Siedlce: Valley at the City Gates

Historical location study conducted for NARRACJE 2019

Siedlce, a district of Gdańsk, covers the area of the Siedlce Valley. Thanks to its propitious
location, this area has been inhabited since the Middle Ages; the settlements situated there
served as the city suburbs. Walter Domański (1860–1936), a writer, coined an anthropomorphic
comparison pointing to Siedlce as the poor Lazarus standing at the gates of the rich man, the
city of Gdańsk. Residents of the valley enjoyed the proximity of the affluent and popular
Gdańsk, but also shared its less prosperous moments. During the numerous wars and sieges at
the First Polish Republic’s main port, the buildings of Siedlce and the nearby settlements were
destroyed and burned. Again and again, the area was re-populated. Residents engaged in
growing fruits, vegetables, and even vines. There were also craftsmen workshops and inns for
the weary travellers. In the 19th century, Siedlce was incorporated into the city and the green
suburb slowly turned into a working-class area. The changes accelerated in the 20th century
and continued until now. Siedlce is currently one of the most architecturally diverse areas of
Gdańsk. There are tenement townhouses and labourers’ houses from the 19th and early 20th
century, some soaring neogothic buildings, modernist apartments, socialist-realistic residential
estates, as well as overwhelming blocks built of large concrete slabs; there is the naive, fairy-
tale-like post-modernism, and there are modern, fenced areas of new real estate developments.

Location. The Siedlce Stream

As mentioned before, the district is located in the Siedlce valley. The Siedlce stream is about 7
kilometres long, and begins in the hills located to the west of Gdańsk. As it runs towards the
borders of the district, the stream flows through an underground channel and disappears from
view. However, the stream was once extremely important as it was the source of drinking water
and energy for the whole of Gdańsk. There were also the local mills above it. The spring played
a key role especially in the very first centuries of the town’s history. It is suggested that back in
the days when the stream was much wider its name was Gdania. The city of Gdańsk was to be
named after it in the 10th century. Over time, the stream got its name from the town it flowed
through. Its role decreased in the 14th century when the Radunia Channel was dug, and the
stream was directed into it. During the 16th century, an oak water pipe delivered drinking water
from the stream to the city. A special pumping station (the so called “Wasserkunst” or “Kunszt
Wodny”) was built in front of the Wyżynna Gate to deliver water to the wells of Gdańsk.
Wassterkunst, with its very characteristic water tower, was finally demolished around 1920.
The underground stream sometimes reminds the citizens about its historical existence. During
heavy rainfall, the teeming bed is not able to accommodate all the water and bursts at the lowest
point, which is in the heart of the city.

Borders
The borders of the district are rather easy to observe. The main street, one of the most important
arteries in the city, is Kartuska Street, passing through the bottom of the valley. From the east
Siedlce borders with the Centre. Siedlce is the only area that smoothly connects with the city
centre through the road system and the continuity of developments. Other areas, because of
their specific past (the city remained a fortress for a long time and only later demolished the
ring of fortifications), are visibly separated from the historical centre of the city. From the
north, the border of the district initially runs along the Powstańców Warszawskich Street.
Along with this section, Siedlce borders with Aniołki, an area created in 1992 but not yet
inscribed in the minds of the residents. Those who live “across the street” consider themselves
the residents of Siedlce. Further, the northern border is clearer: it coincides with the edge of the
hill, which extends towards Suchanino. This area, of the low-intense development, mainly one-
storey houses from the 70s became a huge construction site, in result creating a large housing
area consisting of multi-storey buildings made of concrete slabs. In a short section, Siedlce
borders with Morena (official name: Piecki-Migowo), a neighbourhood also consisting of tall,
multi-storey buildings. From the south, the neighbourhood’s border is marked by the hills of
Chełm, another large residential area, and the Mickiewicz Hill, an area of low, one-storey
detached houses. From the east, Siedlce borders with Ujeścisko – or, to be exact, with the
Łostowicki cemetery, founded in the late 70s. The cemetery, whose name, topographically
inadequate, formed from the street at which the main gateway is located, is the largest and main
necropolis of Gdańsk.

