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With the help of this mini guidebook, comprising five themed walks, we would like to invite you to take a sentimental stroll around Praga. The guidebook presents trails prepared by Michał Pilich, the author of „Warsaw Praga Guidebook” for the purpose of Summer Praga Walks (Letnie Spacery Praskie). Summer Praga Walks are guided tours organised by the Department of Culture of Praga Północ District Council during the summer holidays (July - August). The walks are aimed at both the inhabitants of Warsaw and visitors to the capital of Poland. The purpose of our mini guidebook is to present these trails in a concise, yet comprehensive manner, in order to attract attention and inspire the interest of visitors from outside Warsaw and those who prefer sightseeing on their own. Praga Walks are also available on line at www.warszawskapraga.pl. Taking into account that the internet has become the first source of information for many travellers, we hope that through this medium we will be able to reach out to an ever-growing number of prospective visitors to Praga.

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Our aim is to encourage you to explore our beautiful and extraordinary district, to get accustomed to its special character, to discover the treasures and mysteries of Praga’s history, and to admire the beauty of the district’s architecture with its unique town houses and churches. The latter are renowned as magnificent venues for concerts. The Basilica on Kawęczyńska Street has hosted many eminent musicians, i.e. the orchestra’s of La Scala of Milan or the Philharmonic of Vienna. We would like to encourage and incite you to look for your own favourite Praga trails and to discover the magical atmosphere of the bygone days still preserved in Praga’s courtyards, of which

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many hide real gems of sacred architecture. There are over eighty shrines in Praga, and new ones are still being constructed! Some are a result of the artistic activities of children, for instance the shrine in the gateway of 18, Brzeska Street, which was made by the young artists from the Kubicki atelier.

Praga – authentic and welcoming

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Praga reflects the everyday life of its inhabitants. It is a constantly changing, living creature. The district is very welcoming to newcomers. It has become extremely popular with artists, who have flocked in Praga in order to set up their studios, art galleries, theatres and art centres like “Koneser” on Ząbkowska Street and “Fabryka Trzciny” on Otwocka Street. These places are known by artists worldwide. According to the New York Times, Praga is home to the trendiest cafes in Warsaw. Indeed, one must admit that apart from its cutting-edge art, the biggest pride of the district are its cafes: unique “Łysy Pingwin” and “W oparach Absurdu” on Ząbkowska Street, sophisticated “Porto Praga” on Okrzei Street and everyone’s favourite “Babalu” on Kłopotowskiego Street. It would be impossible to mention all of these places, since new cafes continue to mushroom throughout the city. The Old and the New Praga are at the heart of the right-bank of Warsaw. The tenement houses on Brzeska, Ząbkowska, Targowa, Szwedzka, Inżynierska, Wileńska and Mała Street have managed to preserve the atmosphere of Warsaw from the times before WWII. Of all of Warsaw districts, Praga is the one that most resembles the original pre-war architecture of Poland’s capital. “This is the Warsaw I remember”, sigh the Poles who, having lived abroad, come from throughout the world to visit Praga. Do not let appearances mislead you – it is not the dilapidated tenement houses and Praga’s demi-monde that create the atmosphere of the place, but the authentic character of a pre-war city, with its original street layout, robust buildings and Różyckiego Market, whose legend will not be eclipsed even by Jarmark Europa, and which will survive all the other markets in Warsaw as it is the only one with a soul…

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District of contrasts and extremes Praga is the first of Warsaw’s districts to have its own museum: the Museum of Praga is currently under construction at 50/52, Targowa Street and its future exhibits are currently being collected. The opening is scheduled for 2010.

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Praga is the only place in Poland where bears run wild on the streets. You can arrange to meet “by the bears” and people will find their way there without fail. Everyone in Warsaw knows the way to Praga’s ZOO – they have been here either as children or as parents themselves. The uniqueness of the district also lies in the fact that it is the only place in Warsaw where one can find the remnants of the past multicultural character of the city. Praga is home to monuments , located in close proximity, belonging to three different cultures and religions: St. Mary Madeleine’s an Orthodox Church, a neo-gothic St. Florian’s cathedral, a 17th-century chapel of Virgin Mary of Loreto and a Jewish house of prayer. Praga has deep historical roots. The names of some streets (Floriańska, Jagiellońska, Ratuszowa) sound familiar even to visitors from Cracow. To those who are familiar with the district, they are synonymous with a real cultural feast: the magnificent school building of Liceum im. Władysława IV, Teatr Lalek „Baj” (a puppet theatre) located in the former Michał Bergson’s Jewish Educational Centre, and the most modern digital cinema

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in Warsaw, constructed on the site of the cult “Praha” cinema and bearing the same name. All of these cultural treats can be found on just one street – Jagiellońska. For a long time, Praga had the unwelcome reputation of being the most dangerous district in Warsaw, but no police reports sustain these urban legends. Brzeska, for a long time the most infamous of all the places in Praga, is the only street in Warsaw where the neighbours know and greet each other daily! Today, Brzeska Street is home to six galleries and supports a thriving artistic scene. Non-governmental organisations continually promote new ideas within youth

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programmes aimed at children from disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Brzeska has become the street of both artists and children. Together, they recently decorated a new playground and sports field. In August 2007, the artist Iwona Zając and her “Young Team” from Gdańsk decorated the dilapidated tenement house at 6, Brzeska Street with a mural depicting the “Sea on Brzeska”. The curators of this open-air exhibition are, indeed, the children from Brzeska themselves. Thus, art makes its way

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into the everyday life of Praga, changing the surroundings and the people who experience and live it.

