Gruner Lviv Boutique Hotel is tightly connected to the modern world, but we also take pride in our historical roots. We’d like to introduce you to an entrepreneur Jacob Gruner, and tell a story of the place named after him – the Gruner Arcade.
Everything started at the beginning of the XX century when an entrepreneur Jacob Gruner decided to invest in developing the city center’s district. The place was second in popularity after the Rynok (Market) Square and gathered stock exchanges, banks, and numerous coffee houses. One of the future buildings in the region became home to the famous Gruner Arcade.
The building on the Grigorenko Square, 5, was erected in 1912 by an architect Józef Piątkowski on Gruner’s commission. Its lobby’s long gallery was decorated with a metal lattice, shaped in a floral pattern. Though the courtyard the gallery was connected to the house on Kollontai Street, 8 (now Mentsinsky Street), which Piątkowski also built.
The Gruner Arcade has a rich life’s path.
In 1912-1912 there was an Agricultural Bank, which was buying and selling agricultural machinery, fertilizers, and oats.
In 1922-1929 the Arcade still hosted a bank, but with a changed name – a General Union Bank.
In different periods the Gruner Arcade was home to the Przeworska Dairy, the editorial office of the Jewish magazine Tagblat and the Autoservice Union.
At the same time, the Arcade was connected to the world of performances, as from 1918, it hosted the Marisenka Cinema, then the Miniature Theater, and later the Moscow Cinema.
Today we gladly share the Gruner Arcade with our neighbors – Lviv Spiritual Theater “Resurrection.”
We are highly grateful to Jacob Gruner for his input to Lviv’s development!
