Swiętej Trojcy street in Bydgoszcz

Location

Swiętej Trojcy street follows a quarter of cirle arc, having one tip facing south, the other facing west. It connects Poznańska street to Kruszwicka street, and brush through the area of Mill Island (Polish: Wyspa Młyńska).

History

Located very close to the old town and its walls, the street is mentioned in early documents from the 1850s. It then developed to actual arc shape, linking at the time Pozener Straße (Poznańska street) to Canal Straße (today's Nakielska street). At that point, the path crossed the Bydgoszcz Canal and extended westward, as Berliner Chaussee (today's Grunwaldzka street).

At the turn of the 20th century, an establishment of leisure with a concert hall called Patzer Etablissement set up nearby the canal, in a green environment.

In 1913, the Church of the Holy Trinity in Bydgoszcz, located at then N°24 (today N°26) has been inaugurated.

A tram line has been running in Świętej Trojcy street from March 1898 to September 1970.

Through history, the street bore the following names:

Current namesake refers to Holy Trinity, hence the patron of the only church in the street.

Main edifices

Tenement at N°1, corner with Poznańka street

Early 1850s & 1980s

Modern architecture

Earliest address book mentioned in 1855 the landlord of then Posener Straße 337E (later N°26) to be Mr Cords, then his widow Bertha in 1864. In the late 1880s, property moved to a merchant and to a vet doctor. In 1910, the new owner, a carpenter, had the house rebuilt: his name was August Kneiding, living at Korn Markt 9, today's Długa street 65. His family possessed it and later lived there till the outbreak of World War II. During the war, a restaurant, the Gaststätte Wendel was located there.

The old Kneiding's house was torn down in the 1980s to have the current modern building erected.

Tenement at N°3

1904

German Historicism

The area of Berliner Straße 2 and its surroundings was in the 1850s occupied by an iron foundry factory established in 1846 by Friedrich Eberhardt in Jakob Straße (today Grudziądzka Street). In 1904, a piece of the whole plot was built for Agnes Wiechert the wife of a veterinary surgeon, as N°1a. On March 1, 1923, the building housed the seta of the nascient company Eltra established by Stefan Ciszewski, an engineer from Warsaw. In 1992, wall plaque has been unveiled near the porch, to commemorate World War II clandestine armed groups that fought in 1942-1945. Codenamed "3x3", the cell was led by Lieutenant Colonel and intelligence officer Józef Gruss. Józef Chyliński was arrested by communist security organs in 1945, and after two years spent in prison, he moved Canada, where he died in 1985. Józef Gruss was captured by the Gestapo but escaped in January 1945. Arrested after the war by the secret police, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy activities in the Armed Forces. After his release, he lived in this tenement until his death in 1969.

The building boasts German historicism, with a mix of early Art Nouveau elements (curved shapes, round bay windows, floral wrought iron motifs on balconies) and more ancient styles (Wattle and daub building, tented roof with peak). The late renovation (September 2016) has given back to the tenement its past glory, such as the gate portal with its transom light.

Wilhelm Kopp's dye house, at N°4/6

1903

Industrial architecture

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 Poznańska 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 Świętej Trójcy Street, then Berliner straße 33. 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. 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 2006, the question of rebuilding the dye house into luxury apartments has been raised: such a 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 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.

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 machinery and steam engine boilers. The upper floors housed laundry facilities, gasoline sewage, ironing area, expedition and housing.

Tenements at N°5,5A,7,9,11

1885

Modern architecture

The area of Berliner straße 2 and its surroundings was in the 1850s occupied by an iron foundry factory established in 1846 by Friedrich Eberhardt in Jakob Straße (today Grudziądzka Street). In particular, it produced in 1857 the steam machine of nearby August Franke's spirit refinery located on Mill Island. After Friedrich, his son Richard, then his wife Amelie took over the lead of the company. In 1900, a sibling, Fritz Eberhardt, was in command of F. Eberhardt company.

Buildings at N°5/5A have been designed in the 1930ss by Jan Kossowski (1898-1958). In Bydgoszcz, this arhitect also realized, among others, the Freedom Monument and houses at Ossoliński Alley N°5 and Plac Wolności 7.

The factory worked until the end of World War II. After the war, the plant was nationalionzed in 1960. It closed eventually in 1994 and was torn down in 2002-2003. Today, a few brick buildings still recall the industrial past, lost among Modern architecture edifices.

Eberhardt tenement, at N°8

1850s

Neo-Renaissance

This town house located initially at Berliner straße 424E then Berliner straße 31, has been ordered by Friedrich Eberhardt in the 1850s for his personal use. It was ideally situated just across the street, a few meters from his plant producing cast iron and steam powered machines. The edifice then housed successive family members who have ruled F. Eberhardt's factory:

The edifice is a perfect example of Neo-Renaissance architecture. The three-storey building, based on a triangular footprint, displays two different brick and plaster facades, with a bay window in the corner and a Mansard roof. The house is characterised by two peaks with finials, one of which boasts a metal forged lira.

