Ulica. Piłsudskiego, before World War II known as

AMAZING WALKS
I N
W R O C Ł A W
BEATA MACIEJEWSKA
PHOTOGRAPHY:
MIECZYSŁAW MICHALAK
AMAZING WALKS
I N
W R O C Ł A W
Translation: Ewa Pater-Podgórna
English language consultation: Terence Clark-Ward
Graphic design, typesetting, page layout,
photography and map prepress: Bartosz Kwarta
ul. Czerska 8/10, 00-732 Warszawa
PUBLISHER:
Publishing Director: Małgorzata Skowrońska
Editor-in-chief: Paweł Goźliński
Coordinators: Ilona Byra, Katarzyna Kubicka
© copyright by Agora SA 2016
© copyright by Beata Maciejewska 2016
© copyright by Mieczysław Michalak 2016
First edition
All Rights Reserved
Warszawa 2016
ISBN
978-83-268-1845-5
ISBN:EBOOK:
978-83-268-2375-6
Print
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OFF TO A GOOD START AMAZING WALKS
THE STORY OF ONE FRIENDSHIP
Wrocław did not rise from the
froth of the Odra river in a day.
One day is also not enough to
understand this city – neither is
a week, a month, a year… I believe getting to know Wrocław is an
ongoing process, a journey not
only through space, but also in
time. On your way you will meet
people that are not necessarily
all good and noble, but are certainly not boring.
My personal list of questions
never ends. Who was that mysterious Spaniard buried in the
church of St. Adalbert? Where
is the tree with a brass rook
perched on a branch? What happened with the remains of Henry II the Pious who died in the
battle of Legnica? Which street
did Eugeniusz Get-Stankiewicz,
an outstanding graphic artist,
choose to embellish with paving
stones to create his self-portrait?
Just go down the street, take
a peek into the yards, climb up
into church attics, scrape off the
lichen from the façade of a tenement building to reveal what
appears to be the unknown face
of the city: a city that is old and
afflicted by history, yet still full
of vitality.
Wrocław lived through some
‘interesting times’ and shares
a history not at all enviable. Its
quartered coat of arms, based on
the royal emblems of the Jagiellonian and Korwin dynasties, is
not coincidental. The rich, powerful city saw itself as equal to
the monarchs, run its very own
foreign policies, kept an army,
engaged in diplomatic intrigues.
It won some and lost some, but
always reached for heights.
Critics see these ambitions
as mere arrogance, opening the
list of seven deadly sins. Paul
Keller, a Catholic novelist, wrote
in 1926: “Wrocław has over half
a million citizens, of which half
a million are eminent figures – at
least when it comes to their level
of self-esteem. This self-esteem,
however, is not overvalued but
undervalued. The inhabitants of
Wrocław will allow no one to underestimate their value – with the
exception of tax collectors”.
Is complacency really a sin?
If patrician Heinrich Rybisch
wanted to exercise humility, he
would have never built his splendid residence with an entrance
portal portraying the birth of his
son; this is widely talked-about
in Wrocław even today. If Adolf
Liebich, a merchant and sugar
factory owner, believed that his
brother was a mediocre poet,
he would not have transformed
Bastion Sakwowy (Saddlebag
Bastion) into a monument in his
brother’s honour (and Wrocław
would have lost a popular meeting and entertainment spot).
I enjoy the less travelled road,
but do not avoid the beaten path.
The quiz game dating back to
the 17th century invented by
the citizens of Wrocław for their
own (and guests’) pleasure never
3
ceases to amuse me. Questions,
almost 400-years old are not obvious. Which bridge is located
in the uppermost part of the
city? Where can one carriage
drive over another? Where do
you have to stand to see all three
market squares of the old town?
Four centuries later, the mysterious bridge (connecting the two
towers of St. Mary Magdalene’s
church) is still open to visitors,
the carriages still go one over the
other (and without collision, as
there is a tunnel under the market square), and the surprising
viewpoint is located at the intersection of ul. Odrzańska and
ul. Stare Jatki.
Every century adds new peculiarities to the old ones. Structures considered outrageous
(i.e., too expensive or too extravagant, like it was in the case of the
Centennial Hall), and places frequented by beau monde, members of the underworld (famous
coffee shops, elegant streets,
questionable alleys), and men of
vision, who – as history teaches
us – influenced not just this city,
but the whole world.
Take a stroll in Wrocław both
with this book in hand and without it. Be attentive and cautious.
It is a dangerously, seductive
city like no other – just ask Casanova.
You will not be able to resist it,
either.
