Freedom Square in Bydgoszcz ( pl, Plac Wolności) is located in

Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, in downtown area, between Gdańska Street and the park

Casimir the Great Casimir III the Great ( pl, Kazimierz III Wielki; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, and fought to retain the title in the Galicia-Volhynia Wars. He w ...

Characteristics and Location

Freedom Square stands as an elegant place of Downtown district ( pl, Śródmieście) of Bydgoszcz, ornamented by

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

buildings, a historical church, a memorial and a green park. This is a location for recreational activities as well as military and official ceremonies. The square is centrally located: on its western edge runs the Gdańska Street, heart of downtown Bydgoszcz. On its south border is the

Casimir the Great Park Casimir the Great Park is the oldest park in Bydgoszcz, Poland, covering an area of 2.24 ha. The park is located in a central part of downtown Bydgoszcz, bordered by Gdańska Street, Bydgoszcz, Gdańska Street, Father Stanisław Konarski Str ...

, and to the east starts north the Gimnazjalna street.

History

The land square was formerly part of the garden of 17th century monastery "Sisters of the Poor Clares", along with the area of today's park

. In 1835, the Bydgoszcz City Beautification Society ( Verschönerungs – Verein zu Bromberg) founded on the east side of Gdańska Street a tree nursery tower grown to brighten up the eastern side of Gdanska Street. In 1854, a first and small square called the Place fodder (German: ''Kannonenplatz'') existed. In 1859, the square was extended to the south and planted with trees and greenery, the entire project being financed by Major General Helmut Carl Christian von Weltzien. In 1860, the square was named in his honor (German: ''Weltzienplatz''). Nursery trees in the square still functioned for several years, however, their importance was gradually reduced to the benefit of surfaces on which were erected buildings, High School Nr.1 and a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

. Originally its shape was a large rectangular square, with streets dividing it into four quarters. In 1873, the southern part of the square was used for the construction of the

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

church of St Peter's and St Paul. On 17 September 1893 a statue of Emperor

Wilhelm I William I or Wilhelm I (german: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 2 January 1861 and German Emperor from 18 January 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the f ...

on horseback was erected in the center of the square: it was erected "in memoriam" of the deceased emperor, as a tribute to the creator of the German Reich and the father of the nation.MATERIAlY DO DZIEJOW KULTURY I SZTUKI T4:BYDGOSZCZY I REGIONU, MAREK ROMANIUK-Pomnik konny cesarza Wilhelma I w Bydgoszczy The monument was funded partly by the city, partly by donation from wealthy citizens, like among others,

Lewin Louis Aronsohn Lewin Louis Aronsohn (1850–1928) was a German banker of Jewish origin. As a liberal politician, he was a member of the regional parliament of the Province of Posen (nowadays Poznań), the Prussian House of Representatives and the Prussian Cons ...

or Heinrich Dietz. This monument was short lived: after

returned to Polish territory in 1919, the statue was dismantled and moved to the city of Meseritz (Międzyrzecz). Later, in 1904, on the fringe of the Municipal Park (now the Park Casimir the Great) was established the monumental sculpted fountain "

The Deluge The Genesis flood narrative (chapters 6–9 of the Book of Genesis) is the Hebrew version of the universal flood myth. It tells of God's decision to return the universe to its pre- creation state of watery chaos and remake it through the microc ...

". It remained for 40 years the most attractive sculpture of the city and a symbol of downtown Bydgoszcz, before being partially dismantled and melted down by German forces. During the

interwar In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relativel ...

period, Freedom Square was one of the most charming and well-kept places in Bydgoszcz, embellished by carpets of flowers. In 1938, a reconstruction project run by engineer Stefan Pietrzak modified the appearance of the square: the area adjacent to Gdańska Street was converted into a parking lot, with a lawn area leading to the park Casimir the Great. In 1945, a memorial to freedom has been by architect

Jan Kossowski Jan Kossowski (1898-1958) was a Polish architect and builder, mainly associated with Bydgoszcz. His professional activity spanned from the History of Poland (1918-1939), interwar period to the 1940s. His artistic style is mainly connected with M ...

at the center of the square, in honor of Soviet and Polish soldiers – liberators of the city from Nazi occupation. The monument still exists today, yet it was rebuilt in 1991, adding the following words, "Civitas Bydgostiensis Libera". In 1995, a bronze bas-relief (by Aleksander Dętkoś) was fixed on the memorial, commemorating both the fight for independence of the Poles and the return of Bydgoszcz city to Poland on 20 January 1920. During the

Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million nea ...

, a cannon stood on the square, in honor of a lieutenant colonel of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

, Grzegorz Ivanovich Bolshanin. It was removed in 1964.

