Wybrzeże Gdańskie
Wybrzeże Gdańskie
In 1935-1939, the Warsaw President, Stefan Starzyński instigated the building of a 500m long stone-lined river section to the north from the Kerbedzia Bridge, today called Śląsko-Dąbrowski Bridge. The stone came from an orthodox church that was demolished in the 1920s on the Saxon Square, today the Józef Piłsudski Square. The Gdański Bulwar was two-levelled. From the side of the river a massive wall from granite blocks and stones was built so that water could not wash up onto the bank. A pathway was made on top of the wall. Then a second wall was built covered with sandstone, and above it another pathway. Pedestrians could walk between the two paths via a set of stairs built every 100 m. A car park was built near by. President Starzyński’s prestigious project was built mainly by unemployed people and prisoners.
Up until the outbreak of World War II the 500 m embankment had been built at the level of the Royal Castle and the Old Town.
A plaque on the wall near the ‘stone steps’ commemorate the building of the embankment with a following inscription: “In the year of national mourning due to the passing away of the Grand Marshall Jósef Piłsudski, when Prof. Dr. Ingnacy Mościcki was president, Gen. Edward Rydz-Śmigły inspector of Armed Forces, Walery Sławek president of the Council of Ministers, Marian Kościałkowski-Zyndram minister for internal affairs, Stefan Starzyński president of Warsaw, Jan Pohoski vice president of building division, work on the stone embankments around the Vistula had commenced as well as the construction of Gdyńskie Wybrzeże and Gdańskie Wybrzeże (…)” As the plaque informs, in August 1935 work commenced in front of the Royal Castle near the Kierbedzia Bridge, and the section to the bridge next to the Citadel was completed in ‘194…’ , The last number in the date had not been engraved.
At the same time, additional connection with Żoliborz was achievedby cutting through and asphalting the Wybrzeże Gdańskie and Wybrzeże Gdyńskie roadways.
In the 1930s the Gdański Bulwar was Varovians’ most liked recreational place.
INDEKS