It served its function until 1897, and today it houses retail and service premises and flats. In the north-eastern corner rises the Neoclassical Martin Luther Church from 1792-1798, the main Evangelical church of the former Biała.
The square came about on the site of a village marketplace with an inn. In the 1780s 11 Listopada Street was cut through next to it as part of the building of the central Galician highway, and a new market square was laid out, today's Freedom Square (Plac Wolności). The existing square was then called the Old Market Square. In the 19th century markets and fairs were held here, and since 1951, after Bielsko and Biała were joined into one town, the square has borne its present name. In February 1945 two tenement houses were set on fire, including Julius Korn's tenement house; they were rebuilt in a simplified form.
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