Although Gdańsk stands out compared to other Polish cities for its relatively large number of preserved or painstakingly reconstructed monuments, not all the historic buildings here have stood the test of time. Among the lost buildings, a special place is held by the former seat of the Volkstag, the parliament of the Free City of Danzig, which was located on today’s Nowe Ogrody Street. It was an example of outstanding late 19th century architecture, combining German Neo-Renaissance with local Danzig traditions. Despite its high historical and artistic value, the building, damaged in 1945, was not rebuilt and disappeared from the city map.
The origins of the building
The building at 23 Neugarten Street was erected between 1881 and 1884 between small tenement houses as the seat of the Regional Council of the province of West Prussia. The building was designed by the well-known Berlin architectural bureau of Hermann Ende and Wilhelm Böckmann. Construction was managed by Richard Seel and the total cost exceeded half a million marks. The official opening took place in March 1884, although some of the rooms had already begun to be used a few months earlier. From 1920, the building housed the Volkstag, the parliament of the Free City of Danzig. This institution functioned until 1939 and was distinguished mainly by the fact that its work was continuous, without division into closed sessions. The parliament consisted initially of 120 and later of 72 deputies elected every four years. They elected the Senate, which performed executive functions. After the city was incorporated into the Third Reich, the building was taken over by the administration of the Reich District of Danzig-West Prussia.
Architecture and details of the Volkstag building
The building was erected on an irregular plan with two inner courtyards. Its architecture was inspired by the Danzig Renaissance, mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries. The brick façade was enriched with red sandstone elements and rich sculptural detail. The interior decoration was designed with equal attention to detail. Wainscoting, coffered ceilings, stained glass and polychromes were used in the halls and offices. Particularly representative was the two-storey Assembly Hall, whose ceiling was carved in the manner of the Red Room of the Main Town Hall. The walls of the room were decorated with historical scenes by Ernst Röber, and the decoration of the staircase was done by the Berlin painter and stucco artist Otto Lessing.
The seat of the Volkstag during the war and its demolition
Although the building was praised and appreciated for its functionality and interesting architectural solutions, it soon proved too small for the growing Danzig administration. Some offices were therefore moved to other locations. During the Second World War, the building served as the headquarters of the provincial government. In 1945 it was severely damaged as a result of fighting for the city and the deliberate destruction of Danzig by Soviet troops. No decision was made to rebuild it in the following years. The remains of the edifice were demolished and its place was taken by road infrastructure and a car park next to the City Police Station.
The lost seat of the Volkstag – a fragment of history
With the dismantling of the former Volkstag building, Gdansk irretrievably lost one of its most important and impressive public buildings of the late 19th century. The building from Nowe Ogrody has no longer existed for decades, yet it still lives on in the memory of the people of Gdańsk, remaining a sad example of an unlamented victim of war and post-war decisions.
Source: gdansk.gedanopedia.pl
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Curiosities | City | History | Gdańsk
The provincial government of West Prussia in 1903 and the same place today. Source: Deutsche Fotothek and Google Maps
View of the New Gardens in 1903 and the same place today. Source: Deutsche Fotothek and Google Maps
The parliament of the Free City of Danzig in 1938 and today. Source: Bildarchiv Foto Marburg and Google Maps