Architecture

The Freedom Square is enclosed by several different buildings on its northern front, several styles being represented, including

at Nr.3,

Eclecticism Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in ...

at N.1 and 5, and

Modern architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that form ...

at N.7. The

neo-Romanesque Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

St Peter's and St Paul's Church and the oldest city park lie on its southern border. The western side is delimited by Gdańska Street and Gimnazjalna street borders the east side. Since 2004, restoration works have led to the recovering of the historic shape of the fountain "

the Deluge The Genesis flood narrative (chapters 6–9 of the Book of Genesis) is the Hebrew version of the universal flood myth. It tells of God's decision to return the universe to its pre- creation state of watery chaos and remake it through the microc ...

", completed in 2014. In 2009–2010, a program of revitalization of the square has been carried out (alleys and greenery), together with a refurbishment of main facades.

Main locations and buildings

St Peter's and St Paul's Church registered on

Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, also known as Cuiavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship or simply Kujawsko-Pomorskie, or Kujawy-Pomerania Province ( pl, województwo kujawsko-pomorskie ) is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces) into which Poland is divide ...

heritage list, Nr.A/62, 5 October 1971.zabytek, kujawsko-pomorskie, issued=1.03.2014 Built in 1872–1878, by Berlin architect Friedrich Adler:

and

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

. From 1878 to 1945, the temple was devoted to the congregation of the Evangelical Union. In 1945, it has been dedicated to Catholic liturgy, then to a parish church since 1946. Above the main altar stands a painting of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1850), by Maksymilian Piotrowski, inspired from the former Jesuit church standing at the very place. File:Weltzin Place and St. Paul's Church, Bromberg, Germany (i.e., Bydgoszcz, Poland)-LCCN2002720699.jpg, The church and the square ("Weltzin Platz") ca 1900 File:Brom weltzienplatz mit Kaiserdenkmal 20 40.jpg, Statue of Emperor Wilhelm on Weltzienplatz square File:Bdg kościół śwPiP 05-2013.jpg, View from Gdańska Street File:Bdg fontannaPotop 2 10-2013.jpg, View from the foutain "Deluge" File:Kościół ewangelicki, ob. rzym.-kat. par. pw. Świętych Piotra i Pawła, wnętrze (2).JPG, View of the nave Tenement at Freedom Square 1 Registered on

heritage list, Nr.601429, Reg.A/1041 20 October 1990,. Built in 1896–1898 by Józef Święcicki:

and Neo-Baroque. One of the most famous works of Józef Święcicki, a fecund Bydgoszcz architect from the start of the twentieth century. The building is famous for its sophisticated design and the architectural forms of the facade. The corner tower is topped with a bulbous dome. File:Bydgoszcz kamienica Pl Wolności.jpg, View from Gdańska Street File:Bdg plWolnosci1 4 02-2015.jpg, View of the facade on Freedom Square File:Bdg plWolnosci1 4 07-2013.jpg, Detail of the corner

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...

Tenement at 3 registered on

heritage list, Nr.oA/257/1, 6 May 1991. Built in 1903, by

Fritz Weidner Fritz Weidner (1863–1950) was an important designer and builder in Bromberg (Bydgoszcz, Poland). A vast majority of his works is associated with the city. He is one among many architects and builders who gave a characteristic shape to the town ...

Historicism Historicism is an approach to explaining the existence of phenomena, especially social and cultural practices (including ideas and beliefs), by studying their history, that is, by studying the process by which they came about. The term is widely u ...

and Polish

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

. The building was ordered by Carl Ruckenschuch, a merchant to

, as his family house. The edifice has an asymmetrical façade, the way Weidner design other tenements (e.g. at Gdańska Street Nr.28, Nr.31 or Nr.34), with typical Art Nouveau motifs: feminine masks, owls and beehive. Interiors too have retained some Art Nouveau elements such as the stairwell with nice wall tiles. The plaque on the façade reminds people that in this building lived and worked Andrzej Nowacki for 50 years. A sculpture "Jeans Andrew" by Peter Wagner was unveiled in the 11th anniversary of the death of the artist, as a tribute to the Bydgoszcz art painter. "Jeans Andrew" refers to the artist's most famous cycle – "Udżinsowieni" whose main theme is blue pants. Jeans were for Andrew Nowacki symbol of the times, a symbol of freedom and youth, but on the other hand, is also a metaphor for submission to the fashion and cultural schemes. File:Kamienica na Placu Wolności 3 wBydgoszczy.JPG, View of the facade on Freedom Square File:Bydgoszcz-secesyjny portal kamienicy na Placu Wolności.JPG, Detail of motifs File:Bdg pl Wolności 3 03-2013b.jpg, Detail of motifs File:Detail Wolnosci 5 jean.JPG, Detail of the facade with the "Jeans Andrew" art work Tenement at 5, registered on

heritage list, Nr.A/278/1, 1 October 1991. Built in 1880–1890:

. The building still features nice interiors: plastered ceiling in the hallway and ancient stoves in some flats. The main entry corridor displays

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

pilaster In classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the ...

s and a multicolored

terrazzo Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other suitable material, poured with a cementitious binder (for chemical bindi ...

