Grunwaldzka street, laid in the 1850s, is an extended axis in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Many frontages on this street offer architectural interests: some of the buildings are registered on the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Heritage List.
Location The street runs on a west north-west axis, leading to Nakło nad Notecią (towards Piła and Szczecin). It connects Bydgoszcz downtown district to western city areas (i.e. Okole, Czyżkówko, Flisy, Osowa Góra). Polish national road Nr.80 runs along the street located north of Bydgoszcz Canal and Polish national road Nr.25 south of the canal. It is one of the longest and busiest axis of Bydgoszcz.
History Grunwaldzka street is mentioned on an 1855 address book of Bromberg, but appears as early as 1827 as a path to Nakło nad Notecią. On an 1857 map, then on an 1876 city map the axis is mentioned as a Berliner Chaussee1876 Plan der Stadt Bromberg or Highway to Berlin. At that time, it appears as an extension of the Berliner Straße (today's Swiętej Trojcy street) to the west. In 1851, the railway from Berlin to Kaliningrad -via Bromberg- was built along that path. In 1895, a narrow-gauge railway track from Bydgoszcz to Koronowo was laid, with a station on Grunwaldzka street, Bydgoszcz Wąskotorowa, linked to the city tram network in 1898. The railway did not survive WWII and is now operated for touristic purposes between two villages west of Nakło: railtracks on Grunwaldzka were pulled part in 1969. The tramway line in the street was dismantled in 1984.
Because of its exceptional length, the avenue, originating from Bromberg, crossed several other suburban villages which eventually (1960s) were incorporated into Bydgoszcz territory. As a consequence, the street in its entirety bore many different names associated with conflicting house numbering.
In 2019–2020, municipal authorities launched an extensive rebuilding of the avenue, so as to enlarge it to a dual carriageway with two lanes along most of its length.
There are two railway viaducts along the street: The first on the way out of the city center dates back to the 1970s and eases the crossing by the Bydgoszcz - Piła railway line; The second supports the railway lines from Bydgoszcz to Inowrocław, which was completed in 2014 to replace the initial bridge from 1872.
Through history, this street bore the following names: From inception in the 1850s to 1902, Berliner Straße and Berliner chausseee (Bydgoszcz territory); Lindenstraße (Schleusenau area); Chaussestraße (Okolo area). 1903–1920, Berliner Straße on Bydgoszcz soil; Chausseestraße (nach Nakel) (Route to Nachel) on Schleusenau area. 1920–1939, Ulica Grunwaldzka; 1939–1945, Berliner Straße; Since 1945, Ulica Grunwaldzka.
Current name refers to the Battle of Grunwald (July 15, 1410), part of the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War, where the alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, defeated Teutonic Order, led by Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen.
Main areas and edifices Grunwaldzka stems out of a large city roundabout () where it connects with Focha, Nakielska and Kruszwicka streets.
Tenement at 1/3
Built in 1910, by Theodor Patzwald
Early modernism
The first owners of the tenement were the Goltz brothers (Gustaw, Rudolf and Oskar) who, as construction managers, conducted many projects in the city. In July 1912, a restaurant and a cafe -Parkhaus- were arranged, with an area as a summer garden: at that time, the place was giving onto the Bydgoszcz Canal, which was covered only in the 1970s. The same year, the Goltz brothers sold the ensemble to C.A. Franke, a successful local entrepreneur. In that period, the building housed the office of the then Royal School of Arts and Crafts, as well as the house designer, architect Theodor Patzwald.
Later on, during the interwar period, the landlord was August Latte, owner of a cheese warehouse and a factory. During the recent renovation of the ensemble in 2015, a mural was created on the wall deprived of opening: it displays advertising with old-fashioned features from the 1920s.
The early modernist style still keeps influence from Art Nouveau: curved bow windows, a broken segmental pediment, a vegetal motif and two grand loggias adorned with slender columns and wrought iron grillwork.
Tenement at 2
1880s
Eclecticism
Early in the 1880s, a restaurant was run there by Reinhard Zindler. In the 1920s, another restaurant stood there, with a cafe, called Dom Parkowy, run by Teodor Sikorski.
Tenement at 5
1910, by Gustaw Otto
Early Modern architecture
After its completion, the building, then at 12c Berliner Straße, was owned by the family Michelschen.
The facades were given a traditional, symmetrical arrangement, which, however, testifies to the influence of modernist architecture. One can still notice some festoons on lintels and cartouches and a nicely adorned portal.
Tenement at 6
1906
Late Art Nouveau
The initial address of the building was 19 Berliner Straße. First register landlord was Gustav Templin, a tradesman.
Although the frontage lost its architectural decoration, one can still appreciate the large canted bay window overlooking the entrance, with a floral motif at its base.
Tenement at 7
Early 1910s, by Friedrich Lork
Late Art Nouveau
The initial address was 12b Berliner Straße, the first owner being Hermann Wollschläger, a road inspector.
The facade displays delicate Art Nouveau decoration, influenced by early modernism style: canted bay windows with a multitude of architectural motifs as well as an adorned portal or an eyelid dormer.
Tenement at 9
Late 1900s
Art Nouveau
The tenement, at the time at 12a Berliner Straße, was owned by Gustav Schmidt, a rentier. He commissioned in particular a master bricklayer, Oskar Goltz (owner of house at No 1 at the time). The building calculations and design were probably made by Max Koernig.