Praga’s revival Since the 1980s, the houses on Ząbkowska Street have undergone a process of restoration carried out on the basis of data provided by historical documents. The first to have undergone renovation works was the house at 4, Białostocka Street. Since 1995, some of the most valuable Praga edifices have benefited from a programme of renovation and the adaptation of buildings for social purposes, largely subsidised with funds allocated by the European Union. Thus, the so-called revival of Praga is a multi-level process comprising spatial, economical and social changes. It can be achieved by adapting the existing buildings for new purposes. Revival, however, does not end with the completion of works – it only starts there. Praga Północ district authorities cooperate with non-governmental organisations that specialise in dealing with social problems that result from poverty, unemployment and social pathologies. One of the joint undertakings within the programme is the promotion of cultural and artistic activities. Only in combination do these elements form the full process of Praga’s revival. Thus far, the implementation of the programme has resulted in the renovation of buildings at numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 36, Ząbkowska Street and at 2, Radzymińska Street. Plans include the renovation works of the houses located at 12, 14 and 16, Markowska Street together with restoration of the surrounding green areas, together with the modernisation of Białostocka and Radzymińska Streets and the establishment of

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a Local Integration Centre at 2/6, Korsaka Street. The inhabitants of the district have also come up with a number of ideas and have suggested extending the park on Namysłowska Street, reconstructing Weteranów 1963r. Square, renovating Praski Park and establishing the Museum of Praga.

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Warsaw’s cutting-edge cultural centre To say that Praga has no problems would be denying the

obvious. It may have successfully embraced its new image as Warsaw’s cutting-edge cultural centre, but the district also has to face the serious challenge that poses the technical condition of Praga’s pre-war buildings. Paradoxically, the district’s most important asset is also its biggest weakness. Renovation works require exorbitant financial resources and the settling of ownership issues. Praga also needs to attract enthusiastic, bold and creative investors willing to contribute to the cultural, academic and social revival of the district. One thing is certain: Praga is vibrant and constantly changing: in its own way and at its own pace, but without losing its authenticity and always for the better. Its specific character will not be threatened by the construction of an underground line nor the invasion of football fans during Euro 2012. Praga is young and creative and knows how to put such opportunities to good use. You can find out for yourself: Praga is only two thousand metres from Warsaw town hall.

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Beata Bielińska - Jacewicz

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Three Religions Route

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This walk takes us through the oldest part of the district, allowing the visitor to see Praga’s most interesting monuments (St Florian’s Cathedral, St Mary Madeleine’s Orthodox Church, Matki Boskiej Loretańskiej Church and places connected with the history of Praga’s Jews), which are proof of the historical coexistence of the three religious communities in Praga.

1 St Florian’s and St Michael’s Cathedral Neo-gothic church dated 1888-1901. Its design was based on a project by Józef Pius Dziekoński. The church is one of the most distinctive features of Praga and its towers can be seen even on the other side of the Vistula River. At the turn of the 19th and 20th c., the Gothic style aspired to become the Polish national style, and a church would counterbalance the nearby Orthodox church, a symbol of Russian occupation. The cathedral was destroyed within one day, 14th September 1944, when the World War II front line reached Warsaw. When the Germans were forced to retreat from Praga by the advancing Soviet troops, they blew up the church. The only elements of the construction that withstood the explosion were fragments of transept with, surprisingly, the statues of the two patron saints of the temple. The sculptures can be still seen in the same place: St Michael’s statue from Floriańska Street and St Florian’s from Sierakowskiego Street. The cathedral’s post-war reconstruction was completed in 1970.

2 Ignacy Skorupka’s monument Statue of the priest Ignacy Skorupka - made by sculptor Andrzej Renes, was unveiled outside St Florian’s and St Michael’s Cathedral. Ignacy Skorupka perished in the famous battle between Poles and Soviets on 14th August 1920.

3 Praski Hospital The hospital was first established in 1868. The main building on Weteranów Square was constructed between 1934 and 1936. Its shape is arched as a result of it being constructed on the edge of a round square dating back to 1860s, and its high window alcoves with soaring neo-gothic arches in the middle of the facade are a reference to the architecture of St Florian’s cathedral. The year of the construction of the hospital “1935” is carved on the cobbled pavement opposite the main entrance.

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Three Religions Route

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4 Floriańska Street A cosy street that connects Weteranów Square and Kłopotowskiego Street. The Street, set in 1864 as Konstantynowska Street, has partly preserved its original architecture, a cobbled pavement and old lamp posts. The building at no 8 dates back to 1911-1912 and is known as Brzozowski’s tenement house. 3, Floriańska Street is the former church parish. On 6, Floriańska Street stands a modern house (“Vis-a-vis”), the construction of which was completed in 2004, and which occupies the area between Floriańska and Jagiellońska Street.

5 The monument of Praga’s folk music band The monument was inaugurated in September 2006 as a tribute to the residents of Praga, and comprises sculptures of a violinist, an accordion player, guitarist, drummer and a mandolin player who, in combination, will play a traditional Warsaw song. Visitors to the monument willing to listen to this particular kind of music can send a text message and get a sample of Warsaw’s folklore. At night the monument is beautifully illuminated. Visitors can also select one of hundred Polish songs to be played by sending a text message.