floor with geometric motifs. File:Plac wolnosci 5 (2).JPG, Main facade view from the square File:Wolnosci 5 gate.JPG, Detail of the gate File:Plac Wolnosci 5 ceiling hallway.JPG, Hallway ceiling File:Plac Wolnosci 5 floor hallway.JPG, Hallway floor

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

and

Tenement at 7, 1939, by

. The house was built according to a design by architect Jan Kossowski, who designed also

Freedom Monument The Freedom Monument ( lv, Brīvības piemineklis, ) is located in Riga, Latvia, honouring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920). It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty ...

standing on the square. It is an example of Polish modernism of the interwar period. First owners of the building were an interior and furniture designer Jacob Hechliński, and the building designer Carl Meinhardt. The facade is clad with sandstone, and the glazed ground floor was originally occupied by a Chevrolet car dealer, ''Antoni Butowski''. During the

'time (''PRL'') it housed a cafe, "Magnolia". Wacław Gieburowski, conductor of the Poznan Cathedral Choir, was born there as mentioned on commemorative plaque. File:Bdg pl Wolności 7 03-2013.jpg, View from the square File:Tablica pamiątkowa ks Wacława Gieburowskiego na kamienicy Plac Wolności w Bydg.jpg, Commemorative plaque for Wacław Gieburowski High School Nr.1 Registered on

heritage list, Nr.A/264/1, 28 May 1991. Built in 1876–1877, by R. Oueissner:

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

. Originally the seat of the German Royal Grammar School. In 1904–1905 a side wing was added. In 1920 the school was converted into State High School Classic, in 1938 it became the State High School and Middle School, and after World War II, High School in Bydgoszcz. The building is "L" shaped, has two-story and an

avant-corps An ''avant-corps'' ( it, avancorpo or , plural , german: Risalit, pl, ryzalit), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than othe ...

. File:Bdg plWolnosciILO 10-2013.jpg, View from the square File:Bdg plWolnosciILO 10-2013.jpg, Detail of the

File:Bydgoszcz-gmach LO nr 1-korytarz.JPG, Detail of inside decoration Freedom Monument Built in 1945, by

: Functionalism. Monument to the fallen Soviet and Polish soldiers during the fighting for the liberation of the city in January 1945. It commemorates also the return of Bydgoszcz to Polish territory, on 20 January 1920. Design by Jan Kossowski as the "Monument of Gratitude to Soldiers of the Red Army". It was intended to be a temporary monument, pending the construction of more worthy project object, but this never happened. In 1990, it was renamed "Freedom Monument". File:Bdg pomnik Wolności 03-2013.jpg, Freedom Monument File:Bdg pomnikWolnosci 8 07-2013.jpg, one of the plaques on the monument, commemorating the return of

to the Polish territory. Fountain "The Deluge" Built in 1904, by Ferdinand Lepcke:

Classicism Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aestheti ...

. One of the most original sculptures in Poland, it was an ornament in Bydgoszcz during the interwar period. Its designer was the Berlin sculptor Ferdinand Lepcke, also the author of Bydgoszcz Archer ("Łuczniczka"). The three-part sculpture depicted the people and animals trying to save themselves from the biblical flood. Water gushed fountains, reaching up to 6 m in height. In 1943, Nazis melted part of it for war purposes. Between 2004 and 2014, the original fountain was reconstructed by private fundings. Another fountain (built in 1906) of the same artist is still standing in the

Rose Garden, Coburg The Rose Garden (German: ''Rosengarten'') is a park in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany, located between the ''Ketschentor'' (town gate) and the ''Angerturnhalle'' (a gym). History Originally the area was a field called the ''Zollbauernwiese''. The tow ...

. File:Bdg Potop 1 07-2014.jpg, Global view of the fountain File:Bdg Potop mez&kob 4 07-2013.jpg, Detail of the characters File:Bydgoszcz, Fontanna - Potop (rekonstrukcja orginału z lat 1904-1943), zdjęcie z 18.06.2014 r. (8).JPG, Detail of the base

Miscellaneous

On the square grows a planetree registered on the Polish

Natural Monument A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance. Under World Commission on Protected Areas guidelines, nat ...

list: this 346 cm trunk circumference tree stands beside St Peter's and St Paul's Church. In the immediate vicinity of High School Nr.1, at Gimnazjalna Street 2a, stands a neoclassical building built in 1865. During

was located there a private clinic for nervous diseases run by Dr. Króla. It served as a military hospital during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and from 1975 to 1993 it was a pulmonary diseases clinic with an X-ray laboratory. Here also grows a

Ginkgo biloba ''Ginkgo biloba'', commonly known as ginkgo or gingko ( ), also known as the maidenhair tree, is a species of tree native to China. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. Fossils ...

, listed as Polish

s.Piotr Schutta "Uratują, ale tylko pół domu". Express Bydgoski 22 lipca 2014

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{Bydgoszcz streets and squares Cultural heritage monuments in Bydgoszcz Streets and squares in Bydgoszcz Tourist attractions in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship