The Second World War took a heavy toll on the historic fabric of many European cities, including Poland. The old districts and market squares, which had been the centres of social life for centuries, were wiped out in many places. After the war, instead of rebuilding historic quarters, it was often decided to introduce modern housing in the form of large-panel blocks. Such solutions quickly provided the necessary housing, but at the same time obliterated the unique character of the old quarters. The ongoing revitalisation of Lubin’s centre aims to reverse the negative changes that have also affected this Lower Silesian town.
Pre-war Lubin and its buildings
Lubin (German: Lüben) has roots going back to the Middle Ages. From the 13th century, it developed as an urban centre surrounded by fortified walls. The centre was dominated by the town hall, and around the market square and the old town streets stood townhouses representing a variety of styles. The Głogowska Tower and the Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa, which has been rebuilt and enlarged many times since the 15th century, were also characteristic elements of the town. The inter-war period brought further development to Lubin, the centre of which presented compact tenement buildings with frontages of a historicising character. Postcards and photographs from before 1945 show Lubin as a town full of diverse, richly decorated facades that formed a harmonious fabric.
Wartime destruction of Lubin
Lubin was severely damaged at the end of the Second World War. Fighting for the city began on 27 January 1945, and on 7 February Soviet troops finally took control of the city. The effects of the warfare were catastrophic. It is estimated that around 40 per cent of the buildings were completely demolished and another 40 per cent were damaged. The destruction was also exacerbated by the actions of the occupying Soviet troops, who dismantled and removed plant equipment, and some buildings were deliberately set on fire. After the war, only a small proportion of the population survived, with the population falling from over 11,000 to a few hundred.
The scale of Lubin’s destruction and the monuments saved
Post-war estimates indicated that up to 85 per cent of the city, including around 500 buildings, had been destroyed. However, the most important buildings of the former centre survived: the town hall, although damaged, was rebuilt in the 1950s, the Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa, the Głogowska Tower and fragments of the defensive walls. Also preserved from the old buildings is the Castle Chapel, which remained a ruin for many years after it was burnt down in 1945, until reconstruction was undertaken in the 1970s. These individual buildings became the foundation for the subsequent revitalisation.
Lubin town square with town hall, early 1930s and today. Source: Bildarchiv Foto Marburg and Google Maps
Post-war transformation of the centre of Lubin
In the 1960s, the communist authorities decided to completely demolish the surviving tenement houses in the market square and replace them with blocks of flats. As a result, the heart of the city lost its historic character. Lubin, due to its proximity to the Copper Belt, was transformed into an industrial town, which served as a residential base for the workers of the Copper Mining and Smelting Combine. Large-panel blocks of flats dominated the local space, and the market square no longer fulfilled its former representative and commercial role.
Revitalising the centre of Lubin
Efforts have been underway in the city for more than a decade to restore Lubin’s market square to its historic appearance and stature. In 2018, a new market square was created, through which the historic old town tract was routed. On its surface, the outlines of the former townhouses were marked out and plaques were placed to inform about the craftsmen who ran their workshops there. A model of the pre-war centre was erected next to the town hall. At the same time, new townhouses are being erected with architectural features reminiscent of those of the past, such as the building at 12 Rynek Street or the buildings being erected in the vicinity of 1 Maja Street.
Lubin in 1935 and 2024. Source: Bildarchiv Foto Marburg and Google Earth
Demolition of blocks of flats on Lubin’s market square
A key element of the current revitalisation efforts is the plan to demolish four blocks of flats standing between the market square and the Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa. These buildings not only obscure valuable monuments, but are also in poor technical condition and do not meet modern utility standards. There are a total of 60 flats in them. Financial compensation has been offered to the residents, some of whom have already taken up this offer. The authorities emphasise that this is not a return to the past, but a consistent implementation of a plan to recreate an attractive and harmonious space.
Revitalisation of Lubin city centre and further plans
The city is moving away from the image of KGHM’s industrial bedroom town and is aiming to regain its own identity. Thanks to revitalisation, the market square has a chance to become Lubin’s showpiece again, a place combining historical heritage with modern functions. This process, however, is a long and demanding one, but if it is carried out consistently, there is hope that the heart of the city will regain its former splendour, which it lost first as a result of the war effort and then through the decisions of the urban planners of the 1960s.
Source: Lubin CityHall
Also read: whiteMAD on Instagram | Urbanism | Monument | History | City | Architecture in Poland
A fragment of Lubin’s market square with the Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa in the 1920s and 1970s Source: Bildarchiv Foto Marburg and Polona
Surviving tenements in Lubin’s market square in the 1960s and the same place today. Photo: mamik/photopolska.eu and Google Maps