BEATA MACIEJEWSKA
YOUR AMAZING WALKS
5
THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET
Wrocław Główny railway station ul. Piłsudskiego Piast, Europejski and Polonia hotels
The NOT building Capitol Musical Theater Court buildings in ul. Podwale
45
ON THE ROAD TO ŚWIDNICA
ul. Świdnicka Barbara Bar Świdnicka underpass Church of St. Dorothy Monopol Hotel
Schottländer and Sachs tenement houses Corpus Christi Church Renoma department store
93
THREE MARKET SQUARES
Nowy Targ
Plac Solny
Hala Targowa
ul. Szewska
Church of St. Mary Magdalene
Rynek
133
THE BEAUTY OF WEALTH
ul. Wita Stwosza
National Museum
Hatzfeldt Palace Church of St. Adalbert
Post and Telecommunication Museum
Racławice Panorama
THE BIG SHOTS OF OLD TOWN
161
ul. Ofiar Oświęcimskich Rybisch House Kissling Bierstube ul. Oławska
Kameleon Oppersdorff-Lamberg Palace Church of St. Christopher
MIRACLES ON THE ODRA RIVER
189
University of Wrocław, main building University church of the Blessed Named of Jesus,
rectoral church of St. Matthias, church of St. Vincent, church of Our Lady on the Sand ul. Jedności Narodowej
A NOT SO HOLY QUARTER
ul. św. Antoniego Church of St. Anthony
ul. Włodkowica White Stork Synagogue
233
Orthodox Cathedral
Church of Divine Providence
NOT JUST A PRETTY PROMENADE
265
Museum of Architecture Old Town promenade Oławska Gate ul. Podwale
Partisan Hill Staromiejski Garden Wrocław Puppet Theater SPA Center in ul. Teatralna
THE CITY OF ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS
289
Wrocław University of Technology, main building Water tower on ul. Na Grobli Grunwaldzki Bridge
Lower Silesian Governor’s Office Ostrów Tumski Ossolineum Institute ul. Kuźnicza Rynek
OVER THE ROOFTOPS OF WROCŁAW
Cathedral tower, tower of St. Elisabeth’s church, Ratusz tower
Witches’ Bridge Sky Tower Old airport in Gądów Wrocław Airport
331
A M A Z I N G
W A L K S
THE MANY FACES
OF ONE STREET
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MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST ON THIS WALKING ROUTE
Kom
and
1
1.
Wrocław Główny railway
station
2. “Dobry wieczór we Wrocławiu”
(“Good evening in Wrocław”)
neon sign
3. Piast Hotel
4. Europejski Hotel
5. Tenement house on
ul. Piłsudskiego 95
6. The NOT Building
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Former residence of the
Landeshauptmann
Polonia Hotel
Capitol Musical Theater
The monument of an
Anonymous Passerby
Kościuszkowska Dzielnica
Mieszkaniowa (Kościuszko
Residential Complex)
Polish Theater in Wrocław
6
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
The Tax Office
The Music School
Wrocław Philharmonic
Supreme Chamber of Control
Plac Legionów
Regional Court
Public Restroom in Podwale
Old Curassier Palace
Świebodzki footbridge
Świebodzki railway station
THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET AMAZING WALKS
lica. Piłsudskiego, before World War II known as Gartenstrasse
(Garden street) and renamed ul. Świerczewskiego during communist reign, is an example of the American dream come true. It evolved
from the muddy field road of Przedmieście Świdnickie suburb area
into a major artery – all in just half a century. The success of the street
arrived on a train, which changed Wrocław once and for all.
U
GOOD EVENING
IN WROCŁAW
This field road transformed
into a proper street in 1807.
When Napoleon’s army captured Wrocław, the inhabitants
were forced to tear down defensive walls, which allowed the city
to spread. However, the street
gained its current status only after the 1842 opening of the Upper
Silesian Railway. The first train
left the station in Fulerstrasse
(today: ul. Małachowskiego) on
May 21, 1842, at precisely 11:15 am.
First class passengers sat back
and relaxed in red railways cars,
while third class passengers occupied green cars with no top.
One year later, Świebodzka
Railway company opened another train station. Unfortunately, it
did not survive to our time – the
current building is a structure
from the 1870s. In 1944 another
station was completed, this time
owned by the Lower Silesian
Railway. A fragment of the building still stands in today’s Orląt
Lwowski square.
But the real sensation was the
1857 erection of the 1 Wrocław
THE MEMORIES OF GARDEN
STREET
Legend has it that the godfather
of ul. Ogrodowa (Garden street)
was Frederick the Great, king of
Prussia. Right before conquering
the city (under the Habsburgs rule
at the time), he was staying at the
residence of merchant Scultetus
located in the south-east corner
of today’s ul. Piłsudskiego and
ul. Świdnicka. For safety reasons,
the Prussian king had do disclose his
address to his staff officers. When
he asked his host about the location
of the residence, he learned that
the street was nameless. The king
wanted to know what is most distinctive of the area surrounding the
villa. “Gardens” – reported the servants unanimously. “Then let it be
named ‘garden street’” – proclaimed
Frederick. And so it happened.
Renovated at a total cost of 361 million Polish złoty, Wrocław Główny
train station re-opened in June of 2012, right before the UEFA European
Championship
7
AMAZING WALKS THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET
8
THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET AMAZING WALKS
9
AMAZING WALKS THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET
Wrocław Główny is one of four Polish railway stations with a train shed. In 1967, an episode of Stakes Larger Than
Life (Stawka większa niż życie) television series was filmed there, with Wrocław Główny staged as Berlin’s Ostbanhof
station. Previous pages: The building survived two world wars and the Great Flood of 1997. It was restored completely
before Euro 2012. The façade recovered its original ocher colour, which initially stirred up some controversy
Główny railway station, back then
known as the Main Station.
Your walking route begins in
Wrocław Główny railway station.
