The Railway Museum of Lower Silesia cordially invites you to a Gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of its activities. This is an excellent opportunity to gather, discuss our shared passion, and reflect on the achievements made so far. We look forward to welcoming you at the Museum to jointly celebrate this special anniversary!
Over the years, the history of railways in Lower Silesia has been an integral part of the region’s economic and social development. From the first railway investments in the 19th century, through the dynamic growth of the machinery industry, to modern initiatives related to heritage preservation and the reuse of historic railway lines – Lower Silesia is a living testament to how railway infrastructure can influence the development and shaping of local communities.
Preserving railway heritage is today not only a duty but also an opportunity for the revitalization of forgotten spaces, restoring their former glory, and utilizing them for tourism and educational purposes. The care for such objects as railway stations, bridges, tunnels, and historic rolling stock is a key element of efforts to protect the culture and traditions of this region.
Protecting the Railway Heritage of Lower Silesia
Piotr Gerber
Economic development in Lower Silesia began in the first half of the 19th century with the introduction of industrial technologies replacing handcraft-based labor. Industry influenced the growth of local communities, increased the region’s population, and improved living conditions. To this day, Lower Silesia holds the largest number of architectural monuments in Poland, including palaces, public buildings, sacred objects, educational institutions, and hospitals. A significant source of Lower Silesia’s development success was the advent of the railway. The railway arrived in Wrocław just twelve years after the first practical railway line was launched in England. The initiative to build the first railway line in Silesia was taken by Wrocław industrialists and bankers. In 1840, the Upper Silesian Railway Society was founded, and work on the first section from Wrocław to Oława began, with its opening in May 1842, marking the start of rapid railway construction in Silesia.
By the late 1840s, Wrocław, as the capital of Lower Silesia, had become an important railway hub, connecting routes to Berlin, Upper Silesia, Świebodzice, and from 1853 to Wałbrzych, and from 1856 to Poznań.
Such significant railway investments stimulated the regional economy. The high demand for rolling stock and railway line equipment led to the dynamic development of factories producing for the railway sector. The machinery industry grew to become one of the most important in Lower Silesia. From the 1840s onwards, the production of railway carriages began to develop rapidly, followed by steam locomotives. By the end of the 19th century, Lower Silesia had become a major railway supplier in this part of Europe. The first railway station in Wrocław was built on Małachowskiego Street in 1842. Economic success enabled the construction of the Main Railway Station, which opened in 1855. The following years of the 19th and early 20th centuries saw further dynamic railway and related industry development. The construction of new railway connections brought railways to almost every major town in Lower Silesia. The railway became the most important factor in the region’s economic development.
Political and economic changes at the end of the 20th century, along with the introduction of new technologies, led to the closure of many historic branches of the economy in Lower Silesia. Today, it is increasingly difficult to find silhouettes of mining shafts, cooling towers, or brick chimneys of old boiler houses in the urban landscape. Economic changes also led to the closure of many local railway lines and their associated infrastructure. The railway network, once synonymous with the region’s modernity, became a rich but largely forgotten heritage of a bygone era of industrialization.
A chance for Lower Silesia’s railway infrastructure lies in the ongoing return to better utilization of rail transport, driven by ecological concerns. The modernization of main railway connections is accompanied by growing interest in Silesia’s industrial heritage. The development of railway and industrial tourism will enable the planning of new uses for historic railway connections, not for industrial purposes but for creating attractive local transport networks and connections intended for increasing tourist traffic.
The ongoing modernization of selected railway lines in Lower Silesia has contributed to the conservation of historic railway buildings. Today, Wrocław’s landmark is the Main Railway Station, built in 1855 and renovated in 2002. The stations in Świebodzice, Dzierżoniów, and Wałbrzych have been preserved and restored to use. Several other stations are currently undergoing renovation. The restoration work on Wałbrzych Główny station is nearing completion. However, many historic station buildings are still awaiting decisions regarding their survival. The oldest Lower Silesian station on Małachowskiego Street in Wrocław is in very poor condition. One of the oldest stations, located in Jaworzyna Śląska on the line from Wrocław to Wałbrzych, is close to collapse. Many small stations on local lines in Lower Silesia are at risk. Forgotten technical monuments include railway infrastructure objects. Numerous bridges, viaducts, and railway tunnels require urgent work to preserve them. The railway tunnels on the route from Wałbrzych to Kłodzko, which are outstanding engineering structures documenting progress in railway crossing construction, need conservation. The preserved steel lattice bridge on the line from Lwówek Śląski to Jelenia Góra in Pilchowice, built as part of a large hydro-technical investment at the beginning of the 20th century to protect agricultural land in the Bóbr River valley, avoided destruction due to a planned film production thanks only to social support and the actions of the Lower Silesian Heritage Conservator. Many railway monuments need support, from the spectacular ones like railway stations to the less noticeable ones like tracks and equipment serving railway traffic, to structures associated with the operation of steam locomotive-driven trains.
Railway water towers, water tanks, and water cranes that once serviced steam locomotives are already rare in Lower Silesia. In the European Year of Rail, established by the European Parliament, initiatives to restore the importance of rail transport should be accompanied by efforts to protect railway heritage. Knowledge of the history of railways in Lower Silesia is passed down through historic objects. Their preservation should be part of the plan to modernize and expand rail transport. Actions to preserve and restore historic rolling stock also require support. Reactivating disused historical railway lines will once again contribute to economic revitalization and increase the attractiveness of individual towns. Historical railways, as seen in other countries, can become an important factor in tourism development.
References:
Piotr Gerber, Industrial Architecture of Wrocław at the Beginning of Industrialization, Wrocław, 2007
Michał Jerczyński, Stanisław Koziarski, 150 Years of Railways in Silesia, Opole, 1992
Teresa Kulak, History of Wrocław. From Frederick’s Fortress to Hitler’s Fortress, Volume II, Wrocław, 2001
