When we hear the term Jizera Mountains, we probably wonder exactly where this mountain range is located. Everyone knows and associates the Sudetes or the Karkonosze Mountains, but the former already pose a small problem. The Jizera Mountains are a range located in the Western Sudetes. Its only, but important, spa town is Świeradów-Zdrój (formerly Bad Flinsberg).
The town, or rather small town, has served as a resort since the 16th century. Świeradów was quite often visited by the well-known German composer and pianist Carl Maria Weber. The musician came from the area around Lübeck. He died in London in 1826. He held positions at well-known opera houses, including in Wrocław, Prague and Dresden. Since today’s article concerns the railway, it would be a sin not to mention that the EuroCity train running from northern Germany through Berlin and Dresden to the Czech city of Brno was named after the German composer. It should also be added that the musician was related by marriage to Mozart: the Austrian composer’s wife, Constanze, came from the Weber family.
As it turns out, Carl Maria von Weber was not the only one connected with the railway. His son, a trained engineer, was as well. He worked for the KSSiB—in Polish translation, this abbreviation means Royal Saxon State Railways. I deliberately do not give the long original German name here. No one will remember it later anyway. It is therefore worth focusing on more important facts.
Weber dreamed of building a railway in the Jizera Mountains. It was not an easy undertaking for two reasons. First, the mountainous terrain is quite difficult. It creates many architectural problems. Admittedly, the area around Świeradów was not as troublesome as other areas within the Sudetes, but it was still mountainous terrain. Second, lines connecting large urban and industrial centers were more important. Local connections always took second place.
In 1866, an opportunity arose to carry out this mountain project. That year, the line known as the Silesian Mountain Railway was opened. The section from Zgorzelec (Görlitz) to Jelenia Góra (Hirschberg im Riesengebirge). The line ran through Gryfów Śląski (Greiffenberg), located 8 km away.
Another important date was 1884, when a breakthrough came in the plans to build the Jizera Railway. The connection between Gryfów and Mirsk was opened then. The route, only 9 km long, was operated by KPEV—the Prussian State Railway Administration.
The true birth of the railway in the Jizera Mountains took place on 1 November 1904. A line was then opened from Mirsk to Wolimierz and onward to the town of Frydlant (today located in the Czech Republic, at that time in the Austro-Hungarian Empire). After crossing the border, the railway line connected with the private district railway of Frydlant [por. Turysta Dolnośląski, nr 9/2003].
Five years later, a second line was opened, connecting Mirsk with Świeradów (7.8 km long). It is essential to explain here that the route from Jelenia Góra to Szklarska Poręba and onward to Harrahova is also often called the Jizera Railway. However, this is incorrect terminology. Jizera Mountains Railway (in German Isergebrigsbahn) is the official commercial name of the line. Only the route leading to Świeradów may be called the Jizera Railway.
The section from Mirsk station to Świeradów-Zdrój station was officially opened on 31 October 1909. The following year, it was extended to Las Świeradowski station (Forst Flinsberg), renamed Świeradów Nadleśnictwo after 1945.
The plans for expanding the Jizera Railway envisaged connecting Świeradów with Szklarska Poręba. However, this project was never completed.
In its first year of operation, the company operating the Isergebrigsbahn employed 14 workers. During the first 12 months, it carried more than 121,000 passengers and nearly 27,000 tonnes of freight. Its rolling stock was already quite substantial at the outset. It consisted of two T9-series steam locomotives, four passenger carriages, one mail van and six freight wagons. The railway also had one special wagon for transporting illuminating gas. The locomotives were serviced at the station in Mirsk. A small engine shed was located there.
In 1930, the Jizera Railway purchased T14 and T26 locomotives from a dismantled rack railway in Thuringia. After their rack drives were removed, they replaced the weaker T9 locomotives.
A real revolution began in 1934, when testing started on the VT-10 railcar. Railcars of this type were manufactured at the WUMAG works in Görlitz. The following year, the railcar was already operating services to Las Świeradowski station.
The VT-10 railcar deserves closer attention here. Railcars can be regarded as the pre-war version of today’s railbuses. This vehicle could reach speeds of up to 50 km/h. It was produced between 1930 and 1939. The Jizera Railway rated the railcar in service positively. Over time, however, it underwent modernization. Buffers and a screw coupling were additionally installed. A more powerful engine was fitted. The screw coupling made it possible to attach light passenger carriages to the VT-10. In 1938, two more railcars were ordered, this time larger ones. The existing railcar was transferred to the Bolesławiec Narrow-Gauge Railway.
The Bolesławiec Narrow-Gauge Railway, a local and private railway line separate from the German State Railways, was exceptional. It connected Bolesławiec with Nowa Wieś Grodziska (the exact pre-war name of the station was Nowa Wieś pod Grodźcem). It began at the branch station Bolesławiec Wschodni (Bunzlau Ost or Bunzlau Klb.). Although it was a marginal railway route, not as important as the main line, it was quite popular. In the 1930s, at the height of its popularity, it carried more than 400,000 passengers annually. Travelers’ destination was Grodziec Castle, located beyond Bolesławiec.
The Bolesławiec line was 27 km long. The names of the individual stations deserve special attention. They do not correspond to today’s names. Some localities no longer exist. One such locality, and at the same time station, is Godnów—now part of Kruszyn; Kruszynek—also Kruszyn today; Warta Złotnicka—today part of Warta Bolesławiecka; Witanów—within Grodziec since 1932; and Grodziec Zamczysko.
As one might easily guess, the fortunes of the Jizera Railway and the Bolesławiec Narrow-Gauge Railway changed dramatically after the end of the war. The Bolesławiec Narrow-Gauge Railway’s rolling stock probably ended up in Lower Lusatia toward the end of the war. The Jizera Railway continued to use its railcars for a short time. They were later taken to the USSR. Both lines were completely devastated under the Polish People’s Republic. The Bolesławiec line ceased operating in the 1970s (passenger traffic), while the Jizera line ceased operation in 1996.
Paweł Skiersinis
The author is a blogger and history enthusiast, particularly interested in the history of Lower Silesia and Poland. Why Lower Silesia? As he himself says: “Why not? The most interesting history is the history around us, concerning ourselves and our ancestors.”
He adds: “I try to present history from a different perspective, in an interesting way, not in a typically textbook style full of dry dates and facts. My articles concern facts that we will not find in textbooks and well-known publications. The history of Lower Silesia is undoubtedly interesting and fascinating, so it is worth devoting at least a brief moment to it from time to time.”