Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) - Krakow, Poland
Posted by: 
Arne1
N 50° 03.665 E 019° 56.211
34U E 423904 N 5545964
This stamp depicts Clot Hall (Sukiennica) on Main Square in Krakow
Waymark Code: WME1WQ
Location: Małopolskie, Poland
Date Posted: 03/23/2012
Views: 34
The Renaissance Sukiennice (Cloth Hall, Drapers' Hall) in Kraków, Poland, is one of the city's most recognizable icons. It is the central feature of the Main Market Square in the Kraków Old Town (listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978). It was once a major centre of international trade. Traveling merchants met there to discuss business and to barter. During its golden age in the 15th century, Sukiennice was the source of a variety of exotic imports from the East – spices, silk, leather and wax – while Kraków itself exported textiles, lead, and salt from the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
The Hall has hosted countless distinguished guests over the centuries and is still used to entertain monarchs and dignitaries. Britain's Prince Charles and Emperor Akihito of Japan were welcomed here in 2002. In times gone by, balls were held here, most notably after Prince Józef Poniatowski had liberated the city from the Austrian Empire in 1809. Aside from its grand history and great cultural value, the hall still flourishes as a bustling center of commerce, albeit offering items for sale that are radically different from those of previous centuries — mainly souvenirs for tourists.
Other, similar cloth halls have existed in other Polish as well as other European cities such as in Ypres, Belgium; Braunschweig, and in Leeds, England; but the one in Kraków is the best-known and best-preserved.
Stamp Issuing Country: People's Republic of Poland
Date of Issue: 1983
Denomination: 5 Zl
Color: yellowish
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: Not listed
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