Dworcowa Street in Bydgoszcz

Dworcowa Street in Bydgoszcz

Bydgoszcz
Ulica Dworcowa w Bydgoszczy
View in the vicinity of N°39
Former name(s)	Bahnhofstraße - Dworcowa - Albert-Forsterstraße
Namesake	Main Station
Owner	City of Bydgoszcz
Length	1.24 km (0.77 mi)
Location	Bydgoszcz

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Dworcowa Street is one of the main streets of Bydgoszcz, in Downtown district ((Polish) Śródmieście).

Across the street, between Warmia and Marcinkowski street runs the 18°E longitude Meridian, so-called Bydgoszcz Meridian.^[1][2]

Old building of Prussian Railways Company

Location

The street is located in the western part of Downtown Bydgoszcz. It runs from the intersection with Gdanska Street to the intersection with Sigismund Augustus Street, where is the main train station, Bydgoszcz Główna.

Hence its name: "Train station" in polish is "Dworzec", "Dworcowa Street" thus means "Train Station Street".

History

"Bahnhofstrasse" in 1910

Until 1851, the path was a dirty road leading from Bydgoszcz to Koronowo. The development of the street is associated with the building of Bydgoszcz Main Railway Station in 1851, which led to assimilating the close settlement of Bocianowo (German: Brenkenhoff) into the city precinct.^[3]

On a 1861 map of the area, the vicinity of the railway station shows dispersed housings: it is only in the early 20th century that compact constructions make their appearance along the street. Some specific quarters near Gdanska street and close to the Main station have shown earlier activity, with the development of hotel buildings:^[4]

- Hotel "Pod Orlem" (1893), Hotel Pawlikowski (1898) in Gdanska Street;

- Hotel du Nord (1875), Heises's Hotel (1884), Schliep's Hotel (1889) near the Main Station.

At the end of the XIX^th, the street had an industrial and commercial character. In its surroundings flourished trade houses, craft workshops and restaurants or bars. The industrial buildings and warehouses occupied the area between the street and the Brda river, while along the street were located flats and shops. The largest companies in Dworcowa street (then "Bahnhofstraße") were:^[5]

• Fabryka Sygnałów Kolejowych (Railway Signals Factory),
• Cegielnia Neumanna (Brick factory Neumann),
• Ortis (Printhouse established by Hermann and Emil Dittmann).^[6][7]

Between 1890 and 1914, many houses along the street have been transformed into 3 to 4 storey buildings, displaying ornated facades,^[8] turning the venue into one of the most representative in the city.^[9] In the final section of the street near the Main Railway Station, there were five hotels, furnished as tenements.^[4]

Street trams are operated since 1888, first horse powered, then electrical ones in 1896. The line ("Red") ran along the entire length of the street from Main Railway Station to Gdanska Street; in 1948, line designation was changed to "A".

In 1990, tram traffic has been suspended for technical reasons. Since then a partial restoration of the line has been performed after the revitalization of the street.^[10]

Eastern tip of Dworcowa Street

Appellation

Through history, this street had the following names:^[11]

• 1852-1920 - Bahnhofstrasse (Main Station street in german)
• 1920-1939 - Ulica Dworcowa (Main Station street in german)
• 1939-1945 - Albert-Forsterstrasse (named after nazi leaderAlbert Forster)
• From 1945 - Ulica Dworcowa

Famous residents

• Marian Rejewski - cryptologist who broke the Enigma code during World War II;
• Andrzej Jan Szwalbe (1923-2002), lawyer, Polish social and cultural activist and organizer of musical life in Bydgoszcz, since 1993. Honorary Citizen of Bydgoszcz. He was the founder and creator of numerous artistic projects;
• Heinrich Böll - Nobel Prize-winning writer, who lived there in 1940;
• Alojzy Błażyński (1898-1934) - a pilot and flight instructor, who became famous for his daring escape from the German army in 1919.

At the intersection with Henryk Sienkiewicz street

Characteristics

Dworcowa Street is 1242 m long,^[5] and is almost entirely built with stylish houses. It is considered as one of the most important axis, historically and functionally in downtown Bydgoszcz. Its architectural landscape is quite diverse, with houses of different scale and style coexisting together.

For the most part, street facades display architectural features fashionable in the years 1860-1914:^[12]

• Eclecticism;
• Neo-Renaissance;
• Neo-Baroque;
• Secession;
• Modern architecture.

