Dworcowa Street is one of the main streets of Bydgoszcz, in Downtown district (). Many of its buildings are registered on the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Heritage List.
Across the street, between Warmia and Marcinkowskiego street runs the 18°E longitude Meridian, so-called Bydgoszcz Meridian.
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, . Hence its name: 'Train station' in Polish is .
History
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 () into the city precinct.
On an 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: 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 19th century, Dworcowa 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 at then Bahnhofstraße were:
('Railway Signals Factory'); J. G. Neumann Brick Factory (); Printhouse Ortis (established by Hermann and Emil Dittmann); they published the , and after World War II all the local newspapers.
Between 1890 and 1914, many houses along the street have been transformed into 3 to 4 storey buildings, displaying ornated facades (e.g. building at Nr. 55, decorated with a head of Hermes), turning the venue into one of the most representative in the city. In the final section of the street near the Main Railway Station, there used to stand five hotels, furnished as tenements.
Street trams have been operated since 1888, first horse powered, then electrical ones in 1896. The line (Red) ran along the entire length of the street from the station to Gdańska Street.
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.
Through history, this street had the following names: 1852–1920: ('Main Station Street' in German); 1920–1939: ; 1939–1945: (named after nazi leader Albert Forster); From 1945: .
Characteristics
Dworcowa Street is 1242 m long and is almost entirely built with stylish houses. It is considered as one of the most important thoroghfares, 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: Eclecticism Neo-Renaissance Neo-Baroque Secession Modern
The oldest buildings were built in Neoclassical style, usually with simple, symmetrical facades and modest decorations. During the last quarter of the 19th century, elements of Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Gothic and Neo-Baroque start to appear on houses. Most impressive buildings have been erected between 1900 and 1915: it was the emergence of breaking architectural styles, such as Historicism, Secession and early Modern architecture.
The Prussian Eastern Railway Headquarters has been erected in the late 1880s, and was at the time the most magnificent public property in the entire city.
Dworcowa street has been the playground of many local and Berlin's architects. However, past major bydgoszcz designers, 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: three buildings have been registered on the Heritage List since 2010.
Most prominent buildings include: Former Prussian Eastern Railway Headquarters; State Archives Building at 65; Tax House at Warminskiego 18; HotelsBręczewska-Kulesza Daria: Rozwój budownictwa hotelowego w Bydgoszczy w 2. połowie XIX i na początku XX wieku, [w:] Materiały do dziejów kultury i sztuki Bydgoszczy i regionu. Zeszyt 7, Bydgoszcz 2002 Former "Asystenta at 79; Centralny at 85; Hotel Brda (built in 1968-1972).
Revitalisation Dworcowa Street being one of the most important streets in downtown Bydgoszcz, it has been identified to be 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 PLN, supported by a 4.2 million PLN EU funding under the 2007-2013 Regional Operational Programme for Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.
The project encompassed: the modernization of Dworcowa street with a pedestrian pavement; the addition of green areas; 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 tram circulation and the refurbishment of a historic building by Fritz Weidner in the immediate vicinity, converted to a Municipal Cultural Center.
Means of transportation Since 2012, tram lines Nr.5 and 8 run on the section from Matejki street to Sigismund Augustus street, using a special bridge built for the occasion.
In addition, bus lines (54, 67, 75, 71, 79, 80, 83, 84, 31N, 33N) run on the section between the train station and Królowej Jadwigi street.
Main edifices Department store "Jedynak", crossing with 15 Gdańska Street
Registered on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list, Nr.601296-reg.87/A, December 10, 1971
1910–1911, by Otto Walter
Modern Architecture
One of the first Department Store built in then Bromberg, it pioneered the use of reinforced concrete in a modern design.
Tenement at 2 corner with 1 Pomorska Street
1884, by Karl Bergner
Eclecticism
This corner house has been commissioned by Mr Jäfel, a lithograph. In 1908, a drugstore run by Dr Aurel Kratz opened there: it was also selling goods for cameras until World War I. Aurel Kratz then moved to Friedrichstraße.
The building has a triangular footprint plot, a challenge for the designer. It displays a nice bay window on the corner facade. The first floor windows, around the bay-window are more adorned than others with flanking pilasters topped with corbels and a frieze of ornaments. Second floors windows are capped by triangular pediments and have also small corbels and pilasters. Third level openings are only flanked by lean pilasters and pediment topped. A line of designed corbels runs beneath the roof.
