Places

At the end of the 16th century, construction of St John the Evangelist’s (currently Corpus Christi) and St John the Baptist’s Church was finished. Next to the church a school (college) was established in which youth of noble background had studied. After the dissolution of the order in 1773, in buildings of the former Jesuit College the Austrians arranged barracks, named Kloster Kaserne (monastic barracks). Until 1914, the barracks were a place of accommodation for, most probably, 90th Infantry Regiment Of The Austro-Hungarian Empire. Also, from the 60’s of the 19th century, there was a Uniform Committee that commissioned sewing and stored uniforms for the army.

At the end of the 19th century, the barracks were extended by additional buildings: staff headquarters along with a prison, guardhouse, canteen as well as stables. The building of the boarding house called Wieczorkiewicz’s villa, formerly organist’s house, was prepared to serve as an apartment for the Division’s Commander.

During the battles in 1914, the buildings of the former college were destroyed to the extent that three of its wings had to be demolished. The remaining wing with a clock tower was renovated and is currently used by a church. During the interwar period, barracks were used by the Polish Army and the buildings at Jezuicka Street were repossessed by the command of 24th Infantry Division. Currently, the post-barrack buildings houses Stanisław Wyspiański School of Fine Arts (1 Jezuicka Street).

Interestingly, the monastic barracks were connected with a steel bridge (previously a wooden bridge) to St Anne’s barracks, located on neighbouring St Nicholaus Hill. The bridge was utilised to make the transport between the mentioned barrack buildings easier.