Do not just run through the
platforms with your suitcase –
find time for this station, as it is
like no other in Europe. Its neo-
WROCŁAW AND POZNAŃ:
A FRIENDSHIP OF TWO CITIES
The first train left on October
27, 1856. “Covered in flowers
and Prussian, Polish, and Silesian
banners, the train departed from
Wrocław in the morning, with
twelve carriages carrying a couple
of hundred passengers” – reported
the “Czas” newspaper from Cracow.
The passengers were no commoners, which the press highlighted
Gothic design is the work of Wilhelm Grapow, the royal architect
of Upper Silesian Railway.
Wrocław Główny was the
largest German railway building
of its time. It resembles a royal
castle: a gate to a city that thinks
big of itself, hence needs a grand
entrance. Brian Knox, who published a book on Polish architecture in 1971, describes Główny as
his favorite landmark: “Bustling,
imposing, effortless in its Gothic
style”. And all that praise despite
the years of communist negligence. The station returned to its
original glory in 2012, so we can
now appreciate Grapow’s design
properly.
It remains a mystery why the
architect chose a medieval costume for the building, as train
eagerly: “(…) Mr. Heydt, the minister
of commerce; Loebbecke, president
of the Upper Silesian Railway;
Baron Schleinitz, Silesian president;
Mr. Rosenbaum, chief engineer”.
The journey took over five hours
(they reached Poznań at 1:00 p.m.),
but the passengers were by no
means bored. On its way, the train
was enthusiastically welcomed
by “local authorities, members of
university corporations, local people
and music”. At the destination, the
people of Poznań invited the travellers from Wrocław to dine together.
A couple of hours of feasting cemented the friendship for centuries.
Upon leaving, guests from Lower
Silesia took their hosts back with
them. Two days later, a direct connection was established between
Wrocław and Poznań.
10
THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET AMAZING WALKS
During the complex restoration in 2012, all historic elements were highlighted, such as the sign directing travellers towards today’s ul. Małachowskiego
stations back then were usually
neo-Renaissance or classicist.
Although it was erected as the
fourth station in the capital of
Lower Silesia, it eclipsed all
those before it.
A BOMB IN A BRIEFCASE
Second World War hit the train
station severely. Polish Home Army
soldiers, members of a subversive
branch code-named “Zagra-Lin”
known for acting on Third Reich
territory, carried out an attack on
a military transport. The group consisted of 18 people, commanded by
lieutenant Bernard Drzyzga, a Silesian man from Tarnowskie Góry
(aka “Bogusław”, “Kazimierz 30”,
“Jarosław”). Drzyzga was captured
and placed in the Woldenberg Oflag
during the invasion of Poland, but
managed to flee the camp. “Zagra-
Passenger comfort was clearly a top priority of the designer.
If you arrived by carriage, you
could alight in a roofed driveway
in front of the main entrance.
Inside, there were four ticket of-
fices, a baggage service, post and
telegraph office, tax service and
a large restaurant with two buffets.
The train station was not an
egalitarian space. First, second
Lin” soldiers conducted three bomb
attacks in Berlin railway stations,
blasted an ammunition-carrying
train near Ryga and a train loaded
with fodder on the Bydgoszcz
– Gdańsk line. They also set off
a bomb in Wrocław on April 23,
1943. Aside from lieutenant Drzyzga, participating in the action were
Józef Lewandowski, aka “Jur” (who
had German citizenship and represented German construction companies), and Stefania Lewandowska,
aka “Halina”. The bomb was hidden in a briefcase and planted on
a platform expecting a 5:40 a.m.
military train. In the restroom,
the conspirators switched on the
timer. “I heard a loud blast - the
ground was shaking. People in the
streets first froze with terror and
then started running towards the
station” – noted lieutenant Drzyzga
afterwards. According to railway
workers, four people were killed in
the attack and more than ten were
seriously wounded.
Bernard Drzyzga fought in the Warsaw Uprising and then in Polish II
Corps in Italy. He survived the war
and died in 1994 in Shoreham-bySea (England) where he was buried.
11
AMAZING WALKS THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET
DEATH COMES BY TRAIN
A floor plaque commemorating
the tragic death of actor Zbigniew
Cybulski was placed on platform 3
in 1997 by the initiative of “Gazeta
Wyborcza” newspaper. Cybulski
died on January 8, 1967, not even
forty years old. He spent his last
night partying in Związki Twórcze
Wrocław arts club. In the morning, he was expected to leave the
film set for a television interview in
Warsaw. The Odra train was leav-
ing for the capital city at four in the
morning. The actor, literally running
late, reached the platform and took
a leap – but missed the carriage.
Zbigniew Cybulski was cast in over
30 motion pictures, and became famous thanks to the parts of Maciek
Chełmicki in Ashes and Diamonds
(Popiół i diament), Piotr in The
Eighth Day of the Week (Ósmy dzień
tygodnia) or Alfons van Worden in
The Saragossa Manuscript (Rękopis
znaleziony w Saragossie).
On January 8, 1997 director Andrzej Wajda unveiled a commemorative plaque where Zbigniew Cybulski died on the train station’s platform 3
and third class passengers had
separate waiting rooms. All,
however, were equally warm,
thanks to central heating. A special waiting area was arranged
for high royal officials, together
with apartments for important
guests.
