Poniatowski Bridge

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Poniatowski Bridge - from the river.

Poniatowski Bridge (Polish: Most Poniatowskiego) is a bridge in Warsaw. Built between 1904 and 1914, it was damaged in each of the World Wars and rebuilt afterwards. It spans the Vistula, connecting Powiśle with the Praga quarter on the other side. Its viaduct is an extension of Aleje Jerozolimskie.

The 506-meter length bridge, standing on eight steel spans, was designed by Stefan Szyller, and its construction, which began in 1904, was supervised by engineers Mieczysław Marszewski and Wacław Paszkowski. Despite being viewed by many contemporaries as an extravagance (opponents of its construction included the mayor of Warsaw as well as prominent Polish writer, Bolesław Prus) it was opened on 6 January 1914 by the Russian Governor General Georgi Skallon as a third bridge in Warsaw; hence it was nicknamed "the Third" (Polish: trzeci) by the town's inhabitants, although its official name was "The Bridge of Our Most Gracious Ruler, Tsar Nicholas II" (at that time, Warsaw was part of the Russian Empire following the partitions of Poland in the 18th century). A few years later, when Poland regained independence, the bridge was renamed after Prince Józef Poniatowski, and it gained a new nickname — "Poniatoszczak"; this name remained with the bridge until today.

Poniatowski Bridge after being blown up by the Russian Army in 1915.

Poniatowski Bridge during the 1915 fire (shortly after being rebuilt from being blown up).

The bridge has suffered much during the World Wars. During the First World War, in 1915, a retreating Russian Army blew up four of the spans, collapsing the bridge to slow down German pursuit. The bridge was hastily rebuilt by the Germans — only to burn down in an accident soon afterwards. After the war, the structure was rebuilt by the new Polish government over the course of five years, from 1921 to 1926. During the May Coup the bridge was the meeting place of the President of Poland, Stanisław Wojciechowski, and the leader of the coup, Marshal of Poland Józef Piłsudski. During the Second World War the bridge was destroyed by Nazi Germany during the Warsaw Uprising, on 13 September 1944. That demolition was much more complete: all spans were toppled, and only the lower piers survived.

The first plans by the new Polish government provided for the construction of a wooden temporary structure on the surviving pillars, but hasty work caused the bridge to collapse. Restored again on new pillars, the bridge was reopened again by the communisthead of the State National Council and soon to be President of Poland, Bolesław Bierut, on 22 July 1946. However, the reopened bridge lost much of its pre-war splendor, as limited funds meant that there were no resources to restore various non-functional neo-Polish renaissance decorations like hand-made balustrades or stone benches. Some of the old pre-war benches, as well as one of the old spans, can be seen in the water near the bridge at low water levels.

Renovated small towers as of 2006.

Between 1963 and 1966 the bridge was widened, a tram track was separated and the bridge was connected to the Wisłostrada pass on the Powiśle side. During another repair and expansion in 1985-1990, when the roads on the Praga side were expanded, a temporary bridge (Syrena Bridge) was created (it was in use until 2000).

In 2004 a reconstruction and beautification of the bridge began. By 2005 the small towers and the first four spans were rebuilt. Currently the neo-renaissance decorations are being put on the viaducts. The tram track repair planned for 2006 was put on hold until 2007.

[edit] Gallery

Viaduct and small towers - north side, 1914	Viaduct and small towers - south side, 1914	The bridge before the First World War, 1914.	The bridge before the First World War, 1914.
Bridge being rebuilt shortly before the fire of 1915	Poniatowski Bridge after being blown up by the Russian Army in 1915	Marshall Józef Piłsudski on Poniatowski Bridge, 1926.	The bridge in interwar period (1936 or earlier).
Poniatowski Bridge - from below.	Poniatowski Bridge during night