Warszawska Street in Katowice (Warsaw Street) is a street in the centre of Katowice. The street was built in the 19th century. Until 1922 and during World War II the street was called FriedrichstraÃÂe, 1926âÂÂ1939 Marszaà Âka Pià Âsudskiego (Pià Âsudski Street).
Originally, the street leading to the Market Square (formerly Friedrichplatz) was called ChausseestraÃÂe/Chaussee von Myslovitz; in 1857 the name was changed to FriedrichstraÃÂe. It served as the main eastâÂÂwest axis (together with GrundmannstraÃÂe â now 3 Maja Street, and BismarckstraÃÂe â now Gliwicka Street). In the mid-19th century, the Municipal Office was located there (ChausseestraÃÂe 2).
On a spatial map of the village of Katowice from 1823, the road already appears as an important route leading to Mysà Âowice.
In 1848, at the beginning of todayâÂÂs Warszawska Street (then the address Rynek 12), on the site of the present âÂÂZenitâ Department Store, the first hotel in Katowice was opened. It was popularly known as the Hotel Welt, after one of its owners, Karl Welt. In 1850, the hotelâÂÂs ground-floor restaurant hall hosted a concert by Johann Strauss and his orchestra.
In 1856, in a small house on FriedrichstraÃÂe, pharmacist Tripitz founded KatowiceâÂÂs first pharmacy (later moved to MühlstraÃÂe â now Mà Âyà Âska Street). On August 1, 1876, another pharmacy, Adlerapotheke (âÂÂPharmacy Under the EagleâÂÂ), opened on the same street in the Spisz House (founded by pharmacist Liedke, later owned by City Councillor Herzberger).
According to Royal Prussian land measurements from 1881 (published in 1883), the intersection of FriedrichstraÃÂe and SedanstraÃÂe (now Andrzeja MielÃÂckiego Street) lies 264.2 meters above sea level.
The straightened roads and routes from the early industrial period were preserved and incorporated into the city street network, while two main communication axes â the latitudinal one (now Chorzowska Street, continuing as Warszawska Street) and the longitudinal one (now Wojciech Korfanty Avenue, continuing as Pocztowa and Tadeusz Koà Âciuszko Streets) â became the main framework of the downtown urban grid.
A distinctive feature of the cityâÂÂs landscape during its earliest development was the villa district, stretching along the eastern section of the main urban axis â the Mysà Âowice Road (todayâÂÂs Warszawska Street). At the beginning of the 20th century, Warszawska Street was the main eastern entrance road into Katowice. On June 20, 1922, General Stanisà Âaw Szeptycki and his troops entered the city along this street. In 1926, the street was renamed in honor of Marshal Józef Pià Âsudski.
On the wall of the building at No. 6, there is a memorial plaque, funded in 1962 by the people of Katowice, in honor of Andrzej MielÃÂcki, who was murdered by German militias on August 17, 1920.
In 1927, the Hil and Berek Sztrochlic brothers from BÃÂdzin founded a printing workshop called Drukarnia Handlowa (âÂÂCommercial Printing HouseâÂÂ) at 33 Pià Âsudski Street. In the autumn of 1927, parts of the street were paved with wooden cobblestones.
In the 1930s, the Third Police Precinct was located at No. 49, and at No. 21 there was the âÂÂCzoraâ Hotel with three rooms. During World War II, FriedrichstraÃÂe housed the headquarters of the Schlesische AG für Bergbau und Zinkhüttenbetrieb (Silesian Mining and Zinc Smelting Company).
In the 1960s and 1970s, part of the buildings between 3 Maja, Warszawska, and Juliusz SÃ Âowacki Streets were demolished due to the construction of the new railway station. In 1981, the Silesian Theatre opened its Chamber Stage here (Warszawska 2).
In 2009, the tram tracks were modernized at a cost of about 30 million zà Âoty; the tracks were embedded in prefabricated concrete slabs, and several tram stops with one-lane-wide platforms were added, thereby reducing car lanes. All stops received new shelters and were protected by barriers shielding pedestrians from splashes caused by passing cars.
In 1999, the tenement house at 9 Warszawska Street (on the corner with Andrzeja MielÃÂckiego Street) collapsed.