Subareas
Siedlce is named after the village located in the centre of the valley. In fact, for centuries there
were several hamlets and settlements, which disappeared without a trace during the 20th
century, replaced by residential developments. In the main part of the neighbourhood there was
the village that gave its name to the whole area. Siedlce is the name assigned to the territory by
the Polish Commission of Names in 1947 to replace the terms Siedlice and Szydlice which
were polonisations of the German name “Schidlitz”.
The eastern part of the present district area (that is, around the Bema and Wesoła streets)
is the so-called Nowe Ogrody area (“New Exterior Gardens”). This is a fragment of the
medieval suburb of Gdańsk, which was adjacent to the city walls from the West. The name, of
course, is related to gardening, which was the main occupation of the residents at the time. On
the east side, from the side of the Żuławy lowlands, an older suburb of Długie Ogrody (Long
Gardens) was adjacent to the city’s borders. Both names are often confused even by the
indigenous inhabitants of Gdańsk. Nowe Ogrody, the suburb located on the side of Wyżyny,
was divided in 165 in half with the belt of the so-called external fortifications. Fortifications
passing through two hills – Grodzisko and Biskupia Górka – were to protect the city from the
most sensitive side. The entrance to the city from the side of the valley was through the Nowe
Ogrody Gate, also known as the Siedlce Gate. The gateway impeded communication and was
demolished in 1920.
Towards Suchanino, from the bottom of the valley, stretch two gorges: Wielki Jar, also
called “Ziemica”, is today known as Skarpowa Street; Mały Jar became Wyczółkowskiego
Street. On the sunny slopes near Zakopiańska and Winnicka there once was a hamlet of
Winniki. Its inhabitants, thanks to the relatively mild climate of the late Middle Ages, grew
vines there. Near Starodworska Street, in turn, there was the territory of the so-called Człapki
(Schlapke). In 1652 there was an inn run by Michał Dargacz called Człapka.
Siedlce became part of Gdańsk in 1814. In 1874, the city included the so-called:
Schelinng Field (today the area of Skrajna Street). The next big change came in the year 1933,
when Emaus, a large village bordering with Siedlce in the west, was incorporated into the town.
Its name derives from the coaching inn once located there. Emaus and Krzyżowniki, which
was part of the settlement too, had already a suburban character. It is worth noting that both
names are used by the residents of Gdańsk until today. This is despite the fact that there is no
clear boundary between Siedlce and Emaus.

