Mill Island in Bydgoszcz

Location

The island is situated between Brda river and its leat branch, west of the Old Market, in Bydgoszcz Old Town. Only one road runs through the island, Mennica street, whose name derives from "mennica", "mint" in polish: a royal mint demolished in the 19th century operated there from 1594 to 1688. Mennica street connects the Old Market to the mills on the island, and extends to Focha street, running along the causeway connecting Mill Island with water locks.

Characteristics

Mill Island is one of the most beautiful scenic spots in Bydgoszcz, thanks to its picturesque features: long waterfronts, locks and dams, canal waterfall, greenery and buildings frontages on waterfront (nicknamed "Venice of Bydgoszcz"). Its location in the Old Town district is a symbol of the close symbiosis between Bydgoszcz city and the river-and-canals network, the Bydgoszcz Floodway ((Polish) "Bydgoszcz Węzeł Wodny" connecting Vistula and Oder rivers. Nowadays, the island is a recreation and culture place, thanks to the presence of numerous museums and the proximity of city Opera ("Opera Nova").

Island intersected two canals:

The leat river flows around the island and joins Brda river through two weirs, "Jaz Farny" and "Jaz Ulgowy", and a fish ladder.

Today, the island is connected to the rest of the city with pedestrian bridges and one bridge for vehicles. A meadow stands in the middle of the island, with an amphitheatre facing the river and a playground for children. In the east, the "Międzywodzie kanal" makes delimitation with the so-called "Mint Island", home to several facilities of the District Museum:

A dike separates the north-western part of the Mill Island from Brda river: in this area is set a waterfront mooring for yachts, along with a marina and a hotel, at the opposite of Rother's Mills.

The island is connected to the Opera with a pedestrian bridge: its landing has an observation deck and an amphitheater, used to for outdoor performances. On Mill Island, a pedestal carrying an earthly globe identifies the 18° North Meridian, which crosses the neighboring Old Market. Near the waterfront is a 700 m² sandy area filled with sea sand coming from Miedzyzdroje.

Every year in June, takes place there Bydgoszcz's Water Festival, aiming at popularizing E70 waterway and inland waterways tourism.

History

Historically, the island comprised three earth lands:

The "Eastern island" and western part of "Międzywodzie kanal" have been buried during the 1960s and recreated in the form of a cascade in 2007.

Old Polish Period (until the mid-18th century)

For several centuries, the Mill Island was part of royal domain, hence its old Polish name "Royal Island" (Wyspa Królewska), or sometimes "Okole". Actual name Mill Island comes from several mills that were built on the island since the 14th century, which gained a peak of activityin the 19th century.

In the Middle Ages,first mills appeared on the eastern part of the island. At the end of the 14th century, for economical and military defense purposes, water network in the western Old Town was improved, so as to take advantage of Brda river first weir, Jaz Farny (literally "Parish weir"), has been created, along with a lock and a navigable channel which is today the actual riverbed of Brda river. Around 1400, opposite Bydgoszcz Cathedral has been built the mill of the church (młyn kościelny). At the time, royal mills belonging to Bydgoszcz starosta, were standing at the junction of the "Międzywodzie kanal" and the leat channel. In 1541, several large five-wheel driven mills and a sawmill were working on the island. In addition to corn and malt mills, there were also fulling mills for wool cleansing and leather tanning.

The western Island, less built, was occupied by gardens.

In 1594, on the eastern island has been established the Bydgoszcz Mint, propriety of king Sigismund III Vasa. His favoutite, Stanisław Cikowski, opened there a private mint, which turned into a royal mint in the early 17th century.