6 Veterans’ House The building was constructed between 1896 and 1900. The construction of the Veterans’ House was initiated by the Russian Red Cross, and the building was meant to an establishment for the widows of Russian soldiers. The corner of the building used to be crowned with a dome underneath which, on the first floor, there used to be an Orthodox chapel. From 1924, the building was used as a home for January Uprising veterans (the Polish Uprising of 1863 against the Russian occupation). In the house on Floriańska Street the veterans were granted their board and keep. As well respected members of the community, they used to be invited to many patriotic celebrations. They were given officer ranks, and in 1935 the square in front of St Florian’s Church was named Plac Weteranów 1863. Today, the building serves for the purposes of Warsaw-Praga diocesan curia.

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Three Religions Walk

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7 Owls’ House The corner tenement on 26, Okrzei Street, It’s called The Owls’ House because of sculptures of owls decorating the top of the facade. Below, there are a number of low reliefs representing bats and dragons. The tenement, designed by Henryk Stifelman and Stanisława Weiss, dates back to 1906 and was constructed for prince Bronisław Massalski. On the corner of the building, there is a tower once crowned with a helmet.

8 Praha cinema The modern cinema was constructed to replace the former premises of „Praha” cinema. The original building was erected between 1948 and 1949 according to project of Jan Bogusławski and Józef Łowiński. The building was an interesting architectural example of socialist realism. It has been pulled down, but its characteristic low reliefs have remained inside the new building.

9 Former Jewish bath house Inside the Jewish bath house, there used to be a sort of pool filled with water flowing at a very slow pace. The amount of water was just enough to submerge the body. The bath was used by pious Jews before the Sabbath and other religious festivals. It was also the place where all containers bought from non-Jews were washed before they could be used. There used to be a bath house on Kłopotowskiego Street since mid-19th century, however the sophisticated building that has survived till our times was designed by Naum Hornstein and was constructed between 1910 and 1913. The bath house was very popular among the Jewish community and had a significant number of regulars. Today, the former bath house is home to a multicultural high school, Liceum im. Jacka Kuronia. On the corner of Jagiellońska and Kłopotowskiego, there is a small park in the place where the building of a synagogue used to be. This small round building designed by Józef Grzegorz Lessel served as a place of worship for generations of Praga’s Jews, until World War II. The devastated, though not completely destroyed building survived the Nazi occupation. Not recognized as valuable, the building was pulled down in 1961.

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Former Jewish Educational Centre building

The house at 26, Jagiellońska Street was home to one of Praga’s greatest monuments, Jewish Educational Centre. It served as a boarding school, a nursery and a refuge for Jewish children. The construction was completed in 1914. The modernist architecture of the building was designed by Henryk Stifelman and Stanisław Weiss inspired by Polish Renaissance art. On the facade there is a plaque with an eagle and the symbol of Warsaw, a mermaid. Since 1953 the building has been home to Teatr Lalek “Baj” (a puppet theatre). The room that now houses the theatre stage used to serve as a house of prayer.

11 Liceum im. Króla Władysława IV It is the most renowned of all Praga schools. This impressive high school building is situated at 38, Jagiellońska Street. The building, designed by Adolf Kozłowski and constructed in 1905, was at first a boys’ school. After the Russian occupiers left Warsaw, a high school was established on the premises. King Władysław IV Waza was chosen as the patron of the school. The famous alumni of the school are: Janusz Korczak (orphanage director in Warsaw ghetto, died in Auschwitz), August Zaleski (foreign affairs minister in 1926-32, the president of the Republic of Poland in exile in 1947-72), Dobiesław Damięcki (actor and film director) and Władysław Ochman (famous opera singer).

12 Four Sleeping Brothers The monument is located in the middle of Wileński Square. It commemorates the cooperation between the Polish and the Soviet army in World War II. The monument is surrounded by the sculptures of four soldiers, hence its name: it is commonly called the “sleeping soldiers” or the “sleeping brothers” by Warsaw’s inhabitants. It was erected soon after the end of the war, in 1945. The author of the sculpture was Stefan Momot, while the platform was designed by Bohdan Lachert. The sculptures of the soldiers were made in Berlin and were reportedly modelled on some of the conquerors of the Nazi capital themselves.

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13 Mary Madeleine’s Orthodox Church The church was designed by Mikołaj Syczew and constructed between 1867 and 1869 as a symbol of the Russian rule. Today, it is one of the major monuments of Praga. It has preserved its original interior décor with gilded altars. The three-level main altar, the so-called iconostasis is richly ornamented with the Emperor’s Gate positioned centrally. Four circular representations of Moses, David, Isaac, Elia adorn the inside walls of the dome and, underneath, the Evangelists, whose paintings are located between the side walls and the domes. Between them, is the inscription of the Lord’s Prayer. Inside, there is also a copy of the icon of the Virgin Mary which was donated to the church by archimandrite Makary, a hermit from the Athos Mountain. On the left-hand wall, is an iconostasis representing Hiob Poczajowski, which is much older and was brought to the church in 1892. To reach the lower part of the church one must go down the stairs situated in the South-West corner of the building. This small place is decorated with a polychromy made between 1995 and 1998 by the Pantopulos, a couple of artists from Cracow. The right wing is decorated with fragments of the mosaic from the apse of St. Alexander Newski’s Cathedral, which used to stand in the middle of what is now Piłsudskiego Square (1894-1912), and was finally pulled down between 1924 and 1926.

14 House of the Metropolitan Building designed in a style of small palace dates from 1871 and is the seat of the Metropolitan, the superior of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

15 The Cross of Praga’s Slaughter This decorative metal cross commemorates the victims of the slaughter of Praga. On 4th November 1794 Russian troops, led by General Suworow, stormed the city and killed a great number of Praga’s inhabitants. The failure of the Insurrection resulted in the third and the last Partition of Poland between the three neighbouring empires (Russia, Austria, Prussia). The cross was probably erected after the Russians fled Warsaw in 1915 and the traces of bullets fired during World War II can still be seen today. The cross has allegedly replaced a number of wooden crosses that used to commemorate the tragedy.

