Bright Meadows
The aerial view on the Bright Meadows, from the Szczecin City Hall.
Interactive map of Bright Meadows
Type	Garden square
Location	Szczecin, Poland
Coordinates	53°26′24.2″N 14°32′23.6″E / 53.440056°N 14.539889°E / 53.440056; 14.539889
Created	1927

The John Paul II Bright Meadows Square,^[a] commonly known as the Bright Meadows,^[b] and until 1945 known as Quistorp Meadow,^[c] is a garden square in the city of Szczecin, Poland. It is located in the neighbourhood of Śródmieście-Północ, within the district of Śródmieście. The park borders Szczecin City Hall to the south, and Jan Kasprowicz Park to the north. The square was opened in the 1927.

The park consists of a long rectangle-shaped lawn surrounded by alleys on its sides, with rows of flowers and London plane trees.^[1]

It is located in the district of Śródmieście, in the Śródmieście-Północ municipal neighbourhood. The park borders Szczecin City Hall to the south, and Jan Kasprowicz Park to the north, with the Monument to Polish Endeavor at its entrance.^[1] The Monument of John Paul II, located within the park, was designed by Czesław Dźwigaj and Stanisław Latour and constructed in 1987.^[2]

The park was built between 1925 and 1927, on the land donated in 1925 to the city by Martin Quistorp. Square was named after him, the Quistorp Meadow (German: Quistorp-Aue). To the south was also opened the legislative building of the Province of Pomerania, which since 1945, serves as the Szczecin City Hall.^[1]

Following World War II, when the city came under Polish administration, the park was renamed to the Bright Meadows (Polish: Jasne Błonia).^[1]

Throughout its history, various events and festivals were hosted in the park, including the Trzymamy Straż Nad Odrą in 1946,^[3] and the meeting with Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union, in 1959.^[4]

In 1979, at the entrance to the Jan Kasprowicz Park from the Bright Meadows, was built the Monument to the Polish Endeavour, designed by artist Gustaw Zemła.^[5]

On 11 June 1987, Pope John Paul II had performed a mass at the Bright Meadows, during his visit to Poland. The altar had been placed in front of the Monument to the Polish Endeavour.^[6] In 1987, in the park was placed the monument, to commemorate this event. It was designed by Czesław Dźwigaj and Stanisław Latour. In 1995, the square was given the full official name, that is the John Paul II Bright Meadows Square. It continues to be commonly referred to simply as the Bright Meadows.^[2]