Ansicht des Ross-Marchts in Stettin | View of the Koński Market in Szczecin

After the end of the Griffin dynasty in 1637, Szczecin became an arena of rivalry between Sweden and Brandenburg. The city was destroyed in many places during successive sieges and bombardments. It was not until after the Prussian takeover in 1720 that the rebuilding of Szczecin began, especially in the area of the Koński Market (German: Roβmarkt, now pl. Orła Białego), located in the Old Town, which took its name from the horse markets held here in the Middle Ages. The municipal authorities then erected a number of representative buildings, transforming the square into one of the most beautiful places in contemporary Szczecin. A Baroque fountain made of pale sandstone was an additional attraction, opened in 1732 as the first part of the city's water supply system. The fountain, which still exists today, was topped by a sculpture of an eagle with outstretched wings and a raised head. In the 18th century, next to it stood a guard's booth, which oversaw the water intake. The presentable nature of the square, as well as its role in the life of the city, encouraged artists to commemorate it in drawings and prints. One of the views of the Koński Market was commemorated around 1790 by Friedrich August Scheureck, a draughtsman and engraver artist active in Leipzig in the 4th quarter of the 18th century, who also created drawings of other parts of Szczecin. Scheureck's work depicts the square with buildings on its western frontage and a section of today's ul. Staromłyńska. The precision of the depiction, both of the fountain in the foreground and of the buildings in the square and the detail decorating the façades, permits the identification of architectural elements that still exist today. Małgorzata Peszko