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Three Religions Route

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Three Religions Walk

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16 Praski Park It was established by virtue of an ukase issued by Tsar Alexander III in 1865 on the site of the buildings that had been pulled down. Alexander Park, as it was known under Russian rule, was opened to public in 1871. Today, the park occupies 18.5 hectares. The forest consists of buttonwood trees (one of these trees situated by the main path is 352 cm in circumference), chestnut trees, ginkgo, poplar, linden and maple trees. Examples of some of the park’s curiosities are the public water tap atop a stone bowl, dating back to 1936, a bust of the writer Eliza Orzeszkowa from 1938, a sculpture of a giraffe (1981) and a concert bowl.

17 Matki Boskiej Loterańskiej Church As Praga’s oldest building, the chapel is all that remains of the old building that used to be adjacent to a baroque church and Observants monastery. It was designed by Konstanty Tencalla and constructed between 1640 and 1644, with the enormous financial support of King Władysław IV, Queen Cecylia Renata. Inside the chapel can be found the so-called Loreto house. It is a copy of Mary’s house, which, according to legend, was transported by angels from the Holy Land in 1291 to what is now Croatia, and three years later to the Italian town of Loreto. Inside stands a sculpture of Mary of Loreto. The image of Mary and the Loreto chapel is even represented on Praga’s coat of arms from 1648. The Loreto house has survived till today. The statue was transported to St. Anna’s Church on Krakowskie Przedmieście, where it is located in a chapel that was especially built for this purpose. The statue that replaced the original one in Loreto House is a Gothic 15th-century sculpture of Matka Boska Kamionkowska.

18 The ZOO It was created in 1928 and is part of Praski Park. Today, 5000 animals, representing 500 species reside in the zoo. During the late 1990s a number of new buildings were built to accommodate a wide variety of animals including elephants, birds and reptiles. Many of the existing buildings were renovated and the former elephant pen is now home to the rhinoceros.

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Three Religions Walk

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street, with its oldest buildings dating back to the 1860 and the more recent ones erected at the end of the 20th century, will allow us to track the dynamics of Praga’s architectural revolution: from the recently renovated old tenements on Ząbkowska Street, to the buildings of Warsaw Vodka Factory.

1 Szejn and Tychoński’s tenement Building at no 2 with a small tower at the top was constructed in 1914 and was a property of Szein and Tycholski. It is one of Praga’s most characteristic edifices. During renovation works carried out in 2005 the original spire that used to crown the house was transferred to the Museum of Warsaw and replaced with a new one on the top of the building.

2 Sikorski’s tenement The house dates back to 1890 (the construction date is on its side wall) and was constructed for the Sikorski family. The only original element of the facade is the balcony. All window frames have been reconstructed on the basis of a photograph from 1919 of a similar house that stands in Kielce.

3 Szmul Kalina’s tenement One of the most beautiful edifices on Ząbkowska. It was constructed between 1879 and 1880 as a two-storey house for Szmul Kalina. By 1889 the third storey had been added, and around 1910, the fourth one. It is a typical example of the development of tenement housing in Praga. For many years the building was in a state of disrepair, with the plaster and all balconies torn off. The renovation was based on a project by Dariusz Hyc and Henryk Laguna. The source of inspiration for the construction of the new balconies was the building at 3, Brzeska Street. The new advertising signs of the shops located in the building are made in retro style.

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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4 Icchak Hersz Jahrman’s house The front house at no 11 was constructed after the fire in 1868 for Icchak Hersz Jahrman, after a fire that consumed most of the buildings on Ząbkowska Street. The ground floor of the building used to serve as a Jewish place of worship. It was constructed as a one-storey building, and its second floor was added after the World War II. Now the only original features of the house no 11 are its balconies. The building’s courtyard, with a shrine of the Virgin Mary, is worth a visit. Behind there is a shrine with the statue of the Virgin Mary.

5 Tenement at 12, Ząbkowska Street The building at no 12 dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. It was renovated, but due to the lack of historical sources, the original decorations of the facade could not be restored. The building has new balconies and there is a statue of the Virgin Mary inside a niche in the facade, similar to the one that used to stand there when the building had Jewish owners. Even today there are traces of the Jewish inhabitants of the building. In the frame of the door to the staircase located between the side and the crosswise annexes, there is a small, diagonal furrow. It was used for a mezuzah, a small trough-shaped box where Jews would put scraps of paper with quotes from the Deuteronomy. Pious Jews used to put mezuzah in door frames of their houses, as they believed that the quotes from the Deuteronomy are a blessing for their homes. The mezuzah in the entrance to the building at 12, Ząbkowska Street proves that all the inhabitants of the house were Jewish.

6 Róża Kwiatkowska’s house The house was constructed between 1868 and 1870 by Aleksander Siekiera for Róża Kwiatkowska. Interestingly, the original decorations of the building have been preserved. In the courtyard, there is a reconstructed wooden gallery which runs along the first floor allowing access to the apartments situated on this storey. The window frames of the facade have also been restored. The building is home to an antique shop, Stara Praga, worth a visit even if only for the atmosphere and the smell of the furniture from bygone days.

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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7 Elżbieta Podbielska’s tenement The oldest preserved building of this kind on Ząbkowska. It was constructed for Elżbieta Barbara Pobielska in 1866 and it survived a huge fire, which consumed the whole street in 1868. After this tragic event the authorities banned the construction of any wooden buildings on Ząbkowska. This decision initiated a real construction boom of this area of the city, the results of which can be seen today.

