Spała was a place where important events in 19th and 20th century Polish history took place. It has witnessed the Russian partition and Tsarist domination, the bloody battles during WW I, regaining of independence in 1918, and prosperity in the times of the Second Polish Republic. It survived the outbreak of WW II and one of the battles in the tragic September 1939 campaign, as well as the dark days of Nazi occupation and the fighting in 1945.
Few traces of Spała’s war past have survived to contemporary times. Today one can see some of the preserved buildings which recall the times of the Tsar’s residence, occupied by the structures of the German commanding staff “Oberost”, hotels Rogacz – officers’ quarters, Dzik – telephone exchange and the secretary’s office, the villa Jelonek – headquarters, the building of the orangery and coach-house (today: Spała Residence, Spała Guest Rooms, café Arcadia ) – during the war garages and workshops. One of the two hospital buildings put up by the Germans still exists – after the war it became a rest house Żubr (on the site of the second hospital there is now a grand hotel – Hotel Mościcki). Also one of the two wooden barracks set up during the war has survived – later it became an office, today, extensively rebuilt, it houses a restaurant Zajazd Spalski (Spała Inn).