Prussian period (1772-1920)

The most significant transformation of the island dates back to the construction of the Bydgoszcz Canal. In 1774, in the area of the mint house, was built the largest watermill called "Hercules" (nicknamed "Henryk" from 1828). The last remaining building in Mennica Street (at N° 4) was a tannery, established in 1760 south of the sawmill, and in 1789 were built half-timbered granaries called the White Granary. In addition to industrial and warehouse buildings, residential buildings appeared, like the Miller's House (at Mennica St. N°8) in 1772 or the Administration mills building (N° 6) in the end of the 18th century). To ease the management of cereals between military warehouses on left bank of Brda river and the island, was built in 1789 the "Warehouse bridge" (now at the level of the pedestrian bridge to Opera Nova).

Between 1815 and 1825, Prussians authorities under the leadership of attorney Koplin, started the reconstruction of the island. They piled the dike linking the island to Focha Street, built a complex of mills, barns (including the predecessor of the Red Granary) and residential buildings, in particular using the foundations of the former mint house. On the northern edge of the island were built "Rudolf and Wilhelm Mills" (now Bydgoszcz hydroelectric power station "Kujawska"), a brick coach-house and storage facilities. In 1816 was built a wooden bridge, the Mill Bridge, connecting to the Old Market Square (now Ku Młynom Street).

In 1825, all facilities on Mill Island were taken over by a consortium, comprising, among others, the Schickler brothers from Berlin. These brothers owned also in Bydgoszcz, raised on the grounds of the former castle, a sugar refinery (now the local seat of PZU insurance company at Grodzka St.25). The Schicklers' set up in 1826 Bydgoszcz Mills Company "Hercules", producing not only the local market but also exporting to Germany, Great Britain, and even Brazil. "Hercules" facilities processed cereals imported by water from the whole Polish Kingdom. The mills were also equipped with a waterwheels-driven sawmill.

In 1842, the consortium took over Prussian owned facilities: in 1846 Royal Mills pioneered the first steam engine in Bydgoszcz. In 1848 and 1849, the old mills were demolished, and in its place were built a large mill complex, now known as the Rother's Mills: they were the largest mills in Bydgoszcz in the second half of the 19th century and were supported by smaller ones throughout Bydgoszcz, like "Kentzer Mills", now hotel "Słoneczny Młyn".

In 1859, "Henryk" watermill was demolished, giving place to a steam mill "Camphausa" (the current Red Barn). In 1899, a residential villa was built on the island for members of the board mills (at Minneca N°7), now Leon Wyczolkowski's house. At the turn of the 20th century, the transition from water power mills to steam and electricity industrial buildings on the island was almost complete.

In addition, the period from 1870 to 1914 was the time of creation of "Bydgoszcz Venice", an architectural ensemble of tenements built along the leat canal of the river from the east, south and west. Those picturesque buildings down to the foot of the river became a tourist attraction and inspiration for artists.

Interwar period (1920-1930)

During interwar years, slight changes were brought to the island settlements.

In 1936, a marina for the Military Sports Club was created: demolished in 2011, it has been reconstructed in a new form a year later. In 1934, the "Warehouse bridge" connecting military warehouses to the city was demolished, due to the bend expansion of the Brda river.

Post-war period (since 1945)

After World War II, all milling facilities on the island became property of the "Grain and Mills State Enterprises". Marina was expanded to the benefit of WKS "Zawisza" Sports Club and water police station in the area of the White Granary. In 1964 the Mill Bridge was rebuilt in the current form. At the end of the 1960s, two water ways were filled in, the "Międzywodzie kanal" and the Grain Channel (partly) allowing the island to be merged into one.

In 1978 on the island has been placed a MiG-15, as a monument, which stood here a few months. In the 1980s, an artillery canon has been also placed here.

First revitalization plans for Mill Island in the 1970s were aimed to transform mill installations into museums. In the 1990s mills were sold to private investors, and the remaining facilities were transferred to the ownership of "Leon Wyczółkowski" District Museum in Bydgoszcz.

Revitalization of Mill Island came to completion only after 2004, once received specific funds European Union and European Economic Area. Comprehensive work has been done from 2006 to 2010, with the erection in 2012 of a new water marina in place of the existing WKS "Zawisza" one.

