St. Martin’s Street, where the castle is located, is the one of Poznan’s most attractive and architecturally interesting place. It combines old apartments, Soviet-style blocks and modern glass buildings.
It is supposed to be a residency of German kaiser. The castle was built in a neo-romantic style. According to the German authorities, it was considered the most german one. It is supposed to claim that Greater Poland belongs to Germany forever. Although as we learnt from history, it`s never happened.
The Imperial Castle, was supposed to be Hitler’s residence, however he was unable to visit Poznan. In the Soviet times, it was altered to be a cultural institution and functions as such until the day today.
The castle looks almost the same as it did 100 years ago. The interior seems to have changed, but don’t worry. As you walk through the wide corridors, you can imagine what life used to be like.
Numerous legends and insider hints are entwined around the castle.Of course, most people associate the Polish resistance with Prussia. For example, in the courtyard of the castle there is a beautiful fountain. Lions were meant to embody the power of the Prussian Empire. But the architect was Polish and hated the inhabitants. So he left us a hidden gem! If you look at the lions from behind, you can see that one of them has his tongue out. And he offers it directly to the West, Berlin, Prussia. In this way he managed to anger the Prussians.
Another story much more patriotic. During the construction of the castle, many locals, mostly Poles, came to see how things were going. And there’s a guy who comes to the site every day. And when asked, why did he do it? He replied:
“The day this castle is built, Poland will be reborn.” And it turned out that the prophecy came true. World War I began and Poland gained independence afterwards.