Oldest buildings have been built in Neoclassical style, usually with simple, symmetrical facades and modest decorations. In the last quarter of the 19th century, elements of Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Gothic and Neo-Baroque start to appear on houses.^[12] Most impressive buildings have been erected in the 1900-1915 period: it was the emergence of breaking architectural styles, such as Historicism, Secession and early Modern architecture.^[12]

From 1886 to 1889 has been built the Prussian Eastern Railway Headquarters, which was at the time the most magnificent public property in the entire city.

Dworcowa street has got outstanding works of local and Berlin's architects. However, the two major ones -Joseph Święcicki and Fritz Weidner- who built 29 edifices in Gdanska Street, only designed four buildings in Dworcowa.

Most noticeable tenements are located on the southern side of the street: 3 buildings are registered on the Heritage List since 2010.^[13]

Most prominent buildings include:

• Former Prussian Eastern Railway Headquarters;
• State Archives Building at N°65;
• Tax House at Warminski St.18;
• Hotels at N°79^[14]
  • "Asystenta " at N°79;
  • "Centralny" at N°85;
  • "Hotel Brda" (built in 1968-1972).

View in the vicinity of the train station

Revitalisation

Dworcowa Street being one of the most important streets of Downtown Bydgoszcz, has been the target of a vast revitalisation plan.

In 2009, in the Local Plan for the Revitalization of Bydgoszcz has been included the project "Revitalisation of Dworcowa street". Costs amount to 6.4 million zł, helped by an EU funding (4.2 million zł) under the 2007-2013 Regional Operational Programme for Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.^[15] The project comprised:

- the modernization of Dworcowa street with a pedestrian pavement,

- the addition of greens,

- the landscaping on the section between Gdanska Street and Matejki street.

In addition, the section leading from Matejki street to Main Railway Station has seen the restoration of trams circulation, and the refurbishment of a historic building by Fritz Weidner in the immediate vicinity, converted to a Municipal Cultural Center.^[15][16]

Means of transportation

Since 2012, tram lines N°3 and N°5 run on the section from Matejki street to Sigismund Augustus street, using a special bridge built for the occasion.^[17]

In addition, bus lines (54, 67, 75, 71, 79, 80, 83, 84, 31N, 33N) run on the section between Main train station and Królowej Jadwigi street.