Historical outline
The name “Siedlce” appears for the first time in written sources in the year 1400. We know that
a mill worked there. The slopes of valleys and ravines were covered with gardens and small
wooden houses. In addition to gardening, residents were also engaged in weaving and sewing;
there were also breweries and bakeries. In the 15th century, a dispute arose between the
Bridgettine Order and the city of Gdańsk. No compromise was reached. Buildings were
repeatedly burnt, and almost every attack on the city caused fires in the suburbs. Siedlce was
burned in 1461, 1519, 1656 and 1734.
In 1772, as a result of the First Partition, Siedlce became part of Prussia. In order to
accelerate the economic collapse of Gdańsk, which remained a Polish city, Prussian authorities
decided to create a strong alternative centre for the region. Right at the border of the city, an
artificial creation was developed: Zjednoczone Miasto Chełm (the united city of Chełm). The
new town consisted of four, poorly communicated Gdańsk settlements: Chełm as its centre,
Stare Szkoty, Św. Wojciech and Siedlce. The city had its own government and coat of arms. It
was almost completely destroyed during the Napoleonic wars, after which it has never risen. In
1814, the devastated area of the united city, along with Siedlce, was incorporated into Gdańsk.
Siedlce very slowly rose from the fall. Over time, shipyards and port workers came to
live in the new part of the city. To meet the needs of the growing population, a tramway was
launched along Kartuska Street in 1887. In the beginning, it was a horse-drawn tram; later,
beginning with 1896, an electric one. At that time schools and churches were built, and wooden
houses were replaced with brick ones.
On the threshold of the First World War, Siedlce, after Śródmieście and Wrzeszcz, was
the most populous area of the city. One of the most important periods in the history of the
district was the twenty-year interwar period, when there a rapid development of the area could
be observed. The crowded city was in a desperate need of housing. A number of housing
developments were built, often as a cooperative initiative. Because of the convenient location,
Siedlce and Wrzeszcz were the most popular areas for new investments. In the second half of
the 30s, Siedlce superseded all other districts in the number of houses built. The houses built in
Siedlce are very diverse, from several-storey-high townhouses stretching along the main street
to one-storey or two-storey family houses, located above, on the steep hills of the valley.
1945 brought a dramatic end to development. During the military operations of the time,
large areas of the central part of the district were destroyed. Along the main arteries of the city,
the most difficult battles were held. The destruction allowed the new Polish authorities to make
changes. The central part of Siedlce was to be restored but in a completely new way. The bottom
of Siedlce valley was to be one of the largest socialist realistic housing developments. In the
early 50s the area again became a construction site. Equally intensive works were conducted in
Wrzeszcz and Śródmieście where Główne Miasto was being rebuilt.
While renaming the streets from German to Polish, a number of unfortunate decisions
were taken. Most of the names were changed, erasing the traces of the long history. For
example, along Kartuska Street, on the slope from the Chełm side there are three streets. Once
they were called in accordance with the topography of the area: the Upper, Middle, and Lower.
Today they are called Malczewskiego, Ogińskiego, and Szara. On the opposite slope, Winniki
were changed to Zakopiańska. The main artery, as well as several small streets their names or
significance, for example, Kłopot and Pobiedzisko (before the war, Mały and Duży Kłopot) or
Kościelna, although, paradoxically, no church stands there any longer.
After the Polish October and Gomułka’s thaw, a return to modernism was observed; in
the 1960s, new buildings were created in the vicinity of Bema Street and in the initial sections
of Zakopiańska and Skarpowa. What was extremely important was the reconstruction of
Kartuska Street conducted in 1969–1971. First of all, its course, as previously, suddenly turned
to the north in front of the Church of Lord the Saviour, to subsequently take another sharp turn
to the West. At the same time, the tramway was modernized. During the construction of the
high apartment blocks, which took place in Gdańsk during 1970s–90s, the district unfortunately
became overly packed with such constructions. High, ten-storey, overscaled blocks were
located between Siedlce and Emaus. The younger residential complex located on the opposite
side of Kartuska Street looks much better. Since the 90s, houses of the interwar period have
been reconstructed, sometimes replaced with completely new buildings. Examples of
postmodern architecture can be Villa Lido, located in Kartuska or the imposing monastery of
the Pallottine sisters built in Malczewskiego Street. In the 21st century, the remains of the old
buildings are being taken down, and gated real estate developments are taking their place.
After the war, large changes occurred in Emaus. The area now occupies a significant
part of the intersection, one of the key junctions of the city. The intersection of Kartuska,
Nowolipie and Łostowicka streets was greatly developed, together with the lengthening of the
tramway tracks, which until 2015 finished around St. Francis Church. The intersection allows
commuters to travel between the popular areas located at the upper terrace and in the southern
areas of the city. However, the modernization of the infrastructure resulted in the demolition of
the old installation and destroyed the urban structure of Emaus. In general, only the buildings
along the eastern section of Kartuska Street, the cemetery and neo-Gothic Church survived. As
the Church stands next to the terminus of Siedlce, some residents of Gdańsk believe that Emaus
square is limited only by the intersection.

Important monuments
Evangelist Church of Lord the Saviour
Kościelna Street connects Malczewskiego Street and Kartuska. This short street is a remnant of
the Church of Lord the Saviour, which together with the slightly younger Church of St. Francis
used to be the main architectural dominant of Siedlce. The construction of the temple was
completed in 1901. The temple was to serve evangelists living in Siedlce and in its very vicinity.
Empress Augustus, known for her devotion, arrived from Berlin for the official dedication
ceremony. The church architecture referred to other historical buildings in Gdańsk. The high
tower, resembling the Gdańsk Prison Tower in form, was visible from afar. The building was
seriously damaged in 1945. After the war, the Church was not restored; the ruins were
demolished in 1957 so that it would be possible to straighten the course of Kartuska Street.