The railway station was the
home of restaurant owners, railway inspectors and porters. Even
the director of the Upper Silesian
Railway had an apartment here:
a luxurious place with separate
rooms for his wife, children,
hired help and included a dining
room and a salon. Under such
great and direct supervision passenger service must have been
impeccable. This must have been
the case for royal travellers such
as German emperor Wilhelm
I and his family, who were welcomed at the station in 1862 by as
many as 122 cheering ladies.
From the outside, the building
did not change much throughout
the years, despite vast remod-
12
eling works conducted between
1899 and 1904 – a must if the station was to accommodate the immigration wave coming from the
east. Wrocław was also a junction
for the army of seasonal workers
heading for Germany. With just
one platform, the old structure
could not contain the travelling
masses. Additionally, it was not
designed as a transfer area and
managed mostly in-house railway traffic in Silesia. There was
no other choice for Wrocław
Główny but to expand.
The outcome of the reconstruction was met with different
reviews. “Schlesische Zeitung”
criticized it for a number of reasons: the station was too small; it
failed to bring together all track
lines – despite its new transfer
purpose; the ticket office hall was
too low; stairs were dark and narrow; roofs above the platforms
were too short and forced passengers to cower under umbrellas on rainy days; finally – worst
of all – the platforms were simply
not wide enough to contain all
the women and their bundles,
ramming against the more elegant traveller.
Renovation was subsidized by
the Prussian government, which
the people of Wrocław criticized
for being cheap. The new train
station in Leipzig received 57 million marks in funds, Görlitz – 9.5
million, while the capital city of
Silesia was granted only 8 million.
Since the budget was low, the alterations in the main building
could not be extensive which can
be actually seen as a good thing.
Wrocław Główny survived
the wrath of the Siege of Breslau
THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET AMAZING WALKS
Sala Cesarska located in the eastern part of the station was prepared especially for the 1906 arrival of emperor Wilhelm II and his wife, Augusta
Victoria. A column with four imperial eagles connects the wooden elements of the ceiling decorated with four angels painted inside the shape of
the sun and holding red cushions with regal insignia: crown, sword, scepter
and globus cruciger
Removing the plastering in Sala Książęca brought to light the coats of arms
with Prussian and Silesian eagles and the letter ‘W’, standing for Wrocław
13
almost untouched. The times of
the People’s Republic of Poland
were less fortunate, though:
the Art Nouveau roof above the
main entrance disappeared,
and the wall above ticket offices
was faced with black, high-gloss
stone panels. Additionally, windows on the second floor of the
western wing of the structure
were partly bricked up – apparently, the militia station located
there wanted to grant its ‘guests’
some well-deserved privacy.
Nevertheless, Wrocław Główny
would still welcome famous travellers unashamed, such as the
British minister Lewis Silkin, welcomed on the platform by mayor
Piaskowski and Polish construction vice minister Petrusiewicz.
The station was also the first stop
for the participants of the World
Congress of Intellectuals in 1948
and for several movie stars. Photographed with the railway building
in the background were Brezhniev, Kosygin and Gomułka.
Not surprisingly, Wrocław
Główny became a filmmakers
favorite. Captain Hans Kloss (of
the Stakes Larger Than Life series) walked down the platforms,
and a microbiology institute employee character from Janusz
Morgenstern’s Mniejsze niebo
had a room there.
Through the 1990s the building was steadily falling into disrepair, but the 2012 restoration
(following the design by Grupa5Architekci studio) turned back
time for this place and revealed
its long-forgotten secrets.
The ceiling of the second
floor hall known as Sala Książeca
(Duchy Hall), located in the east-
AMAZING WALKS THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET
Elaborate ceiling in Sala Sesyjna was considered wooden for years. Restoration works clarified that it is actually
made from zinc sheets adorned with faux painting imitating wood patterns
ern avant-corps (that is, facing
the post office building outside)
unveiled the coats of arms of
Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and
Württemberg, together with 16
principality emblems. They decorate the modernist angles bear-
ALL ABOARD!…
UNDER THE GROUND?
Wrocław Główny railway station contributes to the great local
myth of a city hidden beneath the
ground. Its citizens have always
been talking about a mysterious
train station, going several stories
under, that was the junction for
military transports coming from
the south-westernly located Święta
Katarzyna and Brochów. An under-
ing royal insignia: crown, sword,
scepter and globus cruciger. Two
black eagles of the Kingdom of
Prussia with FR (Fredericus Rex)
initials across the breast were
discovered in the vestibule, along
with two coats of arms with the
letter ‘W’ (Wratislavia) and the
Silesian eagle. In the postwar period, the room was closed for passengers, even people in power.
PKP (Polish State Railways) had
its office there, and the coats of
arms were covered under plaster.
ground railway track supposedly
went up to the district of Ołtaszyn
(today a part of the city). There, in
the barracks, the carriages were
unloaded. Tales of tunnels connecting the station with the Rynek and
of a huge, underground hospital
that the Germans flooded with
the help of Odra river Are also
immensely popular. Word has it
that after the war fireman were
trying to pump out the water fill-
ing the underground chambers for
two weeks, to no avail. Extensive
drilling, down to 20 metres below
ground, was carried out during
the most recent renovation. The
space under a shelter built in the
1930’s below the square in front
of the station (now used as an underground car park) was also meticulously checked for any abnormalities, down to 5 metres below
ground level. All without success.