Tram in Dworcowa street, c. 1910

Main edifices

No	Building	Address	Start date	Completion date (reconstruction)	Architect	Architectural style	Heritage classification	Remarks	Picture
1.	Department store "Jedynak"	Gdanska St.15	1910	1911	Otto Walter	Modern architecture	Yes	One of the first modern Department store in Poland
2.	Tenement at N°2	Dworcowa St.2	1884[18]		Karl Bergner	Eclecticism	No	Corner house with arcades
3.	Tenement at N°3	Dworcowa St.3	1894		Carl Stampehl		No	The architect built many edifices on Gdanska Street
4.	Tenement at N°4	Dworcowa St.4	1887[18]		Józef Święcicki	Eclecticism	No	The facade lost all its original adornements during renovation
5.	Tenement at N°5	Dworcowa St.5	Mid-19th century[18]			Eclecticism	No	Delicate ornamented pediment and gate frame
6.	Tenement at N°6	Dworcowa St.6	c. 1875	c. 1900		Eclecticism	No
7.	Tenement at N°7	Dworcowa St.7	c. 1875	c. 1900		Eclecticism	No	Symmetrical facade which lost its initial ornaments during the 20th century
8.	Tenement at N°8	Dworcowa St.8	1893	1906		Neo-Renaissance	No	Topping the building: a balustrade and a pediment with a tympanum, in which allegorical sculptures are placed
9.	Otto Pfefferkorn tenement	Dworcowa St.12	1909		Fritz Weidner	Historicism	No	Otto Pfefferkorn owned a successful furniture factory in Bydgoszcz[19] This building was awareded most beautiful facade in 1912.[20] Most of the architectural details have unfortunately vanished.
10.	Apro building	Dworcowa St.13	2011	2011	Danuta Jarosewski[21]	Modern architecture	No	The building has been realized in the frame of the revitalization of Dworcowa street.
11.	Tenement at N°14	Dworcowa St.14	1899[18]			Neo-Renaissance	No
12.	Tenement at N°16	Dworcowa St.16	1875[18]			Neo-Renaissance	No	Style and shape inspired the neighbouring house at N°14
13.	Tenement at N°19	Dworcowa St.19	1880[18]	1878		Eclecticism	Yes	Hotel "Reichshof" (1910), Hotel "Goplana" (1920), Hotel "Boston" (1922), Hotel "Gastronomia" (1932-1939), now habitation building
14.	Tenement	Warmiński St. 18	1905[18]			Eclecticism	No	During interwar period, seat of the National Bank, now the seat of Bydgoszcz Tax Office
15.	Tenement at N°22	Dworcowa St.22	c. 1875[18]	c. 1900		Eclecticism	No	Since 1990 is located here one of the first pizzeria in Bydgoszcz (Pizzeria Ambar)
16.	Tenement at N°25	Dworcowa St.25	1894[18]			Eclecticism	No	Facade windows are symmetrically set, with pilasters,topped with triangular pediments.
17.	Tenement at N°27	Dworcowa St.27	c. 1875[18]	c. 1900		Eclecticism	No
18.	Tenement at N°31	Dworcowa St.31	1881[18]		H. Jenisch & Scheithauer	French and Northern Eclecticism	No	Facade combining northern neo-renaissance forms in French style mansard roof
19.	Tenement at N°33	Dworcowa St.33	1891[18]			Neo-Renaissance	No	Building houses a Municipal public library
20.	Tenement at N°35	Dworcowa St.35				Eclecticism	No
21.	Aleksander Theil Tenement	Dworcowa St.39	1890[18]		Józef Święcicki	Neo-Renaissance	No	One can make out ornamental painting between first floor windows[22]
22.	Tenement at N°41	Dworcowa St.41	1904[18]		Erich Lindenburger	Eclecticism	No	Facade has got Neo-Baroque and early Modernism elements. The house burned down in January 1945, losing a corner tower
23.	Tenement at N°45	Dworcowa St.45	1906[18]		Erich Lindenburger	Secession	No	Facade compositions include loggias and avant-corps highlighted with wavy ornamented pilasters. The portal is also adorned with a wavy oval, similar to Art Nouveau townhouses in Munich.
24.	Tenement at N°47	Dworcowa St.47	1906[23]		Erich Lindenburger	Eclecticism, Munich Secession elements	No	Interiors with woodwork and stained glass
25.	Tenement at N°49	Dworcowa St.49	1908[18]			Secession	No	Facade has a regular, wavy line decoration
26.	Tenement at N°50	Dworcowa St.50	1895[18]			Neo-Renaissance	No	Main features comprise a northern style mansard roof, stone blocks imitation in plaster, pinnacles, scrollwork.
27.	Ludwig Schultz Tenement	Dworcowa St.54	1893[18]	1894	Józef Święcicki	Northern european Mannerism	No	Unique house with a very narrow body, with entry on the wing side[24]
28.	Tenement at N°56	Dworcowa St.56	1903[18]	1904		Eclecticism	No	Each window frame is decorated
29.	Tenement at N°57	Dworcowa St.57	1902[18]	1903		German Historicism	No
30.	Tenement at N°61	Dworcowa St.61	1876[18]		Gustaw Weihe	Neo-Renaissance	No	Features: Facade influenced by Italian Cinquecento, pilastered windows with triangular pediments
31.	Prussian Eastern Railway Headquarters	Dworcowa St.63	1886[18]	1889	Martin Gropius, Heino Schmieden	Dutch Mannerism	Yes	Seat of Prussian Eastern Railway (1889-1895), then regional directorate (1895-1920), Pomeranian rail agency and the Central Bureau of Foreign Settlements (1922-1939), and seat of French-Polish Rail Association (1937-1939).
32.	State Archives building	Dworcowa St.65	1871[18]			Eclecticism	No	Initially a residential building, it then housed the General Commission conducting land reform in East and West Prussia and in the Grand Duchy of Poznań,[25] since 1906 it operates as an archive building[26]
33.	Tenement at N°66	Dworcowa St.66	1886[18]		A. Hardt	Italian Neo-Renaissance	No
34.	Erick Hecht tenement	Dworcowa St.67	1912[18]	1913	Otto Walter	Modern architecture	No	Berliner architect Otto Walther also designed this house for Erick Hecht, a bookseller. Above the entrance gate is a bas-relief of an Indian rider.[27] In the facade decoration are also a fish (symbolizing the owner; Hecht = pike in German), a 19th-century girl, another with horns, a baby's head, a man with royal attributes. One of the figures is supposed to be Lady Godiva.[28]
35.	Tenement at N°68	Dworcowa St.68	Turn of XXth century[18]		Karl Bergner	Eclecticism	No
36.	Fritz Herold tenement	Dworcowa St.71	1896[18]		Fritz Weidner	Modern architecture	No	The building burned down in 1945, it has been rebuilt in 1956 but lost its original Neo-Baroque features
37.	Tenement at N°73	Dworcowa St.73	1911[18]	1912	Otto Müller	Neo-Baroque	No	Urban-type building, the facade displays pilaster strips and avant-corps
38.	Tenement at N°74	Dworcowa St.74	1895[18]			Eclecticism	No	Between 1908 and 1925, housed "Hotel Darheim"
39.	Tenement at N°75	Dworcowa St.75	1911[18]	1912	Otto Müller	Neo-Baroque	No	On the frontage, the decor keeps a classicised form, but break also with Historicism by its plasticity and its smooth lines
40.	Tenement at N°76	Dworcowa St.76	1860[18]			Eclecticism	No	Highly decorated gate frame
41.	Tenement at N°76	Dworcowa St.76	1876[18]			Eclecticism	No	The facade has a rich ornamentation, with sculpted atlases and numerous gargoyles
42.	Hotel Asystenta	Dworcowa St.79	1870, 1971[18]			Eclecticism	No	Schliep Hotel (1889), Hotel International (1920), Hotel Metropol (1932), now Hotel Asystenta.[4]
43.	Tenement at N°80	Dworcowa St.80	1891[18]	1892		Eclecticism	No	Engineer Ernest Malinowski lived there
44.	Tenement at N°84	Dworcowa St.84	1899[18]			Eclecticism	No	Columns decorate the gateframe, topped with a large sculpture of a sitting crowned lion
45.	Hotel Centralny	Dworcowa St.85	1875[18]	1876	Gustaw Weihe	Eclecticism	No	Hotel Victoria in 1901, Hotel "Wiktorja" in 1920, now "Hotel Centralny"
46.	Tenement at N°86	Dworcowa St.86	1904[18]		Rudolf Kern	Secession	No	At the same time, the architect has been building Rudolf Kern Tenement in Bydgoszcz on Gdańska Street
47.	Tenement at N°87	Dworcowa St.87	[18]	1889		Eclecticism	No	"Heise's Hotel" (1876), "Hoffman's Hotel" (1884), "Hotel Gelhorn" (1887-1939)[4]
48.	Tenement at N°88	Dworcowa St.88	1899[18]			Neo-Renaissance	No	Features: Wrought iron railing balconies, entry gate is nicely ornamented
49.	Tenement at N°89	Dworcowa St.89	1870[18]			Eclecticism	No	"Hotel du Nord" (1873), "Riller's Hotel" (1875), "Hotel Gelhorn" (1898)[4]
50.	Hotel Brda	Dworcowa St.94	1854, 1972			Eclecticism	No	Before the "Brda hotel" built in 1972, there were "Heise’s Hotel" (1889), "Hotel zur Neue Stadt" (1891), "Hotel Nowe Miasto" (1920-1922)
51.	Tenement at N°98	Dworcowa St.98	1894[18]			Neo-Renaissance	No	Between 1894 and 1937, it housed a Post Office Station.[29] The facade has numerous decorations, including gargoyles.
52.	Tenement at N°100	Dworcowa St.100	1870[18]			Eclecticism	No	"Hotel St. Petersburg" between 1877 and 1886
53.	Main train Station	Zygmunt August street	1851, 1968, 2015			Modern architecture	No	Oldest and largest city railway station. It is undergoing a major rebuilding until end of 2015.