8 The building of PAST The edifice at 24, Brzeska Street (just off the junction with Ząbkowska Street), constructed between 1934 and 1936, served before WWII as the headquarters of a telephone company, (PAST stands for Polska Akcyjna Spółka Telefoniczna). It was one of the buildings which were occupied by Polish fighters on the first day of Warsaw Uprising, 1st August 1944. These events are commemorated with a plaque on the building’s facade and a symbol of Polska Walcząca (Fighting Poland): a ‘P’ represented as an anchor.

9 Tenements at 15/23, Ząbkowska Street The stretch of Ząbkowska Street between Brzeska and Markowska is occupied by tenement houses dating back to the 1990s. The outside decoration of the houses on the even side of the street is an interesting pastiche of the architecture of late 19th century. However, the new buildings are in keeping with the original character of the street. On the odd side of the street, at the bottom of the large new building, the facade of three old houses has been reconstructed: two semi-detached one-storey buildings and a two-storey house (once no 17, 19 and 21 respectively). Even though the building at no 19 was pulled down in the 1960s and the state of the other two buildings was too bad to allow for their renovation, the facades of the three houses were reconstructed in the new building on the basis of the preserved elements of the decor and old photographs. Even the attempts to save a 100-year-old oak tree next to the house no 21 have been successful.

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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10 Warsaw Vodka Factory “Koneser” At no 27/31, Ząbkowska Street, are the premises of an industrial plant that has been for years an intrinsic feature of Praga’s landscape. It is Warsaw Vodka Factory “Koneser” (locally known as „Monopol”), whose construction started in 1897 on the initiative of Polish-Russian Distilling Association. The most popular brands of vodka produced on Ząbkowska Street are Wyborowa (since 1927) and Luksusowa (since 1928). The plant is now a building of great historical importance. It is a typical example of industrial architecture dating from the late 19th century, which was influenced by buildings from the medieval period. One of its most beautiful features is the main gate on Ząbkowska Street. The distilling plant was one of the first in Warsaw to get a source water well. During World War I, the inhabitants of Warsaw used it after the retreating Russian army had blown up Kierbedzia Bridge together with the water pipes that were running underneath. Today, water from the sources located 260 meters underground is used mainly for vodka production. The building stands a good chance of becoming the cultural centre of Praga. Part of the buildings is home to a off-theatre (“Teatr Wytwórnia”: www.teatrwytwornia.pl), a cultural association, a shop selling artefacts (“Magazyn Praga”: www.magazynpraga.pl) as well as photo galleries: “Luksfera” (www.luksfera.pl) and Bohenska Gallery (www.bohenskagallery.pl). There are plans to transform part of the building into a distillation museum. On the other side of Ząbkowska Street, in front of main entrance to the Factory the tourist information office ‘Info Praga’ is located.

11 Castle-like tenement This tenement house located on the corner of Ząbkowska and Nieporęcka Streets dates back to the beginning of the 20th century; it is crowned with merlons and resembles a medieval castle.

12 Virgin Mary sculpture The sculpture of Virgin Mary was installed at the corner of Ząbkowska and Korsaka Street in 1908, on the initiative of workers from the “Labor” factory, a manufacturer of metal ware, located at 50, Ząbkowska Street. It replaced an older sculpture and a wooden cross.

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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Michałów and Szmulowizna

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The trail will take us through Szmulowizna, a settlement (later incorporated into the city of Warsaw) named after its founder, Szmul Jakubowicz Zbytkower (1727-1802), a Jewish trader, banker, factory owner, friend of the last Polish king Stanisław August Poniatowski. In the 1930s and following World War II the district gained the reputation of being a dangerous neighbourhood. We shall see, however, that the area is more intriguing than perilous. Do not attempt to call anyone here a bum, thought!

1 Tram depot The tram depot at 20, Kawęczyńska Street was designed by Juliusz Dzierżanowski and constructed in 1922-25. The complex of buildings comprises an apartment house for the employees and a spacious depot at the back that could hold over 200 carriages. It was from Kawęczyńska depot that on 20th June 1945 the first Warsaw tramway after WW II left.

2 Wooden house on Kawęczyńska Street The house, constructed around 1900, is a unique edifice among Warsaw’s monuments. This is the last multi-storey wooden house in Praga. It is an interesting example of the old Praga architecture, once dominated by this kind of buildings. The house has preserved its decorative window frames, cornices and roofs, which are a credit to the quality of work of the local carpenters.

3 Complex of former factory buildings No 36, Kawęczyńska Street used to hold the complex of industrial buildings constructed in 1893 as a production plant of skirting boards (Fabryka Parowa Listew W. Domańskiego i St. Zabłockiego). The two buildings that have been preserved, a building that served as living quarters, dating from 1903, located from the side of the street, and a production plant from 1912, located further in the property, are now home to a business college, which in 1995 set up on Kawęczyńska Street its modern campus.

