Plac Jana Pawła II in Zgierz is a place of historical significance worth visiting to explore the architecture of surrounding buildings. It forms the heart of the city and serves as a landmark for visitors.
Plac Jana Pawła II is the historic market square of Zgierz, previously known as Stary Rynek (Old Market Square). The square's four-sided layout dates back to the city's origins and remained its principal point for centuries, with perimeter buildings and the town hall.
The square has functioned as a market since Zgierz was granted municipal rights in 1288, based on German law, one of whose conditions was the possession of a four-sided market square. On the map by cartographer Jan Leszczyński from 1821, showing the layout of Zgierz along with the new textile settlement, the square already appears as the main point of today's city centre.
When in 1821 the New Town was established with a separate New Market Square, today's Plac Kilińskiego, the existing market began to be called Stary Rynek. After the death of Józef Piłsudski the square was named after him; during the Second World War it bore a German name, and after the war it was called Plac Armii Czerwonej (Red Army Square). In 1991, following political changes, the name Stary Rynek was restored, and from the early 2000s the square has borne the name of John Paul II.
On 27 February 1927 a state-level ceremony took place on Stary Rynek: soldiers of the 31st Kaniovian Riflemen Regiment took an oath and received a new standard. This event ranks among the most important moments in the square's history during the interwar period.
Opposite the town hall building, a metal Hedgehog Monument stands on the square, a symbol of Zgierz. It was unveiled in 2006, and its creator is Henrikas Orakauskas from Kupišķis in Lithuania. The sculpture has a bronze coating filled with concrete, which was intended to protect it from theft of scrap metal.
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