The project to create an hotel out of Rother's Mills is so far unfortunately suspended.

Buildings

Mill Island has been listed between 1985 and 1995 on the Polish Register of Historical Monuments under N°A/878, June 15, 1985 (mill buildings) and N°A/773/1-9, June 6, 1992 Elements noticed in the heritage article:

Most listed buildings are located on the former coinage island. From the original 17th-century mint building still subsits foundations and basement vaults.

The White Granary

Located in the eastern part of Mill Island, on the banks of the Brda river, in the vicinity of the parish weir, it is the oldest preserved building in the Island. It was built in the 1790s and was used till 1974 as a grain warehouse. Since the 1980s, the building houses the history department of "Leon Wyczółkowski" District Museum: here is mainly exhibited Bydgoszcz's history and craft traditions in Kujawy. In 2006-2008, the building was extensively renovated under the program "Restoration of cultural heritage on Mill Island" and fitted for exhibiting archaeological collections.

It has one storey with an attic, an elongated rectangle footprint and covered with a gable roof. It is a half-timbered construction. Worth noticing are :

The White Granary has been listed on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Monuments Heritage List, (N°601216, reg.A/878, June 15, 1985).

The Mill Tavern (Karczma Młyńska)

Located on the waterfront of the leat branch, it was built around 1835 following timber framing method, with brick fillings. It was initially used to store bagged grains. The building has an elongated rectangle footprint, with a storey and windows on the roof wystawki. In the 1990s, the granary has undergone thorough renovations. Today it houses the restaurant The Mill Tavern, Polish: Karczma Młyńska. The building has been listed on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Monuments Heritage List, (N°601214, reg.A/773/1-9, June 9, 1992).

The Red Granary

Standing opposite the Mill Bridge, it is the largest preserved granaries in Bydgoszcz. Formerly so-called "Mill Camphausen", it has been built by the architect Wolff in 1861. Behind the building is the beginning of the "Międzywodzie kanal" which parts Mill Island. Originally, adjoined to the Red Granary was set water wheels driving the mill, it was disbanded in 1917 when transtioning to hydroelectric power station. Today the adjacent building, the Miller's House, is fully rehabilitated. In 1975, the Red Granary has been attached to the Regional Museum. In 2006-2008, it was extensively renovated under the program Restoration of cultural heritage on Mill Island. Since 2009, the Red Granary houses Bydgoszcz Gallery of Modern Art.

The Red Granary is a massive, four-storey, brick building with a basement. The interior layout of each floor is designated. The basement is brick vaulted. Since 2008 renovation and reconstruction, the facility now includes a glass staircase adjacent to the building from the north. The Red Granary has been listed on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Monuments Heritage List, (N°601215, reg.A/773/1-9, June 9, 1992).

Rother's Mills

Rother's Mills are located in the central part of the Mill Island in Bydgoszcz, directly adjacent to the flow of the river. From the north it is bordered by the Brda, and on the west by the "Grain Channel".

The mills ensemble is composed of three blocks: a main building and western and eastern wings. The main building is brick built, and has four levels covered with a gable roof. The main building still preserves its interior layout of galleries on each floor. Western and eastern wings are half-timbered constructed, both five-storey high.

Rother's Mills story goes back to the mid-19th century, when, thanks to the opening of Bydgoszcz Canal linking Brda river and Vistula River, Bydgoszcz became a center of trade in grain and timber towards Western Europe (before the canal, grain was floated down rivers to Gdańsk).

Grain turnover gave rise to new industries, creating needs for new mills and bakeries. In 1825 a consortium took control of mills on Mill Island, trading within local market but also abroad, Germany, Great Britain, and even Brazil. In 1842, Rother's Mills were integrated in a complex of several facilities, renamed Royal Mills, pioneering the first steam engine in Bydgoszcz in 1846. This year is the one of the start of erection of actual Rother's Mills, on the area belonging to merchant Rauber were previously stood gardens. The entire Rother facility has been complete in 1849-1850. The project comprised not only a massive production building, but also:

All buildings were set on corrosion-resistant stilts. At the junction of "Grain Channel" and the leat was also created a wooden bridge with brick pillars, incorporating waterwheels.

