Jagiellońska Street is a historic street in the centre of Bydgoszcz in Poland.

Location

The street is located in the heart of Bydgoszcz. It stretches on an east–west axis, from Fordon roundabout to the intersection with Gdańska Street. It is approximately 2.2 km long. Jagiellońska Street joins the Old Town and Downtown district of Bydgoszcz.

History The Jagiellońska Street is on the path of a medieval communication route between Bydgoszcz castle and Fordon on the Vistula river: since the mid-13th century, the only permanent crossing of the Brda river was the bridge of Bydgoszcz Old Town where customs duties were collected. This road was leaving the town from the "Gdansk Gate" and was running eastward following the northern side of the Brda river. In Fordon, it was possible to cross the Vistula river to get to Chełmno Land or follow northeast along the Lower Vistula valley towards Swiecie and Gdańsk.

The course of the road, coinciding with the current street, is visible on the oldest known plan of Bydgoszcz, by Swedish Count Erik Dahlbergh in 1657. In the 17th–18th century, the road was connected with the farming cities and villages located in the east: Grodztwo, Bartodzieje, Zimna Woda, Bartodzieje Małe and Fordonek.

In 1867, the village of Grodztwo was incorporated into Bydgoszcz territory, pushing further east the limit of the town (in the area of today's Oginski Street). Another extension of the borders occurred in 1920, reaching current city borders: the ancient medieval path is now covered by Jagiellońska and Fordonska streets course. During the interwar period, Jagiellońska Street ended on Maximilian Piotrowski Street, the eastern remaining path being called "Promenade street".

The development of Jagiellońska Street as an important and chic area started in the 1830s, with the construction of grand edifices like the building by Prussian administrative authorities of the Regional Office (). Later on, Grodztwo section gradually became an official area, with administrative, educational and cultural activities. In 1840, the axis so far called "road to Fordon" () was named Wilhelmstrasse in honor of the King Frederick William IV of Prussia. In 1870–1872, the construction of a new steel bridge on the Brda river, the Bernardyńska Street was created, joining Jagiellońska and the river.

In the second half of the 19th century a number of official buildings have been erected along the street, such as: The military hospital (1850–1852), now the building of the University of Medicine UMK in Bydgoszcz; The Reichsbank building (1863–1864), now local seat of the National Bank of Poland (NBP); The municipal School for Boys, (1872), now an administrative building of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship; The Civic School for Girls, (1875–1878), now the School of Fine Arts in Bydgoszcz; The Main Post Office building (1896–1899).

At the same period, on the eastern limit of Bydgoszcz, hence in the vicinity of Jagiellońska Street, other urban edifices have been erected: The gas workplant (1860); The city slaughterhouse (1893).

Some buildings have been designed by famous architects of their time, like Bydgoszcz-born Józef Święcicki or Heinrich Seeling from Berlin.

After World War II, the increasing traffic along the axis has required to enlarge the street. Between 1969 and 1973, prolonging this avenue led to the creation of Fordońska street to the east, improving traffic conditions in this area of Bydgoszcz. In 1974, the completion of the streets modernization also allowed Jagiellońska and Focha streets to have a dual carriageway with a middle track for trams, in addition Jagiellonska roundabout was built with an underground passage for pedestrians.

In 2013 the University Bridge was built, crossing over Jagiellońska Street and the Brda river on a north–south axis.

Naming Jagiellońska Street bore the following names: 1797 - Weg von Pohl Vordon 1800 - Der Weg von Vordon 1840–1920 - Wilhelmstraße 1920–1939 - Jagiellońska Street 1939–1945 - Hermann-Göringstraße 1945–1949 - Jagiellońska Street 1950–1956 - Generalissimo Stalin From 1956 - Jagiellońska Street

Means of communication First tram tracks on Jagiellońska Street was built in 1901, at the creation of the third electric tram line (line "C" blue), from Wilczak to Skrzetusko. In 1904, the line was extended eastward to Bartodzieje, as the longest tram line (5.4 km) in the city. Between 1972 and 1974, in connection with the expansion of Jagiellońska Street, the single-track line was converted into a two-way one.

Currently on the street run the following tram lines: From Focha Street to Jagiellońska roundabout, Nr.2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8; From Jagiellońska Street to Fordońska Street, Nr. 2, 3, 4 and 8.

Architecture Jagiellońska Street is one of the most important and most representative streets of Bydgoszcz. Buildings standing in the Old Town section of the street, from Gdańska Street to Jagiellońska roundabout, date back to the Prussian era. Main historical buildings from this period include the building of the Regional Office, the Main Post Office, the National Bank of Poland seat in Bydgoszcz.

The Church of the Poor Clares displays Gothic and Renaissance features.

The eastern section (from Jagiellońska roundabout to Fordon) possesses less historic buildings and more international style buildings from 1945 and after. The most numerous buildings represent the end of 19th-beginning of 20th century and the modern period.

Main places and buildings

Poor Clares' Church, at 2 Gdańska Street, corner with Jagiellońska Street

Registered on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list, Nr.601229 Reg.A/209 (31 March 1931)

1582–1602 & 1618–1645

Gothic-Renaissance-Baroque

The oldest building in Gdańska Street, it has been used as a warehouse and a fire station during Prussian times.

