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Katowice historic train station was the main railway station of
Katowice Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most popu ...
, in the
Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. S ...
region of what is now
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
. Built in 1859 and reconstructed and expanded several times, it was judged obsolete after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, and in 1972 decommissioned and replaced by the newly built
Katowice railway station Katowice railway station is a railway station in Katowice, Silesia, Poland, and the largest railway station in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region. Domestic and international trains connect at the station to most major cities in Europe; these a ...
. Three years later it was declared a National Monument. It is partially ruined and owned by a private developer who plans to renovate the station buildings and develop the complex into a multifunctional center. The station mixes neoclassical and modernist historical architecture styles and has been described as "one of the most interesting European railway stations from the architectural perspective".


History

The
Upper Silesian Railway The Upper Silesian Railway (german: Oberschlesische Eisenbahn, OSE, pl, Kolej Górnośląska) was one of the earliest railways in Silesia, and the first in the territories of partitioned Poland. It connected Wrocław (Breslau) in Lower Silesia wi ...
(''Oberschlesische Eisenbahn'', OSE) line, operated by the Upper Silesian Railway Company, was the first railway line in today's Poland. In 1842 it extended from
Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, r ...
via
Oława Oława (pronounced , , szl, Oława) is a historic town in south-western Poland with 33,029 inhabitants (2019). It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship (from 1975–1998 it was in the former Wrocław Voivodeship), within the Wrocław m ...
to
Brzeg Brzeg (; Latin: ''Alta Ripa'', German: ''Brieg'', Silesian German: ''Brigg'', , ) is a town in southwestern Poland with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021) and the capital of Brzeg County. It is situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on t ...
. In the years thereafter it was steadily expanded until it reached Katowice and
Mysłowice Mysłowice ( szl, Myslowicy; german: Myslowitz) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The population of the city is 74,085. It is located in the south district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union in the Silesian Highlan ...
in 1846. Shortly afterward, in 1848, OSE was connected to the Austrian
Kraków and Upper Silesian Railway Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...
and the international Warsaw–Vienna railway. The train station at Katowice opened on 7 October 1846. At its inception the station was intended primarily as a maintenance and resupply stop for passing trains; Katowice was simply a convenient location en route to Mysłowice and the other railway lines to connect to. But Katowice soon grew in importance due to the train station's existence. With Baildon Steelworks and several coal mines expanding and taking advantage of the train station, Katowice quickly became one of the most important cities of
Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, locate ...
, receiving city rights in 1865. The city kept growing, becoming the capital of the
Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one' ...
in the
Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of the First World ...
in the
aftermath of World War I The aftermath of World War I saw drastic political, cultural, economic, and social change across Eurasia, Africa, and even in areas outside those that were directly involved. Four empires collapsed due to the war, old countries were abolished, n ...
. The representative neoclassical station, completed in 1859, grew together with the city, quickly expanding beyond its original smaller purpose, and consequently, size. Near the end of the 19th century the station was split into the passenger terminal, located at the historical site, and a new cargo terminal at the site of the modern Katowice train station. A major expansion and reconstruction in the historic modernist style was completed in 1906, which is the year often given as the year the station was finished. The Polish monument listing also dates the station to that year, but other sources give 1908 as the year of reconstruction. The passenger station, originally one story with two-story
avant-corps An ''avant-corps'' ( it, avancorpo or , plural , german: Risalit, pl, ryzalit), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than oth ...
, was heightened to three stories. Two side terminal buildings were constructed, which received another expansion and reconstruction in the 1920s. The main building was used by administration, while the side terminals, incorporating the train platforms, were for passenger use. The terminals were large enough to provide additional services, from hosting commercial shops to sport facilities. By 1912 the station had seven platforms. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
the train station was judged obsolete, primarily because of the inefficient layout of the train platforms. The construction of the new station began in the 1950s, and the old station was closed in 1972, the year the new station opened. It was classified as a monument in 1975, listed in the National Register of Monuments with the number "A - 1218/75". Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa: Rejestr zabytków nieruchomych - województwo śląskie
p.68
Since then, the old train station has fallen into disrepair. Partially ruined, it has been owned since 2007 by a private developer who plans to renovate the station buildings and develop the complex into a multifunctional center. The reconstruction has been subject to repeated delays, much to the annoyance of the Katowice inhabitants. The ruined state of this historic building is one of the most controversial issues in the modern history of Katowice, leading to repeated news coverage of occasional demonstrations by concerned citizens.


References


Further reading

* Wojciech Janota: ''Katowice między wojnami. Miasto i jego sprawy 1922–1939.'' Łódź: Księży Młyn, 2010, s. 60. . {{Coord, 50, 15, 26, N, 19, 01, 25, E, display=title Buildings and structures in Katowice Railway stations in Silesian Voivodeship Railway stations in Katowice Disused railway stations in Poland Railway stations opened in 1859 Railway stations closed in 1972 Tourist attractions in Katowice