Toruńska Street is the longest and one of the most ancient streets in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Location The street runs west–east, from downtown Bernardyńskiego roundabout to the eastern border of the city with the village of Otorowo. It is long.
From Bernardyńskiego roundabout to Toruńskiego roundabout, the street is used by the National road 80. To the east, the path runs through the following districts: Babia Wieś, Kapuściska, Zimne Wody and Łęgnowo.
History Toruńska Street is an ancient route connecting Bydgoszcz and Toruń via Solec Kujawski: to get to Toruń downtown, it was then required to cross the Vistula river.
Early history As early as in the Middle Ages, the path exited Bydgoszcz at the Kujawska Gate () and was heading to "Toruń suburbs" () or Kujawskie, just outside the city. Presumably this track was used until the 14th century, as part of Amber trade road: from Silesia to Pomerelia the road forded by ferry the Brda river at the village of Czersko Polskie, near the river's mouth to Vistula. This passage was controlled by the castellan of the "Wyszogród" stronghold (located in today's Fordon).
At the end of the 14th century-beginning of the 15th century, there was a clear intention to build a bridge in this place, according to written sources from Vladislaus II of Opole, the nobleman who granted Fordon city with town privileges in 1382. However, this project did not succeed: indeed, the ferry crossing had been operating there till the 19th century, ran by the owner of an inn called "Ujście".
The oldest building in the vicinity of the street preserved to this day is the Bernardine Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace from 1557, standing today in Bernardyńska street. In 1783, the population of Przedmieście Toruńskie was 942.
On the map of the vicinity of Bromberg from 1796 to 1802, the road to Solec Kujawski matches up with the present street. On the other hand, on an 1857 map of the vicinity of the city, one can notice a few suburban buildings along the road, concentrated in farm-towns or folwarks: Klein Bartelsee (); Kaltwasser (); Gross Kapuscisko (); Polieren Czersk () or Olęders villages; Deutsch Czersk (); Langenau (), founded in 1603; Otterowo (), founded in 1604.
Until reaching Łęgnowo, the road ran in the vicinity of the Bydgoszcz hill.
Prussian era Initially, only the western section of the current street remained within the administrative boundaries of Bydgoszcz. With time and the growth of city area, fragments of the street were slowly included into Bydgoszcz territory: in 1800, the suburban "Przedmieście Toruńskie", first village to the east; in 1851, a part of the area of called "Żup", where today stands the Łuczniczka hall; in 1920, after the re-creation of the Polish state, a dozen of eastern suburban communes were incorporated into the borders of Bydgoszcz, including Małe Bartodzieje, Kapuściska Wielkie, Zimne Wody and Czersko Polskie. Hence, in the interwar period, Toruńska Street ran within Bydgoszcz limits from the Old Town up to the rail crossing of the Warsaw-Bydgoszcz Railway put into use in 1861; in 1954, the timber port, located at the mouth of the Vistula;
in 1977, "Łęgnowo II". This final extension put the entire length of Toruńska street inside the administrative boundaries of Bydgoszcz.
In 1872, the street was connected to the newly laid Bernardyńska Street, in the area of the Zbożowy Rynek. Soon in the 1880s, industrial enterprises flourished in the swath of land wedged between the street and the Brda river, mainly wood-related business and sawmills: as such, they made up the first elements of an eastern warehouse and industrial district. At that time, the timber port in the village of Brdyujście operated a roller dam, the "Czersko Polskie Jaz" (), and a system of locks. Additionally, a dyke was built so as to cross the newly created reservoir.
On August 29, 1891, was established the "Bromberger Schleppschiffahrt Aktien Gesellschaft" () or "Bromberg Shipping Corporation". It built an industrial ensemble in Zimne Wody and excavated a shortening canal in a meander of the Brda river, creating today's "Zimne Wody Island", cut by the Sporna street built at the company's expense. The company still exists today as "OT Logistics S.A.".
In the first decades of the 20th century, the docks of the Brda river along Toruńska and Fordońska streets were teeming with several dozen of sawmills, carpentry shops and other timber factories using large quantities of wood coming from Russian Poland through the water route connecting Vistula and Brda rivers. The products were exported to the German Empire using the Bydgoszcz Canal and the Noteć, Warta and the Oder rivers.
Interwar period During the interwar, industrial urbanization further developed along Toruńska street.
Among the largest firms established in this period and still active, one can mention, among others: "Fabryka Mebli O. i K. Pfefferkorna", today "Bydgoskie Fabryki Mebli S.A."; "Fabryka Wyrobów Gumowych „Kauczuk” Sp. Akc.", today "Stomil S.A.".
Other important companies are non-existent today, such as "Wielkopolska Huta Szkła", located at the crossing of Hutnicza and Toruńska streets on the site of the 1892 former brick factory. From 1923 to 1948, it used to produce glass for bottles and windows.
In the 1920s, several constructions were realized in the street along the Brda river: a water racing track; a passenger marina on the river; stands accommodating several thousands on "Wyspa w Brdyujście", the island at the mouth of the Vistula. The facility housed national and international events (e.g. 1929 European Rowing Championships, the annual All-Polish Regatta). Furthermore, a bypass for the railroad coming from Bydgoszcz (part of the Polish Coal Trunk-Line) was put into service. It crossed the Brda River and the Toruńska street at the south of the "Wyspa w Brdyujście".