In 1861, a new company took over the mill: state-owned Die Königliche Seehandlung Societäts zu Berlin and in 1886, mill was electricity powered.

In 1919, Bydgoszcz municipality took possession of the facility, then in 1921 the Ministry of budget of Second Polish Republic. In 1928, some buildings Mill Island were managed directly by the National Cereal Plant Industry.

After World War II, Rother's Mills were taken over by the State Enterprises Grain and Mills ("Zbożowo-Młynarskiego"). Until the 1980s, the transportation of grain to the mills was executed by water: grain barges were plying into the canal, where a suction tube contraption transported the grain into barns. The end of economic activity for Rother's Mills happened in the 1990s.

At this time, premises were purchased by the company "Hotel", which planned to renovate it into a luxury property, following a project by Warsaw architects Bulanda & Fly: in addition to hotel, a convention center, a restaurant, a recreation center, an underground garage, as well as rental office space were forecast. The project collapsed after a few months of building due to financial problems. Today's owner, company "Nordic Development" still plans to revitalied the ensemble into an hotel and an entertainment center but nothing is announced yet.

In December 2013, Bydgoszcz city has acquired the property from the Nordic Development for 25 million PLN. In September 2016, Bydgoszcz city authorities have signed a letter of intent with Warsaw museum of Technology, Polish: Muzeum Techniki i Przemysłu NOT, to host part of their collections in a renovated part of Rother's Mills buildings.

"Rother's Mills" is composed of three parts: the main building and western and eastern wings. The main building is brick made. It has a four-storey basement with a gable roof. Interior layouts of the galleries are still preserved on each floor. Eastern and western wings are half-timbered constructions with five-storey each. Rother's Mills have been listed on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Monuments Heritage List, (N°601219, reg.A/773/1-9, June 9, 1992).

Kujawska Hydropower plant

Located at the junction of the leat branch and Brda river, it was built in the second half of the 19th century, as a water mill with its granary. The turbine had a capacity of 110kW and it provided power to houses in the vicinity of the Old Market, but it was not linked to the city network. Two water turbines were laid out in the building, upright with wooden teeth gear.

In 1975, a technical expertise declared the turbine chamber unfitted for current standards. As a consequence, the National Cereal Plant announced in the 1990s a tender for the sale of the ruined building. In July 1998, an entrepreneur, "Jerzy Kujawski", builder of an hydropower in Kashubia has become the new owner. He made a thorough repair to the facility and installed a new turbine: the new power plant was launched on December 1, 1998. Between 2000 and 2005, building facades have been renovated, a general overhaul of three turbines has been done and two new ones have been delivered. "Kujawska" power plant had a capacity of 600kW in 2009, 600kW of which were transferred to Bydgoszcz Energy department network.

In 2009 a Museum of energy has opened in the facility: its aim is to recall the history of Bydgoszcz energy, hydropower plants operating in the city area and present people who played an active role in this story. The first exhibition featured a history of power plants and technical equipment. Some rooms also houses exhibitions of power equipment and a large collection of radios from the 20th century (250 pieces). The hydropower plant "Kujawska" has been listed on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Monuments Heritage List, (N°601217 & 601218, reg.A/773/1-9, June 9, 1992).

Wilhelm Kopp's dye house

Former dye house "Wilhelm Kopp" is located on the western banks of the leat channel. Address is Świętej Trójcy 4-6. The first dye house owned by Bydgoszcz industrialist William Kopp was established in 1878 in a nearby street, the company employed just 2 workers. In 1883, the owner significantly expanded its activity by purchasing a facility at Poznanska street 32. In 1893, the plant accidentally burned down, due to the misuse of gasoline, then utilized as a cleaning agent.