Drukarnia shopping mall, at 1

2007, by JSK Architects

Modern Architecture

At this location was one of the biggest printhouse in Poland.

Savoy Building, at 2, corner with Theatre square

1913

Modernism, by Rudolf Kern

This tenement stands at the corner of Jagiellońska Street and Theatre Square. From 1789 to 1800, on the place were a storehouse and stable. In 1853, a new building was erected, which survived until 1912. In that year a new edifice was built by Rudolf Kern, following a design of architect Heinrich Gross: the client was Otto Pfefferkorn, owner of a successful furniture factory and a tenement in Gdanska street. Minor works have been performed in 1922–1923. In 1940, arcades designed by Jan Kossowski have been added at ground level at the request of the Nazi authorities: the project comprised also the opposite building with the same features.

The address has housed for a long time the Alliance Française offices of Bydgoszcz. Today, the place is famous for the night club "Savoy" that occupies a whole floor. In 1999, a commemorative plaque for Stanisław Niewitecki (1904–1969), a famous Polish numismatist who lived in Bydgoszcz.

Regional Office Building, at 3

Registered on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list, Nr.601346-Reg.A/871 (29 October 1956 & 20 October 1959).

1834–1836

Neoclassical architecture

The oldest buildings of the Regional Office was built between 1834 and 1836 as the seat of a Prussian region (), an administrative unit established in 1815 within the Grand Duchy of Posen. Before its construction, officials of the Netze District have been meeting in the 1778-building on the Old Market Square (now the Provincial and Municipal Public Library). The development of the institutions required a new administrative building. The foundation stone of the building was laid on 8 June 1834. The construction was carried out in two years two years under the supervision of Carl Adler, advised by Karl Friedrich Schinkel working in Berlin. Construction manager was Friedrich Obuch, a Bydgoszcz regency councilor.

In the years 1863–64, the building was extended by two small avant-corps on each side. In 1898–1900, the edifice was partially reconstructed and added four wing in the corners, under the supervision of Mr Busse, a national project building inspector. Originally in the basement were located the housing and laundry services, the lithography facility and the fuel storage. On the ground floor were set bureaus, offices, the cadastre district department and the finance branch. On the first floor, in addition to the presidential salon, there were a reading room, a library and a conference room. School, tax and forestry departments were housed on the second floor and in the attic. When Bydgoszcz joined back Polish territory in 1920, Prussian administration was liquidated, the now disused building housed, among others, the Regional Directorate of State Forests, the Accounting Chamber of Control of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs, the Regional Tax Office, the county School Inspectorate and the Inspectorate of Labour. In 1938, Bydgoszcz city became the capital of Pomeranian Voivodeship and the building housed its administrative services. During the Nazi occupation, German authorities reactivated Bydgoszcz "Rejencja" within the District of Gdańsk-West Prussia and used the edifice accordingly. After the liberation of Bydgoszcz in March 1945, the building was constantly the provincial seat of the Polish authorities. From 1945 to 1950, it housed the Bydgoszcz Voivodeship, between 1950 and 1975 the Provincial Bureau of National Council, from 1975 to 1998 the Provincial Office and the Local assembly of the Bydgoszcz Province. Since the administrative reform of 1999, it is the seat of Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. In the 1960s, the construction was expanded with side-buildings, connected by a pedestrian covered bridge: A Conference hall (1960–1963), built on the back of the historical building, on a design by architect Tadeusz Czarniawski, A building on Konarski street (1962–1965) by architect Jerzy Jerka, A 14-storey office building on the corner of Jagiellońska and Konarski streets (1966–1969) by architect Bronislaw Jablonki.

The building was erected on the plan of an elongated rectangle, with four wings at the corners. The oldest, central body displays of Neoclassical characteristics, later avant-corps and wings present eclectic features. The building has a symmetrical shape. It comprises a basement, two-storey with an attic covered with gable roofs. The front part main entrance is incorporated into a slight avant-corps. The ground floor is decorated with bossage, and the front elevation is crowned with an advanced profiled cornice, supported by a range of corbels. The interior has preserved the original layout of the rooms. The staircase is to be noticed, with its openwork balustrade. In the north east wing, the ground floor still possess Tuscan marble columns from the time of construction. Before the main edifice stands: A stone memorial (1998), commemorating March 1981 events in Bydgoszcz, Two ailanthus trees, over 250 cm diameter wide each, recognized as city's Natural monuments.

Emil Werckmeister tenement, at 4

End of 19th century

Eclecticism in architecture, Neo-Mannerism, Neo-Baroque

The building was erected at the end of the 19th century on the site of demolished granaries where was housed since 1907 the winery "Werckmeister". Emil Werkmeister commissioned architect Heinrich Seeling from Berlin to realize the project. In 1920, the building was purchased by Bydgoszcz's Municipal Savings Bank (), which performed internal modernization works. In 1938, the building was expanded with enlarged wings and outbuildings designed by Jan Kossowski, creating a single, closed bank complex. Today, the ground floor houses the local seat of Millennium Bank while upper levels are privately owned.