World War II and post-war years During German occupation (1939–1945), the operations of Dynamit Nobel AG plant established in the southern Bydgoszcz forest of Łęgnowo required the construction of tens of kilometers of railway tracks, sidings and hundreds of kilometers of concrete-slab-paved roads, which all connected or crossed over Toruńska street. The activity even lead to the paving of a second path, parallel to the south to Toruńska street, named today Nowotoruńska street.
After World War II, a new wave of building occurred along the street: companies, tram tracks and a tram depot as well as new housing estates in various districts (Wzgórze Wolności, Wyżyny, Kapuściska, Łuczniczki).
In 1969, started the construction project of the "W-Z" () route, devoted to improve road traffic in Bydgoszcz along the east–west axis. To that end were erected two rounadabout on the western portion of Toruńska street: "Rondo Toruńskie" at the intersection with Bernardyńska and Kujawska streets; "Rondo Bernardyńskie" at the crossing with the Pope John Paul II street which opened in the 1980s, as part of the National Road 80. In 1974, the "Park Centralny" was unveiled. It brought greenery on the area located between the Brda and the street.
After 1990, one can cite the following projects on Toruńska street: the construction of the Casimir III the Great bridge over the Brda, linking Toruńska and Fordońska streets (opened on November 30, 2000); the construction of the Łuczniczka hall in 2002, followed by the erection of a smaller sports and entertainment arena, "Grupa Moderator Arena" four years later;
the renovation of the bridge along Sporna street in 2010; the "Kujawsko-Pomorska Szkoła Wyższa in Bydgoszcz" () commissioned its seat at Nr.55 in 2008–2010; on May 17, 2010, the real estate "Osiedle Szeście Planet" was completed. It comprises a complex of 6 six-story buildings named after planets of the Solar System ("Mars", "Venus", "Jupiter", "Saturn", "Mercury" and "Neptune"). The complex was erected at Nos. 170–172, on the site of the former bakery "Tosta".
In December 2013, the "Trasa Uniwersytecka" () was commissioned, encompassing the construction of a tall road bridge over both the Brda and Toruńska street.
From late 2019 to February 2021, the most western portion of the street has been closed to allow the reconstruction of the tram line in Kujawska street and the renovation of the sidewalks. On February 5, 2021, the eastbound traffic was reopened.
Future projects include: the renovation of the street combined with the paving of a bicycle path; the renovation of tram tracks on the sections from "Rondo Toruński" to Spokojna street and from the tram depot to Spadzista street; at Nr.28a, the "Adria estate" is planned, with two eight-story buildings; in the plot at Nr.131 along the river, a new estate is planned, called "BRDA Smart City".
Naming During its existence, the street bore the following names: from 1797, Weg von Langenow () or Weg von Thorn u. Schulitz 1820–1840, Thorner Chaussee 1840–1920, Thornerstraβe 1920–1939, Ulica Toruńska 1939–1945, Thornerstraβe from 1945, Ulica Toruńska
The thoroughfare has always been designated by the main city it leads to, i.e. Toruń: be it in German (Thorn) or in Polish (Toruńska). The successive extensions of the street, triggered by the enlargements of the city, required the updating of the house numbering for the buildings of the southern frontage, thanks to the use of the German "horseshoe numbering" system. For instance, the tenement at today's 14 was referenced at 183 Thornerstraβe in the 1910s and at 57 Thornerstraβe in the 19th century.
Historical facts The street is one of the main communication arteries and exit routes from Bydgoszcz, connecting downtown with the eastern suburbs on the southern side of the Brda river. to the east, Toruńska runs along the picturesque dyke separating the water racing track stadium from the timber port.
Along the street in downtown, old tenement houses are still standing (some with Art Nouveau style) but they don't form a continuous frontage. More recent suburban buildings -generally real estate complexes- are present in the further eastern portions.
In the east of the Old Town, between the 12th and the 15th centuries, a salt mine had been operating. Later on, a ceramic industry developed here.
In the area of the former folwark of Bartodzieje Małe (at the present "Rondo Toruńskie") were erected in 1890, a folk school and an orphanage (at today's Bełzy street).
From 1910, a dozen of marinas were created along the right bank of the river Brda. Today, several rowing clubs are still active in the area, among which "Bydgoski Klub Wioślarek", "Bydgoskie Towarzystwo Wioślarskie" or "Bydgostia Bydgoszcz". This part of the city between Toruńska street and the Brda river is nicknamed the "Rowing district" ().
During interwar period, a housing estate was built in the parallel street of "Babia Wieś", along the Brda river. Its design was realized by architect Bogdan Raczkowski.
Tram traffic A tram line along Toruńska street was built in 1892: it was the second line of the city, horse-drawn, running from the barracks in Gdańska Street to the shooting range building ("Strzelnica ") at today's Nr.30.
In 1896, electricity-powered engines replaced horse-drawn tractions. In 1953, a long Brda-track was built, running along the right bank of the Brda river from Toruńska-Babia Wieś streets to the Chemical Complex "Zachem" in the south of Bydgoszcz, via Kapuściska and Łęgnowo districts. Four new tram lines were using this new track: Nr.6, 7, 8 and 9, connecting the center with the eastern districts. In 1959, a tram depot was unveiled at Nr.278; it was extended in 1978 with 11 branch lines. In the 1960s, the network along Toruńska street was expanded by branches on Bernardyński Bridge (1963) and Pomorski Bridge (1970).
In February, 2019, two buildings in Toruńska street (nos.4 and 6) have been razed down to allow the construction of the tram line along Kujawska Street.