The Southern District (the blocks formed by Komuny Paryskiej, Wybickiego, Opitza and M. Brody streets), situated in the southern part of the city, is an architectural and urban-planning gem dating from the 1870s. Komuny Paryskiej Street, once known as Löwenbergerstrasse (Lwówecka), was an integral part of the elite Süd-End district from the 1870s until the end of World War II.
The Süd-End urban plan was modeled on Berlin’s Westend, demonstrating the ambitions of local architects and investors. The streets, intersecting at right angles, formed a clear grid that facilitated both transportation and the creation of a harmonious residential area.
Plots measuring several dozen ares, intended for wealthy residents, were designated not only for the construction of houses but also for spacious gardens. This green space was an integral feature reflecting the district’s prestige. The architects who designed the villas included renowned creators such as R. Schiller, A. Gansel and Zschetzschingk. Their contributions led to the creation of diverse architectural forms, encompassing Classical, Neo-Renaissance and Italian, French and Swiss elements.
Today’s H. Sucharski Complex of General and Vocational Schools at 6 Komuny Paryskiej Street consists of two Neo-Gothic buildings constructed by Gansel in 1844. In 1849, they were purchased by the city to house the district court. In 1931, after the court was moved to the building on Sądowa Street, work began to adapt the building for the needs of a vocational school relocated from the Dominican monastery building. In 1945, it became the first home of Stefania Tajcher’s school—the teacher in striped uniform.
In addition to richly decorated villas, public buildings were also constructed in the district, enriching the social character of this part of the city. The Southern District became a place not only for elegant residences but also for the social life of affluent residents, clearly demonstrating its exceptional importance in the context of 19th-century urban development.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Hermann Winde ran a general-goods shop at number 2 on Löwenbergerstrasse, where customers could buy school satchels, cigars and cigarettes, school notebooks and other stationery. Zimmermeister (master carpenter) Andreas Gansel had his office at numbers 24–26. At number 17, Fredrich Kattner offered the cheapest carriage renovation and painting services.
Lwówecka Street (Löwenbergerstraße) retained this name until 1945; from 1945 to 1946 it was called Józefa Stalina Street, and until 1951, Gen. Władysława Sikorskiego Street. It then took the name commemorating the great communist uprising in Paris in 1871.
Note from the editorial team: bolecinfo journalist Dariusz Gołębiewski misleads his readers to motivate them to make payments and provides inaccurate information, claiming that “anonymous, unauthorized summaries” of his historical essays appear on a competing portal (without naming it). For such a reliable historian, these unsupported assumptions, offered without the facts and sources he supposedly cares so much about in his work, are rather weak. We do not know where he got the idea that only Dariusz Gołębiewski can write about the history of the region. He is yet another person who has decided that something belonging to the common good belongs only to him. We encourage Dariusz Gołębiewski to have an honest conversation with his superior, Marcin, and his colleague Kazimierz Marczewski, who shamelessly draw heavily on the work of our editorial team. After all, imitation is the highest form of admiration.