The name Święty Marcin (St. Martin) originates from a small 12th-century settlement clustered around St. Martin’s Church, located at the east end of the street (ul. Św. Marcin 13). Documents from 1132 reveal that St. Martin’s was the only parish on the left bank of the Warta River at that time. Originally just outside the Old Town’s medieval walls, the suburb of St. Martin was officially incorporated into Poznań by the Prussians in 1797.
Today, St. Martin is arguably more celebrated than ever. On his feast day, November 11, Św. Marcin Street hosts a massive street party and parade, and thousands of rogale świętomarcińskie (St. Martin’s croissants) are baked and devoured across the city.
Extensive damage to the tenements along Św. Marcin Street during World War II allowed for its widening, but also the construction of the infamous Alfa complex (ul. Św. Marcin 40–72). Built between 1965 and 1972, this modernist ensemble of five high-rise apartment blocks connected by a sprawling, two-level shopping gallery is widely blamed for ruining the street. Although recent renovations have certainly improved things, go judge for yourself.
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