14
THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET AMAZING WALKS
The “Kasy biletowe” (“Ticket offices”) neon sign, based on a model from the 1950’s is located above the ticket
offices in the main hall of the station. It was manufactured by a company from Zakopane, using a pre-war neon
font. Note that the word “kasy” (Polish for “offices”) is repeated twice. Are you wondering why? The idea was to
make the sign clear and visible for passengers entering the building from both sides
A marble staircase led from
Sala Książeca to the second
floor’s Sala Cesarska (Imperial
Hall), also decorated with polychrome.
A surprise for the conservatorsrestorers was also the ceiling
in Sala Sesyjna (Session Hall) in
the western side of the second
floor: a former residence of Klub
Kolejarza (Railway Club), now
a concert venue.
Seemingly wooden, the ceiling was itself a a masterpiece
One original dragon head served as the model for seventeen copies that
now guard all platforms. Polish State Railways held a naming contest for
the creatures. Some of the winning names were: Parowoźnikow, Parabuch,
Semaforiusz, Przesiadek and Peroniusz Pierwszy with Peronia (his wife) –
all word plays with railway-related vocabulary
15
made with a unique technique
of zinc sheeting and a hard brush
faux painting of a wood design.
Another peculiar find in the
room dates back to the first postwar restoration works: a wooden
plank with an inscription. It
starts with: “In the year 1946,
Ludwik Kubala and Jan Wis,
two Poles, worked here, together
with one Dushe Rozbigan Paul” –
whatever that last name means.
The message was left on June 6,
the day the works finished.
Sala Sesyjna is rarely open for
visitors, but the ticket office can
be admired at all times. Elements
of its Art Nouveau ornamentation were exposed by construction workers during demolition,
sent for renovation and returned
to their proper place in the renewed railway station.
Platforms and passage ways
between them are filled with
AMAZING WALKS THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET
Blinking on the rooftop of a building across the train station, the “Good evening, Wrocław!” neon sign has
welcomed travellers since 1962. Evenings in Wrocław are always good as the city is bustling from dusk till dawn.
Sometimes not all letters are illuminated. “Dobry wiec”, as seen in the photo above, is Polish for “a good rally”
which is an amusing word play, since rallies are a local specialty (see p. 49–51)
curious details. German signs
(i.e., “Durchgang zur Flurstr”. –
“To Flurstrasse” shows the way
to today’s ul. Małachowskiego)
and coat of arms of the city of
Wrocław hangs above the entrance to the station tunnels,
while an old crane used to refill
water in steam engines rests at
the end of the main hall of the
station.
And mind the dragons on the
platforms! Copies of the decorations were forged by a local black
smith, inspired by the one original on platform 5.
Time to say goodbye to the train
station. Take your time, though. It is so
nice here, in the fountain square!
Wilhelm Grapow designed the railway station with a 200-metre long main
building, inspired by the English Gothic style of the Tudor period. What
is a castle without a nearby water source? A fountain in front of the
entrance serves the purpose. Next page: In 1908, Kornprinz hotel (now the
carefully restored Piast hotel) was the most elegant accommodation site
in Wrocław
16
After dusk, the atmosphere
is particularly lovely, especially
when the 2 1962 neon sign lights
up. “Dzień dobry we Wrocławiu”
– “Good evening in Wrocław!”.
The sign is iconic. Everyone
in the city knows it, yet many are
convinced that the flashing, flower-holding, 2.5 meter gentleman
is animated and bows down, tipping his hat. He even had a music
THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET AMAZING WALKS
17
AMAZING WALKS THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET
FIVE STAR ACCOMODATION
After the opening of the railway
station, Gartenstrasse became
known for its luxurious hotels. The
famous Vier Jahreszeiten (Polonia), Kronprinz (Piast), Hotel du
Nord (Grand) and Hohenzollernhof
(Europejski) were among the top
accommodation sites in the city.
A summary put together in 1928
by Verein Breslauer Hotelbesitzer
(Wrocław Society of Hotel Owners) placed Vier Jahreszeiten,
piece written about him – “Neonowy Pan” (“Neon Light Gentleman”), which won a local song
competition in 1976, and returned
recently in a modern reconceptualization recorded as part of the
2013 Eklektik Session project.
In communist Poland, and especially in the 1960’s, both the railway station and the rest of the city
centre were brimming with neon
lights. Sadly, only a few have survived to our time, including the
Kronprinz and Nord in first class
and Hohenzollernhof in second
class, quality wise. Guests at all
establishments were spoiled with
exquisite cooking, room amenities
and a long list of entertainment options available without leaving the
accommodation: billiard, bar, VIP
club, elegant stores – everything
money can buy.
The hotel guests could not complain, even if unpredicted events
would sometimes liven up their
stay. For instance, on November
16, 1900, a Mrs Selma staying
at the Germania hotel in Gartenstrasse101-103 (historical place
located opposite the main railway
station) made an attempt to assassinate emperor Wilhelm II. The
woman threw an axe at a passing
imperial carriage, but missed.
Apparently, she was mentally
ill, as obviously no one of sane
mind would not love the Kaiser so
openly.
“Kasy biletowe” sign in Wrocław
Główny or the animated neon ad
for PZU insurance company in
the neighbouring pl. Kościuszki.
