The Palace was erected in the 1640s by the Great Crown Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski and his son Aleksander, according to a design of Constantino Tencalla – a court architect of King Władysław IV. Only a few years after the palace was erected it became the property of the Lubomirski family and since 1674, for almost 150 years it was in the hands of the Radziwiłł family of the Nieświeska branch. Between 1768 and 1778 it was adapted to serve as a theater, where King Stanisław August Poniatowski had his box.

The palace played a significant role during the Great Sejm session; the first political party – the Assembly of Friends of the Government Act of 3rd May was in session there between 1791 and 1792. In 1818 it was purchased by the government of the Congress Kingdom and adapted to be the seat of the Governor. Then General Józef Zajączek started to live there.

An 8-year-old Frederic Chopin performed publicly for the first time in the palace in February 1818 at a concert organized by the Warsaw Charity Society.

At the beginning of the 19th century the palace was rebuilt into the classicist style, giving it the shape we know today. In 1821 sculptures of lions by Camillo Laudini were placed at the front of the palace.

In 1852 the main body of the palace was almost entirely destroyed as a result of a fire. Reconstruction works were supervised by Alfons Kropiwnicki, who built the Grand Theater in Warsaw together with Antonio Corazzi and reconstructed the Saint Charles Borromeus Church at Powiązki.

After Poland regained independence in 1918, the palace became the seat of the Prime Minister and the side wings were occupied by the offices of the Chancellery of the Council of Ministers.

At the time of occupation, between 1941 and 1942 the palace was rebuilt into the Deutsches Haus – it was then a luxurious hotel with a casino. As it was not destroyed during the defense of Warsaw in September 1939 and during the Warsaw Rising, after the end of World War II and after the adverse changes in its architecture introduced by the Germans were removed, it could fulfill public functions again – it became the seat of the prime minister and the Council of Ministers.

In 1955 the Warsaw Pact was signed at the palace and in December 1970 – the agreement concerning the basis of normalization of mutual relations between Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany.

From 6th February to 5th April 1989 at the palace at Krakowskie Przedmieście the sessions of the Round Table proceeded to start the process of democratic systemic changes in Poland and all of Central and Eastern Europe.

In 1994, after completion of four years’ renovation works, a new stage in the history of the palace began – it became the official seat of the President of the Republic of Poland and has been named the Presidential Palace ever since.

The turn of the 20th and the 21st centuries was marked by important events for our history in the calendar of the palace. It was here that the President of the Republic of Poland signed the Constitution of the Republic of Poland (1997) and ratified the Treaty of Poland’s accession to NATO (1999) and EU (2003).

During its long history the palace was rebuilt and renovated many times as it currently is. In April 2011 the staircase was renovated. Also commemorative plaques were unveiled on the facade of the palace. In February 2010, exactly at the 192nd anniversary of Frederic Chopin’ s first public concert, which took place in the palace, a plaque commemorating that event was unveiled.

In August 2010 a plaque commemorating the victims of the plane catastrophe near Smolensk, including the presidential couple Maria and Lech Kaczyński, was unveiled on the wall of the southern wing of the palace, on the side of Krakowskie Przedmieście, near the place where a cross was placed in the days of the mourning.

In September 2010 the President of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski unveiled a plaque at the chapel commemorating all persons connected with the presidential office both from the Chancellery of the President and from the National Security Bureau who died in the catastrophe near Smolensk. On the first anniversary of the Smolensk catastrophe a plaque was unveiled in the palace chapel commemorating priest Roman Indrzejczyk, the chaplain of President Lech Kaczyński, who died tragically at the Smolensk catastrophe.

Description of rooms:

The Main Hall

The Main Hall is relatively modestly furnished. A marble fireplace, a baroque Gdańsk-style wardrobe and January Suchodolski’s painting entitled “The Death of Cyprian Godebski at Raszyn” constitute its main decorations. At the Main Hall guests are welcomed in the name of the President of the Republic of Poland. Only heads of states are welcomed by the President in person.

Poland, which is officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe that is governed as a unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic. The President of Poland is the head of state, while the prime minister serves as the head of government. Poland’s constitution outlines the functions of the president, which include leading the executive branch of government, as well as representing the country in international affairs. The president is elected by a majority vote to serve a five-year term, and can be re-elected only once. After assuming office, the president appoints the prime minister, usually from the political party with the majority seats in parliament. The President of Poland can initiate the legislative process, veto bills, appoint and recall ambassadors, and ratify or revoke international agreements. While in office, the president occupies the official presidential residence, called the Presidential Palace, which is located in Poland’s national capital, Warsaw.

Presidential Palace

The Presidential Palace serves as the official residence of the President of Poland. Location in the nation’s capital, Warsaw, the palace is an improved version of a building that has stood on the site since 1643, and has been remodeled and rebuilt numerous times. Several noble families occupied the residence for the first 175 years, until it was declared a government building in 1818, when the Viceroy of Poland occupied it during the Russian occupation. After the First World War, Poland re-emerged as a sovereign state, and the building served as the seat of the Council of Ministers. German forces occupied the palace during the Second World War, but it managed to survive bombings by Allied forces. In 1993, the building was declared the official residence of the president, and Lech Walesa became its first occupant. In 2010, President Bronislaw Komorowski opted to live in the smaller Belweder Palace, purportedly in honor of past presidents, although political experts describe the move as an attempt to avoid confrontation with mourners and supporters of President Lech Kaczynski, who died in an airplane crash in Russia.

Other Presidential Residences

Although the Presidential Palace serves as the primary official residence, there are also other recognized residences within Poland. Though the Belweder Palace was stripped off the official status in 1993, it is still considered a presidential residence and is occupied by foreign head of states and other important guests. The Presidential Castle in Whisla served as a recreational facility for presidents until 1931, was renovated in 2002, and reopened by President Aleksander Kwaśniewski in 2005 as a recreational, hotel, and conference center for the president. Additional presidential residences are located in Łucień and Ciechocinek.

NAMRATA