Lviv Citadel is a complex of fortifications built in the mid-19th century. At that time, the city was part of the Habsburg Empire. So it was decided to dismantle the protective walls around the city and build a new fortified point instead. Since then, the citadel buildings have changed functions several times.
From the citadel's history
With the improvement of weapons, the old defensive walls around Lviv ceased to fulfil their functions. They also slowed down the process of development and expansion of the city. Therefore, representatives of the Austrian administration made a logical decision to dismantle the city's fortifications.
A few decades later, Europe was swept up in the Spring of Nations. This wave reached Lviv as well. The likelihood of war between the Austrian and Russian empires was high. So, for the needs of the Austrian military garrison, the citadel was erected. General Maximilian-Joseph d'Este was in charge of this. The main works lasted from 1852 to 1854.
The citadel was at the centre of the events of the Ukrainian-Polish war for Lviv in 1918, and during World War II, the Nazi concentration camp Stalag-328 was set up on its premises. Later, the citadel's buildings served as a warehouse for the Electron plant, and in Soviet times a military unit was based there.
What is the Lviv Citadel?
The citadel's complex includes barracks, residential buildings, and defensive towers. There were also artillery points with loopholes. There used to be a wall around it, but it has not been preserved, unlike the bomb shelters and bunkers. The citadel's towers are in various states of repair today.
After independence, many buildings were privatized and used as office space and banking facilities. One of the towers houses the Citadel Inn hotel, and the other is used as a storage facility for the Stefanyk Library.