Taschenstrasse – New Saddlebag
street, named after the Saddlebag Bastion). In one corner sits
former Du Nord hotel, now, The
Grand hotel – currently closed,
awaiting renovation. Across the
street proudly stands former
Kronprinz hotel, today’s carefully restored 3 Piast hotel. It was
completed to the design of Waldemar Milbradt in 1908 and was the
most elegant hotel in Wrocław of
its time.
The distinctive semi-circular
staircase tower in the centre of the
building, covered with a conical
rooftop is a striking element. In
the 1930s, the first floor commercial premises facing Gartenstrasse
were occupied by a Deutsche
Bank office, a barber’s shop, a florist’s and a travel agent’s. Facing
Taschenstrasse, was one of the
four famous drugstores, Residenz Drogerie Oskar Sabiers. Offices, club rooms, a breakfast hall,
a reading room and 56 hotel rooms
were located in upper floors.
Kronprinz and Du Nord hotels formed a metaphorical gateway towards the historical city
Time to say goodbye to the train
station. Take your time, though. It is so
nice here, in the fountain square!
Stop for a minute at the
crossing of ul. Piłsudskiego and
ul. Kołłątaja (formerly Neue
Europejski hotel was opened as Hohenzollernhof in the 1870s. The President of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel, stayed here in 1992
18
THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET AMAZING WALKS
centre. Both survived the 1945
Siege of Breslau. Kronprinz remained abandoned for fairly
long and its furnishing was plundered. Now, under the name Piast hotel, it managed to return to
its former glory.
Europejski hotel was opened
as Hohenzollernhof in the 1870s.
The President of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel, stayed here
in 1992.
The maker of the baked goods at Café Europejska is not a trained professional. Nevertheless, home-baked pies by Bożenka are part of the legend
of this place
GOOD SOCIALIST REALISM?
“Jamnik” – “dachshund”, a residential and commercial building
designed by Stanisław Tokarowski
(ul. Piłsudskiego 80-86a) was
built in 1952 to close off the corner of a quarter severely damaged
during the war – The Siege of
Breslau did not go easy on Gartenstrasse. The Southern frontage
was in the worst condition, yet
restoration works began from the
north. The structure is a classic –
and surprisingly decent – example
of socialist realism architecture
in Wrocław. The entrance to the
residential part is located in the
backyard, accessed through an
arched gateway. Stores and shops
occupy the whole first floor.
Fashion comes and goes, but Stefan clothing shop on the ground floor of
ul. Piłsudskiego 95 tenement building has managed to stay in style for
over 60-years now
19
Continue down ul. Piłsudskiego.
Another hotel is located at the
ul. Stawowa intersection. Dating
back to the Belle Époque period,
when Wrocław received a windfall of profits from French war
contribution, 4 Europejski hotel
in ul. Piłsudskiego 88 is the oldest
one in the neighbourhood.
Erected between1876-1877, the
hotel was designed by construction foreman Pollack and named
Hohenzollernhof after the famous dynasty ruling in Germany.
Joined as one unit with the neighbouring residential building in
ul. Stawowa, it received a baroqueclassicist look. The main entrance
was located in Gartenstrasse, next
to Otto Stammwitz jewellers.
The structure, too, survived
the Siege of Breslau. As a result
of postwar design alterations, the
entrance was moved from then
ul. Świerczewskiego to an added
arcade.
Notable guests at the hotel include the cast of Czterej pancerni
i pies (Four Tank Men and a Dog),
a cult television show in communist times, and the president
of the Czech Republic, Václav
AMAZING WALKS THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET
The monumental façade of the former seat of the Silesian Parliament is supported by atlantes sculpted by Christian Behrens, alongside a coats of arms and human heads – Polish, German, Mongol, Czech, Prussian and Hungarian – created by Ernst Seger, just in case there were doubts regarding what nations were important to Silesia
Havel. Polish actor Janusz Gajos,
who stayed at the same apartment as the president three years
later, (number 201) left a comment in the guest book: “There
is nothing better than sleeping
in a bed tested out personally by
President Havel. I am definitely
inviting myself for another try”.
However, the presidential bed
is not the only place of interest
at Europejski. The hotel’s very
own Café Europejska is a great,
unhurried and relaxed place
that occasionally wakes up to
see a music concert or a literary
evening. It is cosy with a view
over a busy street. You will surely
find plenty to comment on with
a cup of good coffee and a piece
of apple pie – baked locally to
family recipes preserved by the
exquisite Mrs. Bożena Migdałek.
The first Viennese coffee
house in Breslau opened close
to the hotel – today the address
would be ul. Piotra Skargi 19,
at the corner with ul. Nowa
(see p. 183). Inhabitants of 1876
Wrocław owed this curious venue to the authentic Viennese resident, Theodor Cloin.
Opposite Europejski hotel, in
ul. Piłsudskiego 95 on the second corner of the intersection,
is a 5 tenement house designed
in 1861 by Otto Leehr, master of
construction, who specialized in
buildings of this kind. Initially,
there were two apartments on
20
each floor of the tenement but
in 1891 the first floor was refurbished for commercial purposes.
Trade has not left the building
even today. Stefan clothing (formerly with men’s attire only,
now catering for women as well)
is one of the longest operating
stores in postwar Wrocław.
