Equinoctial Sundial

On ulica Rycerska in Sieradz, just next to Gimnazjum nr 2 [secondary school], stands an equinoctial sundial with two dials: north-facing and south-facing. Instead of showing just the hour, it also displays the season, though this can rarely be seen because a neighbouring building casts a shadow over it for most of the day.

Two dials, one design

The sundial was designed by Marek Michowski from Kwidzyn, and the installation cost 20,000 złotych. The equinoctial type of construction differs from classical sundials: thanks to two dials set at an angle corresponding to the geographical latitude, the device reads both the hour and the season simultaneously. It was installed in Sieradz around March 2011.

A sundial in the building's shadow

The dial works in practice for only 2–3 hours a day, as for the rest of the day it is obscured by the Gimnazjum nr 2 building. The designer himself, Marek Michowski, believed that the proper location for the sundial was the old town market square, not the plot next to the school. Ultimately, however, the sundial was placed where it stands today.

First in the country, but not as planned

Sieradz was to be the first city in Poland with a sundial showing both the hour and the season at the same time. In practice, the obscured dial meant that the city gained attention rather because of a sundial that does not work for most of the day. The then vice-president of Sieradz, Cezary Szydło, defended the location, calling the sundial a good tourist attraction despite its limited functionality.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Rycerska 2A, Sieradz, next to Gimnazjum nr 2
• Access: public area, free entry with no time restrictions
• What to expect: two dials most legible in midday when the school building does not cast a shadow; nearby rynek w Sieradzu [market square], where according to the designer the sundial would fit better, and Muzeum Okręgowe w Sieradzu [Regional Museum in Sieradz]