Dworcowa street, Prussian Eastern Railway Headquarters (left), State Archives building (right)

See also

• Gdańska Street
• Freedom Square in Bydgoszcz
• (Polish) Downtown district Bydgoszcz
• (Polish) History of Bydgoszcz

Bibliography

• (Polish) Derenda Jerzy (red.): Piękna stara Bydgoszcz, Tom I z serii: Bydgoszcz miasto na Kujawach, Towarzystwo Miłośników Miasta Bydgoszczy Bydgoszcz 2006, ISBN 83-916178-0-7, 978-83-916178-0-9, 83-916178-5-8, 978-83-916178-5-4, 83-916178-1-5, 978-83-916178-1-6
• (Polish) Bręczewska-Kulesza, Daria: Przegląd stylów występujących w bydgoskiej architekturze drugiej połowy XIX i początku XX stulecia
• (Polish) Jastrzębska-Puzowska, Iwona: Od miasteczka do metropolii. Rozwój architektoniczny i urbanistyczny Bydgoszczy w latach 1850-1920. Wydawnictwo MADO. Toruń 2005. ISBN 83-89886-38-3, 978-83-89886-38-5
• Umiński, Janusz: Bydgoszcz. Przewodnik, Regionalny Oddział PTTK „Szlak Brdy” Bydgoszcz 1996

References