Go past ul. Stawowa.
An impressive palace like the
NOT building deserves a stop
on the way.
Once the gem of Gartenstrasse
and one of the major buildings
in Breslau, it has now lost most
of the splendour. It was made for
6
THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET AMAZING WALKS
The staircase and foyer of Landeshaus are surrounded by thre storeys of arcades, decorated with Ionic and
Tuscan pilasters
21
AMAZING WALKS THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET
A DINNER FOR THE TSAR
Once the decision was made that
Emperor Wilhelm II would meet
with Russian tsar in Breslau, the
municipality had a moment of
panic. City authorities were aware
of the challenge. Only a few months
earlier, all newspapers, including
“Kurier Poznański”, mercilessly criticized the frugality of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the proclamation of the German Empire.
Apparently, the inhabitants of Breslau opposed the idea to put festive
lights in the streets, deeming it “too
expensive”. Obviously, politically
appropriate banners were hung
in the windows (perhaps awaiting
the occasion untouched for 25
the Silesian Parliament between
1893 and 1898. Design work was
commissioned to architect Eduard Blümmer, the construction
councillor for the Silesian region,
acknowledged for his previous
projects in Lubiąż (a psychiat-
years, hidden in the basements of
the sparing Breslauer). However,
a journalist from “Kurier Poznański”
counted only “two busts of the emperor and five or six photographs
of Bismarck”. Apparently, the city
was feeling slightly offended by the
loss of power to the great, western
German provinces.
A visit from the tsar was also a logistics challenge, as no residence
worthy of such a splendid guest
was available. Since the Royal
Castle was occupied by emperor
Wilhelm, the only possible solution
was to place the tsar in the seat of
the Silesian Parliament.
Resembling a French palace, the
building was quite impressive and
guaranteed comfort. The whole
second floor– with bedchambers,
changing rooms, a salon, a breakfast
room, and a guest room – was arranged for the tsar. The last challenge was to prepare dinner for 260
guests.
According to the Silesian culinary
art expert, Dr. Grzegorz Sobel,
the menu included most exquisite dishes, such as: Indian soup,
bull-trout, garnished beef roast,
Italian-style venison fillets, truffle
pudding, and artichokes filled with
cooked bone marrow. It could not
have been a cheap feast. What is
ours is yours, they say – even if the
hospitality means lean years for the
municipal budget.
ric hospital) and Wrocław (State
Insurance Company building).
A separate competition was held
for façade ornamentation, won by
sculptors Christian Behrens and
his disciple, Ernst Seger (creator
of the fountain in pl. Jana Pawła II).
The winners did a splendid
job: Atlantes, the coats of arms
and a showcase of sculpted human heads (Polish, German,
Mongolian, Czech, Prussian and
Hungarian – representing the nations of interest for Silesia at the
time) accent this monumental
and majestic structure.
Upon entering the palace you
see a staircase and a central foyer
surrounded with three floors of
arcades, adorned with Ionic and
Tuscan pilasters. After all, authorities desire a majestic presence, even the provincial ones.
Although Landeshaus was
completely furnished only in 1898,
it had actually been completed
three years earlier, which made it
possible to turn the place into an
impromptu residence for emperor Nicholas II of Russia. The tsar
arrived in Breslau in September of
1886 to meet Emperor Wilhelm II.
Dating back to 1846, the former residence of the Silesian Parliament is the
oldest building in ul. Piłsudskiego. Today, it serves future performers as
a training venue with an original ballroom preserved on the first floor
22
THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET AMAZING WALKS
The main axis of the Silesian
parliament ends in a conference
hall, remodeled in 1938 to fulfil the
Third Reich’s need for a projection
room. A Film Discussion Club,
and later the Atom Cinema were
active here in the post-war period.
Movie lovers particularly enjoyed
row no. ten in the room, which
was very comfortable as there was
enough space to spread one’s legs.
The cinema closed a few years ago.
Neighbouring the NOT palace is the oldest building in
the street (ul. Piłsudskiego 72),
7 former residence of the Landeshauptsman (president of the
Silesian Parliament), now used
by the performance arts school
THE CHARM OF OLD CINEMA
Of all the cities in Poland, Wrocław
was the first to enjoy the magic of
cinematography.The first screenings of projected motion pictures
were held at Dom Koncertowy
(Concert House) in Gartenstrasse
that neighboured the today’s Polski
Theater before it was demolished
in 1945. In September of 1896,
only a year after the Parisian
premiere of the wonderful invention of the Lumière Brothers, the
audience in Wrocław watched 12
pictures. Each lasted no longer than
a minute, and the whole screening
took just half an hour. Still, people
were storming the venue, wanting to see pigeons fed in Venice’,
St. Mark’s square, busy construction workers or a Japanese dancing
ensemble. In just three months, the
magic of the silver screen brought
90’000 viewers.
With time, regular movie theaters were opened in ul. Ogrodowa.
One of them was the first “cinema
palace” named Palast Theater from
1910. Its location was later occupied by Warszawa cinema (now
DCF – Lower Silesia Film Centre on
ul. Piłsudskiego 64). The biggest hit
was, however, the Capitol Theater,
opened on February 20, 1929.