Catholic Church of St. Francis

The Church of St. Francis of Assisi was built in connection with the dynamic development of
Gdańsk suburbs and the growing number of Catholics. The temple was founded in Emaus, but
the parish was much larger, and included the surrounding villages and settlements (Siedlce as
well). The construction of the temple was completed in 1906. The author of the project was the
famous Berlin architect August Menken. Menken, a representative of architectural historicism,
preferred Gothic forms, which the Church of St. Francis is an example of. The architect left
behind many completed projects, including about 60 temples. The one in Siedlce was seriously
damaged during the fights of 1945. The restoration was completed in 1948. The tower was
never re-crowned with the original soaring steeple that used to offer some lightness and
harmony to the building. The post-war interior equipment was made by famous Gdańsk artists,
including, among others, Elżbieta Szczodrowska and Robert Pelpiński.

School for boys – Highschool no. 8 (VIII LO)

The Neo-Gothic building was erected as a school for boys in 1902. There was also a school for
girls located next to the main edifice (however, the building did not survive World War II). In
the inter-war period, there was also a Polish school in this area. The school for boys did not
suffer any severe damage in 1945. After the war, elementary school no. 12 was set up here as
well. The same building has been serving students of High School no. 8 (VIII LO) since 1971.
Among the graduates there are many famous people from the worlds of politics, science, culture
and entertainment.

Bathhouse
At the beginning of the 20th century, residents of the overpopulated working-class
neighbourhoods were given facilities in which they could take care of their own hygiene. In
Gdańsk, there were four public baths located in the poorer districts where apartments were
deprived of bathrooms. Additionally, similar facilities were built near schools so that students
could use showers as well as large rooms intended for gymnastic exercises. Baths were built to
provide full comfort to their users. All had separate entrances, staircases, changing rooms and
bathing rooms designed for men, ladies and children. There were showers and bathtubs that
were to be used for a small fee (the price equivalent of a tram ticket). The first bath was
established next to the school in Osiek, and opened in 1903. In 1908 a facility was opened in
Dolne Miasto and a year later – in Nowy Port. All three were built of red brick with decoration
referring to medieval forms. The building of the bath in Siedlce, built in 1914, looks completely
different. Firstly, it is lower and smaller than its older sisters, because it does not have any gym,
which had been previously added to the school edifice, and secondly, the bath in Siedlce was
built in a slightly different style. Bathhouse buildings located in the city area were extremely
important as in 1927 only 12% of Gdańsk apartments had their own bathrooms. The buildings
functioned also after 1945, but with the development of modern housing construction, where
bathrooms became a common standard, the further operation of these was pointless;
consequently, the buildings changed their function.

Hospitals
There are three hospital complexes in the district; their history dates back to the interwar period.
Two hospitals located at the border with the city centre are still in operation today.
The Hospital of the Ministry of Interior and Administration is located in a private
residence, in Dr. Fritz Winny’s surgical clinic opened in 1938. In 1945, a Public Security (UB)
Hospital was located here and renamed as the Hospital of the Ministry of Interior in 1956. In
the 80s it was considerably expanded. The facility serves all types of patients since 1998. A
modernist building made of red brick, decorated with a bright stone detail, it was irretrievably
destroyed by thermal insulation carried out in 2011. The devastation of the building caused a
stir among the residents of Gdańsk. The FRAG Association organized a march against the
violence the architecture of the Free City of Gdańsk suffered from. The event was to draw
attention to the disrespect and destruction of buildings from the interwar period, many of which
had been preserved in Siedlce, Wrzeszcz or in Oliwa. On the other side of the junction there is
the Railway Hospital. The hospital for the railway workers was opened in 1945; before, there
used to be a private gynaecological clinic. Since the Railway Hospital was in dept, it was
connected with the Regional Hospital in 2004. In Siedlce there was also a Children's Hospital.
In 1945 it was located in the building of the Facility for Disabled Children. The hospital was
built thanks to the initiative and fundraising efforts of Max Wessel and Johannes Storp. It was
located between Kartuska Street and Zakopianska Street, and completed in 1927. There were
children from all over the Free City area. The Children’s Hospital was placed there in 1945 but
officially became part of the Municipal Hospital in 1950. Later, clinics for adults were located
there, including the department of dermatology. The building, which has also been considerably
rebuilt, houses a private school and a kindergarten today.

