Orion's Squares

Szczecin is a magical, unique and fascinating city. It has got characteristic configuration of streets and roundabouts, similar to Paris.

There are two types of street networks in Szczecin’s downtown. In the surroundings of Krzywoustego Street, the streets usually intersect at right angles and the blocks are square. This system is probably inspired by the New York urban planning. A bit further, in the surroundings of Piłsudskiego Street, star squares are dominant. The old Polish legend has it that the squares were designed by a French city planner, the author of a thorough redevelopment of Paris in the times of the Second French Empire, Georges Eugène Haussmann. It's balderdash, of course, but Parisian inspirations are indeed visible in Szczecin. Grunwaldzki Square, with eight streets branching off, is surely a reference to Place Charles de Gaulle (also called Square of the Star) in Paris, where twelve streets branch off.

Szczecin's astrologists, Małgorzata and Edward Gardasiewicz noticed that the three main star squares of Szczecin look like a reflection of the Orion Constellation. According to them, the system refers to Giza, where Ancient Egyptians built pyramids. Since the Orion Constellation was devoted to one of the most important Egyptian gods, Osiris, the arrangement - of the three pyramids against each other and the Nile was supposed to reflect the system of three stars of the Orion Belt in regard to the Nile. Szczecin's astrologists claim that the case is the same in Szczecin. Sprzymierzonych Square would be the star called Mintaka, Odrodzenia Square - the star Alnilam and the Grunwaldzki Square - the star Alnitak. Additionally, the Oder River would be the Milky Way (and the Nile). The city's authorities have decided that this funny, though incredibly bold hypothesis, has marketing potential and in 2015 plaques were placed in each of the three squares to inform which star is reflected in which of them.