After 10 years of use of a tentavive place downtown, Wilhelm Kopp had to build a new plant in 1903, on a plot at Świętej Trójcy Street. The building has five storeys and an ancillary section. It has been constructed in bricks, following the industrial architecture characteristic of the late 19th century.

At the lower level were placed dye and steam engine boilers. The upper floors housed laundry facilities, gasoline sewage, ironing area, expedition and housing. Clothes were coming from several regional office branches (Chelmno, Grudziadz, Inowrocław and Torun), they were washed in special washing machines, using gasoline as detergent that could remove coffee, tea, beer and wine stains. After washing and drying, clothes were ironed and packed. William Kopp's facility was regarded as exemplary in terms of fire protection. The plant experienced a period of prosperity at the beginning of the 20th century, providing laundry services to Bydgoszcz area, but also several to other cities like Grudziadz and Torun. From 1904 to 1910, the company grew from 32 workers, of whom 26 were women, up to 60 people.

When William Kopp died in 1919, company ownership moved to his two daughters and six sons. In practice, only 3 sons (Rudolf Wilhelm Albert, Julius Otto Friedrich and Felix Ernst Max) ran the business. The plant successfully operated, under Kopp Family management, through the interwar period and past the German occupation period. After World War II, the factory was nationalized, taken over by state company "Pralchem" but eventually ceased business in the 1990s.

In 2002, during the revitalisation of Mill Island, the creation of a walking path along the leat channel has separated the building from the waterway, and in 2006 a footbridge over the leat has been built in front of the edifice, dedicated to singer Krzysztof Klenczon. The same year, the question of rebuilding the dye house into luxury apartments has been raised: the project would have created around 30 loft houses, an indoor swimming pool and a winter garden overlooking Mill Island, with a 300 m² service center on the ground floor. However, the plan has never been realized. In 2011, a new owner suggested another project for a 126 rooms hotel with 126 rooms, a restaurant, a conference room, a wellness center and a winter garden on the roof to be completed by the end of 2013. This project is on hold for the time being.

August Franke's spirit refinery

The founder of the distillery Franke was Carl August Franke, who came to Bydgoszcz in 1827 from Leszno. It was initially a small distillery producing rectified spirit. After Carl August's death in 1853, his son Hermann Franke took over the company. From this date, the firm underwent a stable and dynamic development. In 1857, the steam-powered distillation device had a capacity of 1000 liters: the 3hp steam machine, the first one installed in the city, had been produced by Friedrich Eberhard's workshops in Berliner Straße, Bydgoszcz.

In 1872, Hermann Franke launched at Podwale Street 11, new plants to produce pure rectified spirit, popular for liqueur making: daily production of spirits climbed up to about 3500 liters. His high performance business made Franke's company a monopoly in the supply of alcohol in Bromberg and surrounding areas; it also created the need to solve the problem of storage, especially in winter time. Franke bought for that in 1887 a plot, on the bank of leat river, and built there a tank facility capable of storing approximately 1 million liters of raw spirit (soon up to 1.75 million liters). In 1893, he also had built there a modern refinery along the stream, which, together with the factory in Podwale Street reached a daily production of about 10,000 liters of spirits a day. This figure was never exceeded the following years, due to a reducing demand. In the 1890s, decorated public baths facilities opened close to Franke's plants decorated public bathing facilities. Hermann Franke was known as a philanthropist, committed to work for economic, cultural and social development in the city: he was made in 1900, "Honorary Citizen of the City of Bromberg. After Hermann Franke's death in 1913, the entire company passed into the hands of his son, Conrad, who ran the firm only four years, as he died prematurely in 1917, at age 52. The neighbouring building at Czartoryskiego street 6, housed a public-bath, owned by Franke's company, using warm water generated during spirit production. On an outside wall in a courtyard is placed a bas-relief "Children in a Bath" reminding this period.

The plant operated through the interwar period and the German occupation period, but under German ownership. After World War II, the factory has been nationalized and gradually ceased its activity.