Tenement at 3
1893–1894, by Carl Stampehl
Historicism
Eduard Merres, an instrument craftsman for surgery, nursery and optics, was the first owner of the house, then located at Bahnhofstraße 2. In 1907, the new owner was Mr. Conitzer, a businessman member of the very family running at that time the neighbouring department store.
The facade has been restored in 2015, giving more sharpness to all the different details. It is almost a classical one, but for the asymmetry: on first level, one notices heavily adorned windows (triangle pediments, pilasters with consoles), the second floor is less decorated and topped by a dense Corbel table. The gate axis is stressed by a monumental balcony and a smaller one above. The entry door transom light is crowned by a delicately carved female figure.
Tenement at 4
1887,Gminna Ewidencja Zabytków Miasta Bydgoszczy. Program Opieki nad Zabytkami miasta Bydgoszczy na lata 2013-2016 by Józef Święcicki and Anton Hoffmann
Eclecticism
Julius and Herß Krojanter, were the first owners of the house at Bahnhofstraße 97: they were cereals merchants and had their counter in the building. In the 1920s, the tenement housed a kitchenware shop, "A. Hensel".
The facade lost all its original adornments during renovation. However, the row of square windows on the top witnesses the original Neoclassical features.
Tenement at 5
Mid-19th century
Eclecticism
Amelie Sieg, a rentier and widow of a mason, was the first owner of the tenement in the 1870s. From the 1900s (decade) until World War I, the new owner, Ernst Knitter, was a merchant selling kitchenware and ironmongery.
The elevation has been renovated in 2015, underlying the delicacy of the ornamentation: the front pediment, the gate frame with its two facing figures, the pilasters and the corbel table.
Tenement at 6
ca 1875-1900
Neoclassicism
A baker, Wilhelm ßiehl, was the first landlord of the house in 1869, which address was then Bahnhofstraße 96. He lived there until the start of World War I.
The facade displays Neoclassical elements: symmetry, smooth wall, ornamented windows for each floor, small openings at the top of the elevation, topped with a corbel table, and a small stone balcony.
Tenement at 7
ca 1875-1900
Eclecticism & Neoclassicism
Gabriel Czalla was the first owner of the house at Bahnhofstraße 4.
The symmetrical facade lost its initial ornaments during the 20th century. However, one can still appreciate the overall disposition, with the slight avant-corps underlining the axis of the entry gate, flanked by high pilasters continuing to the first floor.
Tenement at 10
1885-1886
Neoclassicism
Initially registered at Bahnhofstraße 95, the first owner was a merchant, Gustav Wollenberg, who lived at today's Gdańska Street 12 (Danzigerstraße 164).
The facade has been rebuilt in 1935, the entire building refurbished in 2016. Nice motifs have been brought back to life, such as cartouches with mustached figures or ornaments on corbels and pediments.
Otto Pfefferkorn tenement at 12
1909, by Fritz Weidner
Historicism
Otto Pfefferkorn owned a successful furniture factory in Bromberg, which still exists today. He had this tenement designed by Fritz Weidner, which comprised at the time almost 200 rooms. It was also used as one of its many selling points in the city (others were found at today's Gdańska Street, Theatre square, Podolska or Pestalozziego streets). He even opened branches in Warsaw or Katowice. In 1912, the building was awarded city most beautiful facade!
Most of the architectural details of the facade have unfortunately vanished. Be that as it may, one can make out the asymmetry of the elevation, characteristic of Fritz Weidner. He used bow windows unbalanced positions, balconies at different levels and with different shapes to reach his goals.
Apro building at 13
2011, by Danuta Jarosewski
Modern architecture
The building has been realized within the frame of the revitalization of Dworcowa street. In the early 20th century, the plot was the site of a successful printhouse owned by A. Dittmann.
Tenement at 14
1899
Neo-Renaissance
The first owner of this house, then at Bahnhofstraße 93, was Ernst Schmidt, a merchant. He lived here until World War I, having opened in the building a factory of drive belts. After 1900, it housed the seat of engineering firm Weidlich & Berthold.
Neo-Renaissance features of the building (arched windows, pediments, low roof), could almost be called Neo-baroque by the choice of volute shaped motifs for the wrought iron balconies, or the roof pediment.
Tenement at 15
1877
Neoclassicism
Registered at Bahnhofstraße 6, then 6a at its inception, the building was commissioned by F.M. Schoenfelder, who rented the rooms. In 1910, the edifice housed the Bromberg music and opera school (), run by Carl Schöne who lived there.