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Michałów and Szmulowizna

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Michałów and Szmulowizna

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Michałów and Szmulowizna

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4 Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus The church, dating back to 1907-1923, is one of the largest in Warsaw. The basilica was funded by the duchess Maria Radziwiłłowa and her husband, Michał Radziwiłł. The architect of the church, Łukasz Wolski, drew his inspiration from early Christian basilicas. The style of the building was also largely influenced by the duchess’s decision to buy 24 monolithic granite pillars, which were transported from Italy, by train, in 1915. In 1919 a parish was established in the church which was still under construction. After the war, the works were supervised by the architect Hugon Kundera. The construction site was even visited by Achilles Ratti, a papal nuntius. It was he who, as Pope Pius XI, proclaimed the church to be a Basilica in 1923. Soon after that, on 16th September 1923 the basilica was consecrated by the cardinal Aleksander Rakowski. The event was attended by a number of eminent guests: the President of Poland, Stanisław Wojciechowski and the then Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature, who later became Pope Paul VI. In 1931, Maria Radziwiłłowa entrusted the Basilica to the Salesian Brothers, who later completed all construction works. Its worth to see the basilica’s interiors. The mosaic in the presbytery, representing Christ surrounded by angels and two kneeling figures that symbolise the Catholic Church and Poland. Below, there are mosaics representing the saint and the blessed. The polychromy in the remaining part of the basilica are paintings that represent scenes from the New Testament (the vault of the main nave), portraits of the twelve Apostles and twelve popes (the ruffle of the main nave) and Stations of the Cross (side naves). The authors of the polychromy are Łucja and Józef Oźmin and Jan Molga. In the left nave, there is a chapel of the Virgin Mary with a statue brought from Turin in 1933. A plaque commemorates the founders of the Basilica, Maria and Michał Radziwiłł. The bell (dating back to 1712) at the top of the basilica’s soaring tower, constructed between 1996 and 1999, was a gift from Maria Radziwiłłowa. Pope Pius X gave her his skull-cap, collar and humeral, as well as a thorn from Christ’s crown. Now these gifts belong to the Basilica.

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Michałów and Szmulowizna

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5 Former mill This high brick building used to serve as a steam mill. It was part of Towarzystwo Akcyjne Warszawaskiego Młyna Parowego, established in 1899. The mill, owned by Jewish entrepreneurs, processed 250 tons of cereal annually. Different types of cereals used to be produced here.

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Complex of school buildings at Otwocka Street

On the corner of Otwocka and Siedlecka Street, there is a complex of school buildings. It was designed by Konstanty Jakimowicz and constructed by 1926 as one of a chain of modern schools located in the outskirts of Warsaw. Before World War II, the buildings on Otwocka Street were home to three state schools. The buildings had major role during the war. Since Szmulowizna and Michałów were beyond reach of German shelling from the other side of the river, between 1944 and 1945 the building was home to a number of institutions and municipal authorities, that employed around 3000 people.

7 Fabryka Trzciny Art Centre No 14, Otwocka Street is a very important place on the cultural map of Warsaw. These old factory buildings are today home to Fabryka Trzciny (Reed Factory). This cultural and educational complex was created in 2003 on the initiative of Wojciech Trzciński (hence Fabryka Trzciny), a composer as well as a music and TV producer. The factory buildings were constructed during the 1920s and since then have been home to a number of different production plants. Today, the building is a combination of a restaurant, art gallery, concert hall and conference centre. The place attracts all kinds of artistic activities: theatre (since 2005 it is home to Teatr Nowy Praga), music, fine arts. Even though the place now serves completely different purposes than it was originally intended for, reconstruction works did not eradicate the rugged, industrial character of this former factory. More information about cultural activity of Fabryka Trzciny is available at www.fabrykatrzciny.pl

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Michałów and Szmulowizna

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Michałów and Szmulowizna

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8 Jadowska Street Otwocka Street finishes at the entrance of Łomżyńska Street. Jadowska Street is located several dozen meters further on, to the right. It is well worth a visit for its replicas of five gas lamps from 1935, that used to light the street. They were converted into electric lamps several years ago and today, there are no more gas lamps to be found in Praga. Jadacka Street has also preserved its original cobblestone surface.

9 Manor House on Radzymińska Street The building located at 49, Kawęczyńska Street resembles a manor house. It dates from mid-19th century, but no details concerning its history are known.

10 Śnieżna Street On both sides of the street stand the buildings of the former „Franbola” candy factory dating from the 1920s: the plant at no 3, and an administrative building at no 4. The factory was established in 1922 and named after its three founders: Franciszek, Bolesław and Ignacy. At the end of the 1920s and in the 1930s, “Franbola” was run by Ignacy and Laura Kiełbasińscy. Without being nearly as popular as “Fuchs” or “Wedel”, the company had a good position on the Polish market and sold its products in the company’s shop in Warsaw (at 113, Marszałkowska Street) and other Polish cities (Katowice, Lublin, Łuck, Łódź, Poznań, Równe, Wilno). Apart from manufacturing sweets, “Franbola” also packaged and sold tea. In the 1930s it employed around 100 people. The administrative building at 4, Śnieżna Street was constructed in 1931. The ‘I’ and ‘K’ on the façade of the building stand for Ignacy Kiełbasiński, the director and co-owner of “Franbola”. The buildings were saved from destruction during Warsaw’s liberation in 1944 and soon after the war was over became part of the “Wedel” factory. Today, they are home to Caritas on Praga.

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Michałów and Szmulowizna

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Michałów and Szmulowizna

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From the banks of Vistula River

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This trail around the part of the district located closest to the river bank and Praski Port will allow us to see the coexistence of history and the contemporary life of the district. We will visit an old Nazi bunker, a Classical Water Chamber and the Centre of Vietnamese Culture.

1 Water chamber Old Water Chamber (Komora Wodna) on 1/3, Kłopotowskiego Street is one of the oldest and most valuable monuments of Praga. The building was designed by Antonio Corazzi, a famous Italian architect. The facade of the chamber was decorated by a big low relief in a triangular tympanum made by another Italian artist, Thomas Accardi. The relief represents the god of the seas, Neptune, on a chariot drawn by four horses with fish tails, surrounded by two dolphins. The Water Chamber was situated at the entry of the old “skate-blade bridges”, which used to link both banks of the river. The chamber’s employees were in charge of these temporary bridges and collected fees from people passing through and transporting goods across the river. The building ceased to be used for this purpose following the construction of a permanent bridge in 1864 (Kierbedzia Bridge, which no longer exists).