Tenement at N° 10

1888

Neoclassical architecture

The plot at then Mauß Straße 8 has been for a long time a place for an industrial building related to the nearby foundry complex F. Eberhardt. In 1888, the Eberhardt family had this house erected, for renting purposes, although several members of the Eberhardt family lived also there till the outbreak of World War II.

Recently renovated, the facade displays symmetry and simplicity in its neoclassical features. One can notice the entry porch, underlined on the first floor by two round top windows, flanked by pilasters.

Tenement at N° 12, corner with Adama Czartoryskiego street

1860s

Eclecticism

The tenement at Berliner straße 30, was the property of Wilhelm Baesler a smith master, who moved to Bromberg in the mid-1860s. The following landlord was also a smith, Julius Schmiede; his son Erich, a smith master, moved out in the mid-1920s, but lived in Bydgoszcz thill the start of World War II.

Both elevations on the street boast nice arc pedimented windows, the facade on Świętej Trojcy displays in addition pilasters on its ends. A wrought iron gate parts the building, giving access to a backyard on Czartoryskiego street.

Tenement at N°13

1885

Eclecticism

The plot of Berliner straße 3 was built on in 1885 by the new owner, Marie Gawe, the widow of a locksmith. In the 1890s, it moved to the hands of another locksmith, Ernst Dittmann.

Tenement at N°18

1870.

Neoclassical architecture

Berliner straße 27's first indication dates back to 1872, where the building is mentioned to have Hermann Jacobi, a merchant, for landlord. In 1890, it moved to the ownership of a baker, Friedrich Rosenau, living at Berliner straße 5 (today's N°17), just across the street. He later moved to house at N°18. At the turn of the 20th century, a carpenter Stanislaw Tylewski became the new owner.

Tenement at N°20

1869.

Neo-Baroque

The plot bore successively the numbers 441, then 16 and 26 at Berliner straße. Gustav Weihe, a mason, was its first landlord. Anna Fricke, the widow of another mason, took possession of the house in 1890. The edifice remained in the hands of the Friske family until World War II.

This large house is remarkable by its low gambrel roof and its huge neo-baroque wall dormer facing the street.

Tenement at N°21

1898.

Neo-Renaissance, elements of Neo-Baroque

The house, initially at Berliner straße 5a was first the property of Friedrich Heise widow, who has been lived at Berliner straße 5 (today's N°17) till the start of World War I. Afterwards, the building has been owned by a purser at the 14th (3rd Pomeranian) Infantry "Count Schwerin", Anton Dütting.

The building is architectural mix of a Neo-Renaissance facade with Neo-Baroque elements, especially with the avant-corps boasting pilasters and a curved pediment adorned with a festoon. One the elevation, one can underline as well bossages and a corbel table. The elevation on the courtyard displays an arched passage leading to the main door, protected by a wrought iron gate. In addition, a tower-like element stands in the corner of the house.

Franz Ciechanowski Tenement, at N°23

1903, by Ernst Peter.

Art Nouveau

Franz Ciechanowski was an entrepreneur, whose building and engineering company has been thriving, with projects not only in Bromberg, but also in other parts of the German Empire. He bought the plot at Berliner Straße 6 in 1896, and had the current tenement built in 1903-1904, by architect Ernst Peter from Berlin. The house is still owned by the Ciechanowski family.

Ernst Peter typically applied Berlin Art Nouveau style: masks, heads, figures, plants and sea waves, atlantes supporting a balcony, slender female figures flanking the entry gate. One can also notice on both side of the elevation, at the first level, scenes depicting workers activities, probably as a reference about Franz Ciechanowski's business. From the outside, the house looks like a palace, but in fact it comprises a string of different habitations. The front elevation is not aligned with its neighbors, since originally there was a small garden, separated by wrought iron fence.

Inside, some of the numerous murals realized in 1907 by Brunon Gęstwicki (1882-1969), Franciszek Ciechanowski's nephew, from Toruń, are still preserved. Originally, the whole staircase, including the vaulted ceiling, was covered with paintings, but many have been lost during renovations. Preserved fragments refer to the Vienna Secession and works from Jacek Malczewski or Wlastimil Hofman.

Tenement at N°25

1904.

Historicism, elements of Art Nouveau

The house, initially at Berliner straße 6a was first the property of Johann Ceglarski, a rentier. It then moved from 1910 to 1920 the hands of Erich Schaumann, a railway servant. In this house was born the poet and journalist Malgorzata Szulczynska (Feb 27, 1957). She was a journalist dealing with poetry, documentaries and literary critics; she wrote the first biography in Poland of Halina Poświatowska. She also owned an art exhibition gallery in Bydgoszcz, "Pod Trzynastką" English: Under Thirteen, at Śląska street 13/2. She died on December 12, 2003. In 2004, a plaque has been unveiled on the tenement to commemorate her birthplace.

