In the collections of the American Library of legislature you can find a collection of paintings that is peculiarly interesting to us. These are colorful photographs from the late 19th century taken in the areas presently belonging to Poland. On these postcards you can see what Warsaw, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Bydgoszcz or Międzyzdroje looked like in times erstwhile fewer people believed that it would be Poland in the future.
RECLAMA
Krakowskie PrzedmieścieFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
Most of the collection is dated to 1890-1900. Photochromes have double signatures - 1 of them informs, under whose partitions there was a given place, and the another signature has a mention that these are areas of contemporary Poland.
View of the Krkonoše Mountains, Mount Sněžka and KarpaczFig. Library of legislature - www.loc.gov |
So in the 19th century the cities that are now within the borders of Poland looked.
It is besides worth paying attention to the method in which these photographs were taken. Photochromies are in fact black and white photos, which are 'colored' with additional print in the selected colour palette. The dyes were applied to lithographic stones, on which further prints were made, resulting in a bit like a painting. Sometimes you had to usage up to 15 stones to make 1 copy. This method was invented by Swiss Hans Jakob Schmid in 1880.
GdańskFig. Library of legislature - www.loc.gov |
In the pictures above we saw, among others, Warsaw, which in the 19th century began to make very intensively. The construction of the Warsaw-Wideńska Railway in 1845 was of large importance, which led to the improvement of the manufacture and made Warsaw a goal of professional migration of many Poles. How many residents did Warsaw have in 1900? There were 686 1000 of them. According to the Central Statistical Office (GUS), Warsaw now has 1 million 865 1000 inhabitants (as of June 2024).
Palace in WilanówFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
Warsaw was in the 19th century called the "city of 4 nations", where Germans, Russians and Jews lived alongside Poles. The increase in the population resulted in the necessity to build fresh apartments - fresh tenement houses were created, and Warsaw was increasingly moving the boundaries of the city. The current Polish capital was not only developing, but besides witnessed national uprisings.
Royal castle in WarsawFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
After the 3rd Polish partition Warsaw was under Prussian partition. Then Napoleon conquered the area in 1806, who formed the Duchy of Warsaw and gave it to Józef Poniatowski. Russia later occupied these areas. During the Russian partition Warsaw was the capital of the Kingdom of Poland, which was formally independent, but in fact Russia had control of the Kingdom's politics and military. The capital never gave up the fight for full independence, as it proved in the November Uprising in 1830 and the January Uprising in 1863. In 1918 Poland, after 123 years of captivity, regained independence.
Palace on the water in WarsawFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
What did Wrocław look like in the 19th century? It was at the time under the occupations of Prussia, and the inhabitants of the city were called upon by Frederick Wilhelm III to assist in the fight against Napoleon. Wrocław, despite its fast development, which resulted, among others, in the launch of the first railway line on Polish lands (on the Wrocław-Oław way in 1842), was plagued by floods and 5 outbreaks of cholera.
Market in WrocławFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
From 1871 to 1918 Wrocław belonged to the German Empire. During this time, the construction of fresh waterworks, sewers, first telephones, electrical trams and besides the first taxis began in Wrocław.
Market in WrocławFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
Bydgoszcz was attached to the Prussian business in the 19th century, resulting in a gradual expansion of the city's borders. The breakthrough was the construction of a railway station in Bocianow, which led to the improvement of housing in the region. Since the 1970s the construction of the barracks began in Bydgoszcz - the northern part of the Śródmieście was even called "the barracks divider", and the characteristic part of the building was "London" (buildings on the current street of Pomorskie A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H) - large Prussian houses built in skeleton technology, utilizing wooden skeleton, bricks or clay mixed with straw. Most of these houses are inactive inhabited today, but there are toilets in all apartments - the toilets are in the corridor.
The garrison church in BydgoszczFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
In the 19th century Poznań was first under the business of Prussia. In 1806, it was incorporated into the Duchy of Warsaw, and from 1815 to 1848 the town was the autonomous Grand Duchy of Poznań. The disconnection from Warsaw made Poznań the outermost city of the Prussian state for a long time, which did not attract besides much attention - and could not number on specified dynamic development.
Poznań, Freedom SquareFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
In time and here, however, work began on a fresh city plan, which envisaged expanding the borders of Poznań and setting fresh streets. In 1828 it was decided to build the Fortress of Poznań, which consisted of building barracks, defensive system, regulating Warta and building the large Śluza. Unfortunately, the expansion of the city besides resulted in the demolition of medieval churches - including the collegiates of St Nicholas, the churches of St Barbara, St Lawrence, All Saints or St Lazarus in Wilda.