2 Former German bunker The former German bunker from World War II is located by the hospital wall, on the corner of Panieńska and Jasińskiego Street. After the war, the shooting ranges located on each side were bricked in, but they can still be seen in places where the bricks have crumbled.

3 Loreto Sisters’ Nunnery At no 17, Kłopotowskiego Street there is Loreto Sisters’ Nunnery. The congregation was established in 1920 by priest Ignacy Kłopotowski, the parish priest of St. Florian Church and devoted worker for social causes. On Kłopotowskiego Street, Loreto Sisters carry out publishing and educational activities.

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From the banks of Vistula River

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From the banks of Vistula River

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From the banks of Vistula River

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4 Praga Północ District Council On the corner of Kłopotowskiego and Sierakowskiego streets stands a monstrous building from the 1950’s, which is now home to Praga Północ District Council. Until World War II, this impressive neo-gothic building was an imposing school building constructed between 1903 and 1904. Being one of very few such investments in Warsaw, the school was the district’s pride and joy. Unfortunately, it was bombed and burnt down at the very beginning of the war, in September 1939, and later pulled down during the Nazi occupation. On a big square next to the school the municipality used to organize folk festivities and fairs.

5 Jewish Hall of Residence On the corner of Okrzei and Sierakowskiego Street stands one of the most magnificent edifices of Praga, the Jewish Hall of Residence (Żydowski Dom Akademicki), constructed between 1924 and 1926. It was home to students of Jewish origin studying in Warsaw. There were 300 beds, most of which were located in double rooms. At the time, this was a very modern building containing a gymnasium, student club and a lecture theatre. It was designed by Henryk Stifelman. The decor of the building was inspired by Polish Renaissance art. One of the students who lived in the building was Menachem Begin, the future Prime Minister of Israel and a Nobel Prize winner, who studied law at Warsaw University.

6 Monument of Kościuszko Division This enormous monument represents a soldier who stretches his arm towards Warsaw. It is dedicated to the memory of the soldiers from the 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division. The division was part of the Polish army and was set up in 1944 in the Soviet Union. The Polish army followed the Soviet army on the combat trail from Moscow to Berlin. The monument was designed by A. Kasten and B. Chyliński, and unveiled on 17th January 1985.

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From the banks of Vistula River

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From the banks of Vistula River

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From the banks of Vistula River

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7 Praski Port Constructed on a spacious sandbank, the remains of the old river bed. The docks were built between 1918 and 1939. Since 1963, when Żerański Port was opened in the North, Praski Port has been losing its significance and it is almost completely closed at the moment. There are plans to transform the place into a modern business centre containing offices and luxurious apartment blocks.

8 Praga fire station At no 2, Marcinkowskiego Street, stands Praga fire station, which was designed by Józef Orłowski and constructed in 1878. The corner stone was laid by the then City Mayor, Sokrates Starynkiewicz. The fire station complex comprised living quarters for over 100 firefighters and chimney sweepers, offices, a 120-foot watch tower, stables, garages, workshops, warehouses and an ice storage room. The watchtower was pulled down in 1954. The main one-storey administration building lost its decorative facade. The only preserved element proving that the edifice used to serve as a public building is the low relief of the Warsaw mermaid at the top of the facade.

9 Centre of Vietnamese Culture The building at 4, Zamoyskiego Street serves as the premises of the Centre of Vietnamese Culture “Thang Long” (“Flying Dragon”). This exotic place was founded by the Vietnamese inhabitants of Warsaw. The Centre is a meeting place for Vietnamese youth and a venue for concerts. In the courtyard there is a small copy of the famous Hanoi Literature Temple – the symbol of the capital of Vietnam. The building is made of concrete with all details carved in wood. The temple is surrounded by a pool in the shape of a 10-metre boat. At the end of it there is an enormous sculpture of a yellow dragon’s head. These elements were designed by the Vietnamese living in Warsaw. All the religious celebrations are held in the building of Thien Viet (The Heaven of Vietnam), decorated with the representations of Vietnamese gods.

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From the banks of Vistula River

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From the banks of Vistula River

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New Praga

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This Trail will take us through the streets of New Praga, a district that dates back to 1861 and was established by Ksawery Konopacki. We will visit Wileńska and Stalowa Streets, run down factory buildings and barracks deserted by soldiers.

1 Wróblewski Warehause complex The edifice at 3, Inżynierska Street, is a complex of four buildings, constructed between 1910 and 1914. The partially preserved sign on the facade of the front building says: Towarzystwo Akcyjne Przechowywania i Przewozu Mebli i Towarów “A. Wróblewki I S-ka”. Adolf Wróblewski’s company, which stored and transported furniture and other goods, was established in 1875. The large warehouse gates of the building on Inżynierska were big enough for special horse-drawn platforms used for transporting furniture. A number of independent artists have since transformed the former warehouse building into a complex of ateliers.

2 Old Advertisement Even though the front building at 5, Inżynierska Street is an uninteresting post-war house, the building behind it, in the second courtyard, is worth a visit because of the preserved advertising sign (in Russian) of a fittings factory and a foundry set up in 1892 by Ludwik Barwich and Aleksander Jung.

