Parade Square facts for kids
Parade Square (Polish: Plac Defilad w Warszawie) is a very large open space in downtown Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. It's located right in the heart of the city, next to the huge Palace of Culture and Science. It is one of the biggest city squares in the world and the second largest in the European Union, only smaller than Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Germany.
This square is quite new for Warsaw, as it was built in the 1950s at the same time as the Palace of Culture and Science. For many years, especially during the time of the People's Republic of Poland, it was used for big public events and parades. These parades were often held to show the government's power and ideas. One of the largest parades ever held there was in 1966, celebrating 1,000 years of the Polish nation.
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Important Historical Events
Parade Square has been the site of several key moments in Polish history.
The 1956 Rally
In 1956, a very important event took place in the square. After Władysław Gomułka became the leader of Poland again, a massive rally was held on October 24. About 400,000 people gathered in the square. During his speech, Gomułka spoke against the harsh rule of Stalinism and promised changes to make the political system more democratic. People in the crowd supported these changes, and they also asked for the release of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, a major leader of the Catholic church in Poland, who was in prison.
Pope John Paul II's Visit
On June 14, 1987, Pope John Paul II visited Poland for the third time. He held a special Mass (a religious service) in Parade Square. The altar for the Mass was set up at the main entrance of the Palace of Culture and Science. During this service, the Pope honored Bishop Michał Kozal, who had died in a concentration camp during World War II.
Changes Over Time
After communism ended in Poland, Parade Square changed a lot. For a while, it became a huge outdoor marketplace where many different goods were sold.
People often criticized the square for looking messy and unplanned in the middle of a modern capital city. Because of this, there have been many ideas and plans to make it better. These plans include building a Museum of Modern Art and other new buildings like a concert hall and skyscrapers.
Current Use of the Square
Today, Parade Square is mostly used as a large car park. The big marketplace that used to be there has moved to a different location outside the city center. The city government plans to allow new buildings to be constructed on the square's site. The current parking spaces are expected to be moved to a new underground car park.
Images for kids
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Parade Square showing a former marketplace (left) and supermarket (right)
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The southern side showing Warszawa Śródmieście railway station
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Parade square during Euro 2012
