Saxon Palace

The Saxon Palace (Polish: pałac Saski w Warszawie) in Warsaw, Poland, was a historic architectural landmark located on Piłsudski Square in the heart of the Polish capital. Originally built in the 17th century as a noble residence, it was later expanded and transformed into a royal palace under the Saxon House of Wettin in the 18th century. The building underwent several modifications over the centuries, and is most famous for its last, 1838 design in the neoclassical style by the Polish architect Adam Idźkowski, with a distinctive colonnade.

The palace played a significant role in Polish history, serving as a military and government headquarters, including housing the Polish General Staff in the interwar period. It was also the site where the German Enigma Cipher was first broken, by Polish cryptologists in 1932. Destroyed by the Germans during the Second World War, only the section of its colonnade which has since 1925 housed the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, has survived.

Plans for the palace’s reconstruction have been discussed since the post-war period, with various proposals put forward over the decades. In 2021, the Polish government launched an official initiative to rebuild the Saxon Palace, along with the neighboring Brühl Palace and historic tenement houses. A design competition was held in 2023, selecting the Warsaw-based architectural firm WXCA to lead the reconstruction effort. Reconstruction is expected to be completed by 2030.