Świętojańska Street, Bydgoszcz

Świętojańska Street is an historical avenue in downtown Bydgoszcz. Its frontages display various architectural features. A couple of them are listed on the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list.

Location
The street is laid on a south-east to north-west axis. It starts at Gdańska Street in the east, extending the Adam Mickiewicz Avenue and ends at the crossing with Pomorska Street in the west. At mid-length its path intersects Kościuszki street street.

History
Like many of the streets in the area, Świętojańska was laid in the late 1870s, boosted by the development of the city in the second half of the 19th century, thanks to the rising of the industrial and railway activities.

Even though the axis appears on a map of 1876, it did not bear any name at the time. In the first reference of the street in a 1878 address book, only five plots are listed. Most of the tenements were erected before the start of the 20th century.

During its existence, the street did not dramatically change naming, as both Prussian-German and Polish authorities kept the designation Jan-Johan in the calling.

Hence one can track the following names:
 * from 1878 to 1920, Johannis Straße;
 * from 1920 to 1939, Ulica Świętojańska;
 * 1939–1945, Johannis Straße;
 * Since 1945, Ulica Świętojańska.

Current (and previous) naming refers to Saint John or "Święty Jan (Ewangelista)" in Polish.

Main areas and edifices
Tenement at 83 Gdańska Street, corner with Świętojańska street

Registered on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list, Nr.601311-Reg.A/1056, February 26, 1997.

1890, by Józef Święcicki

Eclecticism

The building at then Danzigerstraße 48 had Otto Riedel, a baker, as first landlord, until World War I.

Typical from Józef Święcicki, the style of both elevations boasts eclecticism, close to Neo-baroque in the richness of the details, among others: cartouches, wrought iron balconies, bossage, bay window capped with an ogee roof and round top corbel table openings.