City lock

Prior to the city lock, the river splits into two branches:

The water level difference between those branches is 3m.

The original wooden sluice was built in 1774 when the Bydgoszcz Canal was put into service. It was rebuilt many times due to the difficult conditions and the limited durability of the building material. In 1788 the sluice collapsed, and in 1792 a new wooden sluice was set up, despite efforts to use brick or stone: the structure collapsed again in 1803, to be replaced by a wooden contraption in 1805. In the following years, this event pattern happened repeatedly, until 1882, when decision was made to build aside a brick lock with an unusual trapezoidal shape.

Another lock, which survived until today, was set west of the sluice and it was put into service in 1915. It was part of a new section Bydgoszcz Canal, fitted to 400-ton barges standards, along with two newly built large locks, in Okole and Czyżkówko. The same year, the old trapezoidal lock was filled and its stone revetment is still visible today at Marcinkowski Street. In 2014, to celebrate the 240th anniversary of the Bydgoszcz Canal, embankments and walls of the old lock chamber have been unveiled and exposed in an educational and historical purposes, as a part of the revitalisation project of Brda river.

In 2005, the City lock, (comprising locks, buildings, engine room, wheelhouse) has been listed on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Monuments Heritage List, (N°601433, reg.A/901/1-6, December 9, 2005). In 2014-2015 an overhaul of the city lock has been planned, including the set up of a sound system and video monitoring.

Jaz Farny

Jaz Farny (Parish weir) is located between the leat branch of Mill Island and Brda river. It lies in immediate proximity of Bydgoszcz Cathedral ("St. Martin and Nicholas"), hence its name: "Kościół farny" in polish is the "parish church". Next to this weir is the hydroelectric plant "Kujawska".

At this place, in the 14th century, was located Bydgoszcz's first dam, equipped with a water wheel driving a grain mills.

The current weir has been built in 1899, then rebuilt in 1929, 1970 and 1996. In 2014-2015 is planned an thorough overhaul of this weir, part of the revitalisation project of Brda river. In 1995, the Farna weir has been listed on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Monuments Heritage List, (N°A/438/1, February 16, 1995)

Jaz Ulgowy

Jaz Ulgowy (Small weir) is located between the leat branch of Mill Island and Brda river at the level of the marina, upstream from Farna weir. It has been built in 1890, during the reconstruction of Mill Island. The actual structure dates back to 1920. In 1964, "Płockie Przedsiębiorstwo Robót Mostowych" Company completed the 10.5 m-long bridge that parallels the weir. It has been renovated in 1994. In 1995, the Ulgowa weir has been listed on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Monuments Heritage List, (N°A/438/1, February 16, 1995)

Venice of Bydgoszcz

The history of the Venice of Bydgoszcz began in the 19th century, when, along Brda river waterfront, many houses, workshops and factories were built. The main advantage of the location was the easy access to the water as well as being in the city center. Initially, the areas located directly on the river were used as gardens, but around 1870 a lot of the construction of buildings by the river started to be erected. In the end, the landscape in the Venice of Bydgoszcz turned to residential and industrial buildings. The owners of the townhouses were merchants, craftsmen or manufacturers. In workshops were conducted various activities:

At the beginning of the 20th century, the area, due to its original layout became a tourist attraction in Bydgoszcz, especially among artists (F. Gajewski, Jerzy Rupniewski, O. Sager, E. Kwiatkowski, B. Nowicki, A. Grześk-Męczyńska, Leon Płoszay, F. Konitzer, F. Brzęczkowski, Józef Pieniążek, K. Zwichel). Since the 1990s, and more even since the revitalisation of Mill Island, the place has become more and more attractive in terms of tourism and leisure.

Revitalisation

From 2005 to 2012, Mill Island went through a revitalization process, which was aimed at exposing its cultural,recreational and touristic values.

The cost of the four projects on the island reached nearly 100 million PLN:

In addition to these projects, several private investment projects have been run or are planned.