Mirroring the abuting building at Nr.7, the frontage at Nr.9 provides an explosion of Art Nouveau details: on the facade, on bay windows or on twin top wall gables, using garnished cartouches, lintels and floral patterns.
Tenement at 14
1900s
Late Art Nouveau
Located at first at 17 Berliner Straße, the landlord at its construction was Stanislaus Bonneberger, a shoemaker.
The frontage has lost many of its architectural details, but still exhibits late Art Nouveau style mixed with modernist influences. Noticeable are the wrought iron balconies, a few adorned cartouches and the decorated entrance lintel.
Starofarny Cemetery at 15
In December 1808, the city hall of Bromberg bought 1 ha of land next to the road leading to Szyszkówka (today's Czyżkówko district), to establish a catholic cemetery: first burials were only performed in 1811, when Prussian authorities banned burying the dead in church cemeteries. Starofarny Cemetery was the first catholic cemetery in the city for which the access road (today's Grunwaldzka street) was cobbled in 1828. In 1855, the cemetery was enlarged by 0.40 ha through purchasing an abuting plot; with several other acquisitions the burial ground reached an area of 1,425 ha. The area entered the city limits in 1877, when Okolo district merged with Bydgoszcz territory. During the second half of the 19th century, the cemetery was embellished: in 1886, a new stone fencing was erected and in 1892, tree avenues were created with chestnuts, maples and lime trees. Since Prussian authorities did not allow the creation of additional catholic parishes during the end of the 19th century, Starofarny cemetery soon got packed: in 1906, eventually, a new parish cemetery was established in the northern suburb of the city, called Cmentarz Nowofarny (), to distinguish it from the Cmentarz Starofarny ().
During the Nazi occupation, Starofarny cemetery was repeatedly damaged so as to wipe out Polish traces within the city. Following an order from occupying authorities to remove Polish inscriptions from the tombstones, Hitler Youth militias destroyed Polish tombstones, beating inscriptions and damaging the fence. In particular, on a Sunday of April 1942, SA and SS troops stormed the cemetery, smearing Polish gravestones with cement and destroying metal elements of the graves.
Between 1945 and 1964, burials were carried out anew in family graves and in neglected places from the 19th century, which were no more tended. Finally, the last burial took place on July 11, 1964. The cemetery was then declared closed on July 15, 1964, by Bydgoszcz authorities and renamed Municipal cemetery. In the late 1970s, urbanization plans regarding the area where Focha, Kruszwicka, Nakielska and Grunwaldzka streets meet imposed to bulldoze a northern strip of the cemetery. Work started in 1978: it included reconstructing the fence, razing chapels and exhumating some graves. The operation was badly carried out and several errors led to the destruction of a 17th-century chapel, the loss of many family crypts -some of them being work of art edifices- and the demolition of the caretaker's house. The wrought iron grating elements of the main entry gate were returned to the church of the Poor Clares where it originated from.
Those misbehaviours triggered the establishment of a Social Committee for the Rescue of Starofarny Cemetery Monuments, headed by architect Stefan Klajbor, which succeeded in listing the cemetery on the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Heritage List (Nr.601242 A/879, June 28, 1983).zabytek-kujawsko-pomorskie-data dostępu=28.02.2014 In 1985, Metropolitan Curia in Gniezno handed over the management of Starofarny Cmentarz to Bydgoszcz administrative authorities. In 1991, a restoration plan of the facility was launched, comprising, among others: a reconstruction of the fence; tending the corner of 1870 French soldier tombs; rebuilding the 17th century chapel. Since 1998, the work has been supported by private funds collected locally during All Saints' Day. In 2018, further contributions also made possible additional renovations such as fencing and family chapels. In 1994, city authorities reopened the cemetery for burials, especially for local distinguished people.
Tenement at 18
1900s
Eclecticism, elements of Art Nouveau
Located in front of Starofarny cemetery'''s main gate, this 3-storey building was owned by Rudolf Wolff, a merchant in wood and cigars.
One of the earliest houses built on this avenue, it recalls many other eclectic edifices of the city one can find in Gdańska, Pomorska, or Dworcowa streets. One can appreciate the large pediments, the Art Nouveau-like details around the second-floor openings, and the dormers with oeil-de-boeuf windows.
Tenement at 19
1875-1900
Neo Classicism
Settled along the northern side of the cemetery, the edifice, at its construction, was situated on the Schleusenau city land. As such, its address was Schleusenau 2 then 2 Linden straße. His commissioner was a rentier, Alexander von Beulwitz.
Well-balanced frontage, the only architectural motifs left are floral stuccoed friezes on the lintel of the second-floor windows.
Tenements at 20/22/24
Beginning 20th century
Early Modern architecture
The three buildings date back to the same period, transitioning from fading Art Nouveau to canted forms of early modernism. This shift appears differently on each of them. While the elevation in the middle (Nr.22) is bare of any decoration, its neighbours still display some elements of the late 19th-century style: wrought iron volutes in the car passageway, adorned portal and oeil-de-boeuf for Nr.20; semicircular transom for Nr.24.
Tenement at 26, corner with Graniczna street
Late 1890s
Eclecticism
Located at the time as the last edifice within Bromberg city limits on the avenue, its first landlord was Thomas Diete, who established there a tavern To the Golden Star ().