The Manor House in Krzyżowniki

“Krzyżowniki” is the name of an estate belonging to the area of Emaus. Among the preserved
buildings the complex of the former manor house stands out there. Zygmunt III Waza, together
with Queen Konstancja and their children, stayed at the mansion in 1623. The oldest buildings
date back to mid-17th century; they were built after the royal visit. The estate belonged to
several rich patrician families from Gdańsk. When an extension was added in 1883, a
correctional facility for adolescents was launched here. There were 200 beds in the building,
but the facility was closed in 1925 and some of the pupils were transferred to prison. Soon, a
chronic illness hospital was created in this beautifully located manor house. In 1935, the
building began to serve as a school. After the war, the complex was partially allocated to the
militia and partly intended for teaching purposes. It housed, for example, a complex of printing
schools. Currently there is a youth hostel and a community school.

Monuments
There are three monuments on the territory of Siedlce. The oldest one, built in 1923, takes the
form of a squat, squab obelisk. It is located in Emaus on the corner of this busy intersection
between the roadways of Łostowicka Street. It commemorates the inhabitants of Emaus who
died during the First World War. The other one is also located in Emaus. It commemorates the
victims of a gas explosion. The tragedy occurred in 1976 when the gas pipeline broke. Because
of the gas explosion, a house standing nearby collapsed and 17 people died under the rubble.
The monument is an overhead boulder with an attached inscription board. It was unveiled in
2014. The third monument commemorates Jacek Malczewski, the patron of one of the streets.
The bust created by Tomasz Radziewicz has stood in the square since 2014 in the street where
the painter is patronised.
Green areas
Siedlce was originally a suburb with a large amount of greenery. The progressive development
of housing has changed the character of the district. Although residents have green areas
between houses and blocks at their disposal, there are still very few larger green spaces. The
green wedge at the fork of Kartuska Street remains to be organized. In the district there is only
one park, three greeneries and two cemeteries. The Bema Park and the greenery at
Starodworska Street, with the stairs leading to Suchanino, were built after the liquidation of the
Evangelical cemeteries closed in 1946. The green area at Wyczółkowskiego Street was created
in the interwar period, along with the construction of a residential estate. The French Cemetery
was established after World War II in undeveloped areas on the outskirts of the district. The
cemetery of St. Francis was built in the outskirts of Emaus at the beginning of the 20th century,
before the area was incorporated into the city. The square of 400 m² at Malczewskiego Street
was built as part of the civic budget in 2014.

