The place on the banks of the Oder, where we will find the building of the Customs Office, has been associated with the collection of customs duties for centuries. At the beginning of the 16th century, in the vicinity of today's Trasa Zamkowa, there was the Kłodny Bridge, on which there was a customs barrier, which was raised only after the passing ships paid the appropriate duty and tax. After Szczecin was drawn into the territory of Prussia, King Frederick William I decided to build a building where all tax matters could be handled and which would control the vessels passing through the Oder River. The place where the Customs Office is located today was chosen as the construction site. Construction of the building began in 1724 - due to the swampy ground, the building was erected on special piles. The facility was named "Pakownia". Due to the heavy traffic and queues that formed, a decision was made to expand the Packing House. Exactly in 1900, the design of the main building of the Customs Office was created - by Wilhelm Meyer-Schwartau, an architect who also designed Wały Chrobry or the PUM building. The building was built in the years 1904-1907. The decorations on the object are extremely interesting, and two faces placed on both sides of the façade, at the entrances, deserve special attention. On the one hand, the face is smiling - according to many, it is a symbol of an applicant who still has money because he has not yet paid any dues. On the other hand, the face is sad - it's the same character, but here the client has already paid the fees. The interior also deserves our attention - in the staircase we will find a rib vault and lions' heads above the entrance. They are supposed to symbolize the strength of the office and evoke respect and humility in the clients. Furniture has also been preserved in the building - e.g. safe, wardrobe and armchairs. After the war, when the building was taken over by Poles, the building was used for the purposes for which it was built. The first foreign customs clearance from this office was carried out in June 1946. The building, located right on the banks of the Oder River, was entered on the provincial list of monuments in December 1988.
Translated by Google •
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