3 Building of tram depot The building at 6, Inżynierska Street has always been linked with the history of Warsaw’s city transport. The plaque on the building’s front wall informs that it was the place from where, on 11th December 1866, the first horse-drawn tramway in Warsaw left. From 1882, Inżynierska was home to a tramway depot. In 1920s, the depot was reconstructed and prepared for prepare the first Warsaw city buses. Some signs of the old tramway depot have since been preserved, for instance the railway tracks leading through the gate passage.

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New Praga

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New Praga

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4 Mała Street Praga has retained the character of pre-war Warsaw. One of the best examples is Mała Street, located in the heart of New Praga. This street has preserved its original architecture dating back to the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The street was a perfect location for a number of films. The street was used as the setting for a number of films, among which the most recent and famous was „The Pianist”. On Mała Street and in the neighbouring area, Roman Polański managed to „recreate” the Warsaw ghetto.

5 Stalowa Street Stalowa was the main and the longest street of Nowa Praga during the 1880s. Its name derives from a steelworks factory which was located between nearby. With its stately houses, exquisite shops and a tramway line Stalowa was lively and vibrant – a real ‘big city’ street. The house at 1, Stalowa Street was for a long time home of Stefan „Wiech” Wiechecki, a journalist and columnist, author of stories written in Warsaw dialect.

6 Wooden house on Środkowa Street The building is one of the most interesting in Praga. It is a onestorey, wooden house with brick caves and a firewall. It has contains decorative wooden window frames and old shutters. The building was constructed around 1915 and was home to a child care centre for the children of the poorest families in Praga. There were classrooms on the ground floor and bedrooms upstairs. The refuge was set up by Kazimierz Lisiecki, who ran it throughout the German occupation, and led the children from the city after the Warsaw Uprising failed. His charges used to address him simply as “grandpa”. Kazimierz Lisiecki worked with children from dysfunctional and poor families until his death in 1976.

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New Praga

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New Praga

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New Praga

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7 Ksawery Konopacki’s house The building at 11/13, Strzelecka Street (24, Środkowa Street) dates back to 1864 and is currently awaiting renovation works. It belonged to Ksawery Konopacki, the founder of Nowa Praga. The crossroads of Środkowa and Strzelecka were considered to be the centre of the newly formed settlement.

8 Former marketplace A big square with a number of brick houses stretching out from Strzelecka to Stalowa Street used to be a big marketplace, which existed until the 1970s. In the middle of the square, stood a wooden butcher’s shop. After the war, the market sold mainly bric-a-brac. The latter have become an intrinsic feature of Praga’s landscape. Originally, the market was set up on land that belonged to Władysław Pachulski who, between 1911 and 1914, invested in the construction of tenement buildings around the market place. Following the outbreak of World War I, only part of the initial plan was carried out. Nevertheless, the project provides an interesting example of a pre-war housing and commercial building complex.

9 Rozalia Zamoyska’s grave On the pavement in front of 47, Wileńska Street, there is a metal cross and a boulder with the following inscription: “Here lies Rozalia Zamoyska, who died in 1797”. According to a legend, Rozalia Zamoyska was murdered here by an unknown mugger. There used to be the grave of this noblewoman, whose body was later relocated to the family vault. All we know about Zamoyska’s tomb are stories and legends, but it is believed to be the oldest preserved monument of Nowa Praga, dating back to the times before the district was established.

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New Praga

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New Praga

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New Praga

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10 Mańkowski’s house Neo-gothic building at 69, Wileńska Street. It was designed by Władysław Adolf Kozłowski and Apoloniusz Nieniewski and constructed between 1899 and 1901 as a technical college where boys from poor families were taught a number of crafts. The school was run by Jadwiga and Wacław Mańkowski who established it as a foundation in 1901. Their aim was to instill within pupils a love for work, moral values, and to teach them specific crafts together with the Polish language and the Catholic religion.

11 Szwedzka Street The atmosphere and character of Szwedzka Street has always been defined by the production plants located along its even side. On the corner of Szwedzka and Strzelecka Street stand the buildings of the former lamp factory. The factory was constructed in 1899. The large area behind the front buildings at 2/4, Stalowa Street used to be occupied by Warsaw Steelworks established in 1879. The plant was an important producer of railways. The steelworks were closed after ten years and the plant was turned into a artillery workshop for the tsar’s army.

12 Army barracks The brick barracks, some of which were preserved at 17/19, 11 Listopada Street, were occupied by Cossacks. Later, after Poland regained independence, the barracks were turned into Józef Piłsudski workplace. It is commemorated by a plaque on one of the walls. Finally, the place became the premises of the 36th Infantry Regiment of Academic league. There were plans to construct a complex of three houses for the people who worked for the regiment. Finally, one of them only was built: it is the neo-baroque house at 15, 11 Listopada Street.

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New Praga

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New Praga

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The trails outlined in this publication are based on „Warsaw Praga Guidebook” by Michał Pilich, Warsaw 2006. © Michał Pilich and Fundacja „Centrum Europy”. Excerpts of texts by Michał Pilich from the website www.warszawskapraga.pl were also used.

Photographs: © Fundacja Inicjatyw Międzynarodowych i Obywatelskich „Centrum Europy”

Published by:

Urząd Dzielnicy Praga-Północ m.st. Warszawy ul. ks. Ignacego Kłopotowskiego 15 03-708 Warszawa tel.: 022 59 00 000 www.praga-pn.waw.pl

Cooperation:

Fundacja Inicjatyw Międzynarodowych i Obywatelskich „Centrum Europy” ul. Pankieiwcza 3 00-669 Warszawa tel.: 022 629 77 86 www.centrum-europy.org.pl