View of the old city in PoznańFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
What did Interhealth look like at the time? The village under the Prussian partition was initially almost uninhabited - in 1771, the village had a population of 31, then the "colonising actions" began to be conducted, but the movers included only a fewer families. What was the reason for this? The army usually passed through Interzdroje, and there were fights that destroyed the fields. In the 18th century, farmland was flooded by dunes. In 1812 the village began to change character from agricultural settlement to fishing. In 1835, the first vacationers arrived in Interzdroj, who wanted to remainder from the bustling Świnoujście. The interest was considerable due to the fact that in 1847 the village visited 382 tourists - 316 inhabitants. For this reason, 2 bathing pools were designated - 1 for women, the another for men. From 1850 to 1918, Interzdroje underwent another transformation - from village to resort. During this time, hotels, guesthouses, spa park, pier and parish church were built.
Hotel on the beach in InterzdrojeFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
In the 19th century, Kołobrzeg was under Prussian business and was 1 of the fewer French-disposed pieces of the Prussian state. The Napoleonic army, with 18,000 soldiers, however, besieged this city, defended by 5700 people, from the end of April to 2 July 1807. Despite their tremendous advantage, they never managed to conquer the city, and the valor of "Kolberg" was later utilized by Nazi propaganda.
Castle and rose garden in KolobrzegFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
In 1830 a salt bath facility was opened in the city, which, tested by specialists for healthy elements, began to attract fresh holidaymakers to Kołobrzeg. Thanks to tourism, residents and the city itself, which invested in the reconstruction of the town hall, collegiates, were besides rich, fresh piers, theatres and offices were erected.
Beach and city park in Kołobrzeg.Fig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
During this time Kołobrzeg gained a railway connection with Poznań, Gdańsk, Szczecin and Koszalin, and in the late 19th century the town was lit up by gas lanterns. By the outbreak of planet War II, Kolobrzeg managed to stay out of political turmoil.
The marina in KolobrzegFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
All the photos show how much the Kolobrzeg has developed.
KołobrzegFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
Szczecin in the 17th century belonged to Swedes, and from 1720 it was under the regulation of Prussia (which bought the city for 2 million tallars). During this time, the city was heavy fortified and became an crucial military centre. Szczecin then began to make in terms of maritime, militaristic and urban infrastructure. The 19th century brought an industrial revolution to the city, and fresh factories (sugar refinery, cement plant, power plant, factory, automotive factory, artificial silk or brick), shipbuilding plants and railway lines made Szczecin an industrial and port centre of the region. From the sleepy garrison town, Szczecin became the second largest German port from which soldiers moved, and was introduced by average residents and workers.
Port of Szczecin fot. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
Sopot was known since the beginning of its existence as a spa village, pressed between 2 larger cities - Gdańsk and Gdynia. Traveling "to the water" was reserved only for the elite and was a confirmation of social status. More than a fewer 100 people came to Sopot, a tiny fishing village, and in the mid-19th century, the number of curates began to exceed a 1000 a year. Even erstwhile Sopot was part of Prussia and then Free City, the most visitors were Poles. Henryk Sienkiewicz or Józef Ignacy Kraszewski were rested here.
Beach in SopotFot. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
Adolf Nowaczyński wrote about the city in 1910: "In the premises everyone tried to talk even a twelve sentences in Polish. Even Polish dishes were on the menu at the chic Vermingoff. The champagne at the tables mostly placed Polish Noblessa. Polish company on tennis courts. Polish dogs took prizes in dog competitions. The prettiest bathing costumes, of course the Varsovians".
Spa home in SopotFot. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
The improvement of Sopot was influenced by the iron railway brought into the city in the 1970s. The city was little and little like a fishing village and more like a resort. This affected fishermen who were incapable to usage the beach during the summertime period to dry their nets and keep boats on the shore. In 1909 the fishermen sent a letter to the emperor of Prussia, which resulted in them having to decision south of Sopot.
SopotFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
In the 19th century, the inhabitants of Szklarska Poręba worked hard to collect herbs and prepare medicines, so they were called "laborants" from the Krkonoše. At that time, the city was under Prussian regulation (formerly under Austrian rule), and a fresh influx of inhabitants resulted in the emergence of the Evangelical Church (today the Church of the Immaculate Heart of the NMP). Glassworks were active in the region, including the erstwhile "Józefina" - and present "Julia". In the late 19th century Szklarska Poręba was appreciated for tourism and leisure. Pensions, hotels and shelters under the Łabski Summit were created in the city. In 1890, Carl and Gerhart Hauptmann fell in love with this area. Gerhart in Szklarska Poręba wrote his dramas, specified as "The Rapture of Hanusi" or "The Beaver Fur". In 1912, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. His older brother, Carl, created a series of legends about the Krkonoše Spirit of the Mountains.
Schreiberhau or Szklarska PorębaFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
The interest in beautiful Krkonoše besides contributed to the improvement of Jelenia Góra, for which the 19th century was a successful time. The entrepreneurs built respective factories here, and the tourist movement increased rapidly. The construction of hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and places producing food and souvenirs began for holidaymakers. In 1866, railway lines were brought to Jelenia Góra - first from Zgorzelc side, and a year later from Wrocław.
Hirschberg or Jelenia GóraFig. Library of legislature | Library of legislature | Public Domain |
