Pomorska Street, Bydgoszcz
Pomorska Street is an important street in downtown Bydgoszcz.
Location
Pomorska Street is roughly oriented south–north, starting from Gdańska Street up to the railway line to the north. It crosses important thoroughfares, such as Śniadeckich Street, Cieszkowski Street or Swiętojańska street.Naming
Through history, the street had the following names:- Before 1920, "Der weg nach Schwetz", then "Rinkauerstraße"
- 1920–1939, Ulica Pomorska -Ulica Szczecińska
- 1939–1945, Robert Ley Straße
- since 1945, Ulica Pomorska
History
The axis has since long been the path linking Bydgoszcz to Świecie,, hence its name on one of the first recorded maps from 1800, "Der weg nach Schwetz".In fact, this path was an historical thoroughfare, existing before Gdańska Street, much like the way Dworcowa Street came to existence. During the second part of the 19th century, the growing extension of the city led to the shaping of the avenue, called Rinkauerstraße under Prussian rule.
In 1867, with a new territory extension of the city, the whole street was comprised within the municipal area. Its northern tip "Verlängerte Rinkauerstraße" was the location of Prussian army barracks, : the Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 148 was part of the 41st Division in the pre-World War I organization.
After the end of World War I and the rebirth of Poland, the street has been renamed "Pomorska" in its southern part and "Szczecińska" in its northern part, where the 61st Infantry Regiment was billeted.
During World War II, Nazi authorities renamed the avenue Robert Ley Straße. At the end of the conflict, the street got back its original calling, along its whole length.
Main places and buildings
Alexander Timm House at 17 Gdańska Street">Gdańska Street in Bydgoszcz">Gdańska Street, corner with Pomorska Street
Built in 1852 by B. Brinkmann, and 1910 by O.F.W. MullerEclecticism & Neoclassicism.
At the time of its erection, it was the largest habitation house in Bydgoszcz.
Tenement at 1, corner with 2 Dworcowa Street">Dworcowa Street in Bydgoszcz">Dworcowa Street
1884, by Karl BergnerEclecticism
This corner house has been commissioned by Mr Jäfel, a lithograph. In 1908, a drugstore run by Dr Aurel Kratz opened there: he was also selling goods for cameras until World War I. He then moved to Friedrichstraße.
The building is on 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. The second floors windows are capped by triangular pediments and have also small corbels and pilasters. The 3rd level openings are only flanked by clean pilasters and pediment topped. A line of designed corbels runs beneath the roof.
Wilhelm ßiehl tenement, at 3
Registered on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list, Nr.727947, Reg.A/1530, April 4, 20091878
Eclecticism & Neo-renaissance
The house was commissioned by Wilhelm ßiehl, a baker, who lived in Bahnhofstraße. At this time, it was one of the first habitation building to be erected in the street. Wilhelm ßiehl had the tenement rebuilt in 1895 to accommodate more tenants.
The facade, renovated in 2015, displays features of Neo-renaissance style: symmetry, recurrent motifs such as vegetal garlands and pediments on first level windows, series of corbels supporting the roof, thin topping frieze. Openings at ground floor have an ornamental decor repeating all along their frame.
Carl Lachmann tenement, corner house at 1 Podolska Street
1906–1908German Historicism
The house was commissioned by Carl Lachman, a butcher, owner of a company producing meat, the Gebrüder Lachmann seated at nearby Bahnhofstraße 95a.
Present corner was located at Rinkauerstraße 4/Buchholzstraße 1.
The facade, renovated in 2015, reminds of the realizations of Fritz Weidner, a fertile architect in Bydgoszcz between 1897 and the 1930s. He designed famous houses in the city, such as in Gdańska Street or at 2 Śniadeckich Street. The house presents forms of German historicism, in a transitional phase between the eclecticism and secession style. Both elevations are purposefully designed on asymmetry, as a means of architectural expression, like the gables' shape, the only bay window in the corner or even the location of the entry gate.
Care have been put in the adornment of the latter, in the complexity, both, of the door itself and the rich ornament framing the gate.
Albert Voigt Tenement, at 5
Registered on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list, Nr.601394, Reg.A/996, February 4, 19921896, by Józef Józef Święcicki
Eclecticism
The house was commissioned by Albert Voigt, a railway clerk. In 1910, a restaurant was run there by Christian Rollauer.
In 1923, the building renovated by families Rodziewiczówna and Grzymala-Siedlecki was the first place to house a charity kitchen managed by the Union of Poles from the Eastern Borderlands. Its goal was to help the displaced Poles victims of the borders changes after the Peace of Riga with USSR. After 1925 the kitchen, led by Anna von Helmersen, living at 12 Jan and Jędrzej Śniadeckich Street, moved to 17 Cieszkowskiego Street. Today, the tenement houses among others, associations Wujek Porada and Siedlisko, helping out people with alcoholism problems. The edifice underwent a rehabilitation in 2007.
Among corner buildings of Pomorska Street, this house stands out as it is not built according to a rectangular, but a triangular footprint : Józef Swiecicki met the requirement, perfectly creating a neo-baroque building skillfully closing the junction with Podolska street. The richness of the architecture echoes those displayed on other tenement by the same architect in the city, such as the Hotel "Pod Orlem" from 1896 or the Tenement at Freedom Square 1 from 1898.
In particular some elements are to be underlined:
- balconies on Pomorska facade with wrought iron balustrade;
- lion masks motifs on the corner of the house;
- angel faces with wings ornamenting all facades.
The facade giving onto Podolska street has got more Neo-renaissance features.
Building at 6
1934, by Mieczysław KrąkowskiFunctionalism
The edifice has been commissioned in the 1930s by the Polish Telephone Joint-stock Company or PAST to host the local seat of Bydgoszcz. There were working the switchboard operator, mainly women, manually connecting local and/or distant calls.
The functionalist forms display smooth façades lined with ceramic tiles in its lower part. The entrance is supported by pillars and the wrought iron main door is decorated with a geometric pattern.
Tenement at 7A, corner house with 1 Zduny Street
1893–1894Eclecticism
August Schild, a cooper had his barrel workshop and storage there from 1895 to 1903. In 1904, Ignace Sergot, a painter, moved there from 13 Jan and Jędrzej Śniadeckich Street; he lived there until the middle of the 1920s.
This corner building displays various architectural elements of decoration on its facades, from triangular and half-circled pediments, to pilasters flanking the window openings, from discrete balustrades to prominent corbels under the roof.
Worth mentioning are the two massive balconies overhanging streets crossing, with salient balusters and consoles.
Tenement at 11
1911Eclecticism-Art Nouveau
Apparently, the house has been commissioned by Carl Kretschmer, a copper craftsman, specialized in building machines and pipes. In 1925, Mr. Jasiemicz, a master painter, lived there: the firm he worked for was established in 1835.
The facade displays typical features of Art Nouveau architecture: simplified motifs, wavy shapes, floral ornaments. This elevation echoes facades from architect Erich Lindenburger one can find on Dworcowa Street, at Nr.45 and 47. A recent refurbishment of the house has given it back its colors and architectural details.
Tenement at 12
1889–1890Eclecticism
The first landlord of this building at then "Rinkauerstraße 60" was Julius Wernick: he lived there and owned as well the abutting building.
The facade, renovated in 2017–2018, displays eclectic features. In particular, one can highlight the pedimented windows and the avant-corps flanking the entrance door.
Tenement at 14
1899–1901Eclecticism
Although the plot was built prior to the current building, the actual edifice had Julius Wernick for first landlord. He lived at Nr.12.
The facade displays many architectural details:
- a gate flanked with pilasters with corbels;
- 1st floor windows topped with curved pediments, adorned with vegetal motifs;
- 2nd floor windows feature rectangular pediments, with ornaments.
A series of corbels tops the elevation.
Fire Station building, at 16/18
Registered on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list, Nr.601395, Reg.A/860/1-2, November 24, 19941909
Eclecticism-Art Nouveau
The facade displays typical features of Art Nouveau architecture: simplified motifs, wavy shapes, floral ornaments. This elevation echoes facades from architect Erich Lindenburger one can find on Dworcowa Street, at Nr.45 and 47.
A refurbishment of the building in 2015 has given it back its colors and architectural details.
Tenement at 17
1880sEclecticism, Neo-renaissance
The tenement at then "Rinkauerstraße 11" was first the property of Eduard Tapper, a rentier.
In the interwar years, it was the address of a painting firm "Jasiewicz i Syn", run by Martin Jaciewicz. Their neighbor was Friedrich Steinborn, a tailor.
The building, though in bad shape, keeps some remnants of its initial architectural cachet: symmetry of the facade, recurrent motifs such as vegetal garlands and pediments on first level windows and slight avant-corps to underline the frontage.