Józef Bem Park, former St. Barbara Cemetery

Between Powstańców Warszawskich, Bema and Zakopiańska Streets on a hill side there is a
beautiful park. The avenues are planted with over 100-year-old chestnut trees and lime trees.
Originally, there was a cemetery; the present park was built in 1966–1967 in its place. St.
Barbara Cemetery was consecrated in 1869. The name of the necropolis refers to the patroness
of the church in the distant Long Gardens (Długie Ogrody); the cemetery belonged to the district
parish. The parishioners of St. Barbara were buried in the cemetery next to the street running
behind the church. However, the cemetery was too small, and after it was filled, it was necessary
to seek another location for a new necropolis. The area was found right there, in the outer New
Gardens that are part of Siedlce. It was the reason why a large cemetery of 4 hectares was
established. Three longitudinal and four transverse avenues were marked here and later they
were planted with trees. In 1925, a bell tower was built and an old bell from 1626 was hung
there as it was supposed to add solemnity to the funerals. The cemetery was closed in 1946.
Shortly afterwards, most of German-speaking residents of Gdańsk left the city and emigrated
to the West. The graves in St. Barbara Cemetery and many others remained unattended. The
necropolis began to overgrow with weeds; valuable tombstone decorations were stolen. The
area was then turned into a park. The tombstone monuments were removed, weeds and thickets
were cut out and the area was flattened.
French Cemetery
Behind an inconspicuous gate at Powstańców Warszawskich Street there is a beautiful, quiet
but very well-groomed cemetery. It is not a typical necropolis, but a military cemetery. In 1948,
on the basis of an agreement concluded between the Governments of France and of Poland,
Gdańsk was to establish a cemetery for French citizens who died in Poland. The project was
entrusted to well-known architects Wiesław Gruszkowski and Adam Haupt. The area located
in an amphitheatre of the hills in Powstańców Warszawskich Street was chosen. During the
cleaning works, bones of French soldiers buried here during the Napoleonic Wars were
discovered. In the Napoleonic era, Gdańsk was besieged twice (in 1807 and 1813). The battles
were fierce, and many lost their lives. Soldiers were quickly buried in various places, including
the area between the hills where a hundred years later, as a result of an unusual coincidence, a
suitable cemetery was to be arranged. At the end of 1949, the bodies of 2,260 people from
different parts of Poland were transferred to the newly created cemetery. The work was
interrupted; Polish-French relations deteriorated in connection to a scandal. News about the
Elbląg Case broke out. On the night of 16/17 July there was a fire at the Zamech works in
Elbląg. The Rubineau Cases during which French citizens staying in Poland were accused of
sabotage and spying, also contributed badly to the reputation of the intended project. When
relations with France had improved in 1954, the works were resumed and lasted until 1959.
Some families from France decided to bring the bodies of their loved ones to their homeland
and the number of the graves at the cemetery in Gdańsk began to decrease. Ultimately, there
were 1 365 graves in Gdańsk. There remain mostly the graves of prisoners of war and workers,
who were forced by German authorities, occupying France as well as Poland during World War
II, to work hard in factories or to join their army. Among the deceased there are also victims of
World War I and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The cemetery is visited by official
delegations of the Republic of France. President Charles de Gaulle in 1967 and François
Mitterrand in 1989 both laid wreaths in the cemetery. In 2002, the cemetery was renovated and
the tombstones that had been brought from France were replaced. The Embassy of France in
Warsaw has custody of the necropolis. Exhumations, at the request of families finding their
ancestors, continue until now. After extraction of the body, the tombstone is not removed, so
as not to disturb the system of the necropolis, only the plaque with the name of the deceased
person is removed.
From the side of Powstańców Warszawskich Street, the cemetery is separated by a steep,
bush-covered slope. On the eastern side, the complex is closed by a wooded hill. The entrance
from Legnicka Street was closed in the 1980s due to difficulties in maintaining order; the entire
cemetery was fenced. The dead are buried in a burial field divided into eight equal quarters.
The main avenue leads to the hill on which a monument composed of high crosses is placed,
designed by Adam Haupt and unveiled in 1961. To emphasize the tenderness and slenderness
of those crosses, poplars have been planted around. The atmosphere of the place is emphasized
by the neatly aligned graves on which there are identical white gravestones. They differ only in
the terms of religion. On the graves of Christians there were crosses; steles were placed on the
Muslims’ graves.

The cemetery of St Francis on Emaus

The cemetery of St. Francis is one of the most valuable and beautiful necropolises of Gdańsk.
It was founded during the construction of the church of St Francis for the local Catholic
community in 1906. The necropolis was located on a plot which is about one kilometre west
from the temple. The picturesque nature of the cemetery is determined by the location on the
slopes of the hill in which terraces were modelled in order to allow burials.
In 1979, a new communal cemetery was established south of Saint Francis Cemetery.
An attempt to extend the name of older premises to the new area failed. The new cemetery is
mistakenly called “Cmentarz Łostowicki” from the name of the street where the main entrance
is located (indeed, the area belongs to Ujeścisko; Łostowice is located further south). The two
areas border with each other and are not separated by a fence. This is why they are mistakenly
taken as one necropolis and called the Łostowicki Cemetery.
The old trees and graves from the interwar period have been preserved in the cemetery
of Saint Francis. Many remarkable sculptures saved from the cemeteries liquidated in the 60s
and 70s. The sculptures were brought to the cemetery thanks to the efforts of a gravedigger who
worked there. Jan Rhode saved three objects that he transported at his expense to Emaus and
placed at “his” cemetery. The sculptures are still seen as decoration of the necropolis and as
one of the few relics of the destroyed cemetery.

Compiled by Klaudiusz Grabowski