The building displays an harmonious facade, with two large bay windows crossing two levels, topped by a terrace. The facade is crowned by a bell dome gable and four wall dormers. Several cartouches adorned with floral motifs or female figures herald the upcoming of Art Nouveau style.

Holy Trinity Church, at N°26

Registered on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list, N°601222 Reg.A/752, September 20, 1971

1912, by Roger Sławski

Modern architecture, Neo-Baroque (interiors)

The church has been consecrated by Wilhelm Kloske, Gniezno's suffragan bishop on May 18, 1913. Initially, it was reserved for the use of Polish Catholics, while the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, inaugurated in June 1913 was opened to German community.

Tenement at N°27, corner with Kordeckiego street 9

1904.

German Historicism

The house, initially at Berliner straße 6b, was owned by a smith, Anton Hertzke. It was bought in the early 1910s by Carl ßeilke, a factory manager, who lived nearby, at Hippelstraße 13 (today's Kordieckiego street 9). His widow lived there till 1926. The building will undergo a thorough overhaul end of 2016.

The tenement boasts two facades on the street of equivalent features: round top windows on the ground floor, the upper floors are all brick covered, with cartouches and long pilasters. Top wall dormers have ogee shapes. The corner of the building carries a thin bay window, much like a bartizan, crowned by an onion dome roof with a finial.

Corner building with Kordeckiego street 12

1898

Art Nouveau

The plot belonged to Johann Sikorski, a restaurateur who had the tenement erected at the end of the 19th century. Initially at Hippelstraße 1, the building has been the property of the same family till the end of the 1930s.

The tenement boasts Art Nouveau details, especially using cartouches, pediments and friezes. The facade on Kordieckiego street is the most adorned, the other one having lost its decoration. Both elevation have bay windows with a balcony and are topped with an ogee shaped wall dormer.

Tenement at N°28

1912-1915.

Late Art Nouveau, Modern architecture

The house, initially at Berliner straße 22b, was owned by Mr Busse, an member of the city council. His widow Ella lived there till 1920.

The tenement features a mix of styles: late Art Nouveau (adorned Portal, wrought iron gate, eyelid dormer) and early Modern architecture (straight lines, symmetry in the openings locations).

Tenement at N°29, corner with Kordeckiego street 14

Registered on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list, N°722476 Reg A/1389, October 6, 2008

1901

Art Nouveau

The house, initially at Berliner straße 7, was co-owned by Heinrich Kori, a Berlin engineer, and the widow of Rudolph Kori, a lawyer in Leipzig. In 1910, the building moved to the hands of Wedell's brothers, Carl (a geometer) and Paul (a merchant): it remained in the Wedell's family until the outbreak of World War II.

The tenement boasts two facades of magnificent Art Nouveau architectural style, recently renovated in 2016. One can underline the corner bay window, overhanging the entrance, ornamented with stucos depicting two blooming trees. On both facades, a multitude of adorned motifs recall the late Secession style, echoing the Grawunder brothers' tenements erected at Dworcowa Street 45/47 during the same period.

Tenement at N°30

1911-1912

Early modernism

The house, initially at Berliner straße 22a, was owned by Artur Zemisch, who ran a construction company and lived at Hippelstraße 2 (now Kordieckiego 10). In the 1920s, new owners Józef Toksiński and Jan Wilczewski had the tenement renovated.

The tenement features an adorned portal, loggias, balconies and a terrace. It is being renovated through 2016.

Tenement at N°35

1912-1913, by Theodore Patzwald.

Late Art Nouveau and Neo-Baroque

The house, initially at Berliner straße 10, was owned by Emil and Erich ßohl, who ran there a shop, ßohl & Son, selling soft drinks and cigars. Today, the building houses the Regional Chamber of Audit (RIO for Polish: Regionalna Izba Obrachunkowa).

Theodore Patzwald designed there one of the more stately Neo-Baroque houses of the city. The tenement displays noticeable architectural details, from bay windows topped by terrace, to wrought iron and balustrade balconies, to a huge round shape gable crowning the frontage.

Mechanical School N°1, at N°37

Registered on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list, N°601424, Reg. A/890, March 23, 1993

1911, by Otto Brech & Carl Meyer

Neo-Baroque & Eclecticism

The building of the Mechanical School N°1 in Bydgoszcz is a historic public building in Bydgoszcz, serving educational purposes. It has been christened in 1989, Mechanical School Franciszek Sylwester Jerzy Siemiradzki , an engineer, director of the school from 1923 to 1939.