Unfortunately, the tastefully restored staircase in ul. Piłsudskiego 72 can be admired by few but the students
of the performing arts school and employees of Capitol Music Theater
23
AMAZING WALKS THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET
The former gem of Gartenstrasse: Vier Jahreszeiten (Four Seasons) hotel, built between 1906 and 1911. Even the façade of the building reveals how much money and effort was put into this luxurious neo baroque design. During alteration works in 1939, the balconies and rich ornamentation were dismantled. Now the place is undergoing restoration
of the Capitol Musical Theater.
Finished in 1846, the residence
was initially a suburban mansion for construction councillor
Julius Schulze, son of Christian
Valentin Schulze, the director of
the Royal School of Art. Schulze
junior designed the villa him-
GUESTS, GUESTS!
Many guests of Polonia hotel
are historic figures of Polish
sport, film and show business.
The guest book includes entries
from the bicycle Peace Race
participants – Stanisław Królak,
Mieczysław Milczewski and Eligiusz Grabowski, aka Elek. Fans
were waiting patiently for their
idols to leave the hotel and hit
the town.
self, shortly before retiring at
the age of 67.
Unfortunately, the man did
not enjoy the residence and adjacent gardens for long – he passed
away in 1850. Heinrich Heimann,
a distinguished Wrocław banker,
bought the mansion from the
heirs of the counsellor’s widow.
He made a good deal, kept the
place to himself for ten years,
and sold in 1873 to the Silesia
Provincial Government (Zarząd
Prowincji Śląskiej). The government was acquiring plots for
a new seat at that time. The old
Iga Cembrzyńska, a popular Polish
actress, praised both the hotel and
the city: “Wrocław!!! This beautiful
place means so much to me – it
was here that I acted for Jerzy Has
for the first time in The Saragossa
Manuscript,and here I received my
first award in Festiwal Piosenki
Aktorskiej (singing contest for
actors),and here I made some truly
wonderful memories. Also, this
hotel was actually the very first
one I stayed at in my life!” International guests – mainly from socialist
parts of the world – also frequented
the site. In the 1970’s, the popular
so-called “friendship trains”, were
organized to strengthen the bonds
between Soviet Union and Poland.
Initially solemn, ideological pilgrimages, with time they turned into
regular business trips. Visitors arrived also from Eastern Germany
and Hungary.
24
THE MANY FACES OF ONE STREET AMAZING WALKS
LUCK OF THE DRAW
In the 1920’s and 30’s, the Four
Seasons was booming. An extra
plot at the back of the building was
purchased to start a café, a winery
with multiple terraces and a ballroom with a podium for the orchestra, another terrace, and to build
a proper wooden dancefloor.
Both the smart and not so
smart dressers of Breslau went
there. A talented pickpocket
Hans Priessl, known from Marek
Krajewski’c crime story ‘Plague in
Breslau’, visited the casino in Vier
Jahreszeiten to give luck a chance.
He stormed the place with surprising success (probably not purely
coincidental): “(…) he was getting
richer – and more popular among
the ladies – with every single
evening”. Unluckily for Hans, one
day detective Eberhard Mock
decided to visit the casino with
a friend. He immediately recognized the train station pick pocket,
dressed up as an elegant man. He
made Priessl an offer he could not
refuse: Priessl would either start
collaborating as a police informant
or simply go to jail. The pickpocket
accepted, but ended up behind
bars anyway, as the casino owner
arranged a tempting theft opportunity and laid a trap to get rid of
the clever criminal.
A postcard picturing Vier Jahreszeiten when it still looked like a neo
baroque palace
one (destroyed much later during
the Siege of Breslau) in Graupenstrasse (now ul. Krupnicza), was
becoming too small and the local
government was looking to move.
Together with Schulze’s villa,
the authorities purchased the
neighbouring plot and started
raising funds for a grand Lande-
shaus, while the former house of
the construction councillor was
adapted for the Landeshauptman residence.
The classicist mansion is not
huge, yet elegant. Round, Ionic pilasters, garlands, and female head
sculptures adorn the façade. The
current colour palette was agreed
25
upon on the basis of stratigraphic
testing. It looks particularly striking in nighttime lighting. The construction itself was heavily expanded by master Friedrich Knauer; an
inside passage leading to the Silesian Parliament building was part
of the alteration. A ballroom on the
second floor accessed via a decorative staircase has survived until
today. The latter is very charming
and has a skylight. The stairs are
made of marble and have cast iron
balusters for the balustrade. Luckily, stucco and polychrome elements, as well as the gilded vent,
survived postwar devastation.
Today, the tenement building
hosts a rehearsal room for orchestra and actors, a ballet room
(in former ballroom) and a stage
for smaller audiences, with
a capacity of 50 people. Unfortunately, after the renovation of
Capitol Music Theater, only final
diploma shows of the performing
arts school are staged here, which
means that very few walk down
the marvellous marble stairs.
Go a couple of steps down the street
to reach the most famous hotel on
Gartenstrasse. Before the war it was
known as Vier Jahreszeiten (Four
Seasons), now 8 it’s called The
Polonia Hotel.
The structure was built between 1906 and 1911 on a plot that
had been occupied by a classicist
suburban villa from the 1830’s.
The villa was demolished, initially to be replaced by a more profitable tenement house. Eventually, the hotel was erected to the
design of Paul Rother.