Piotra Skargi street is a historical street of downtown Bydgoszcz.
Location
Piotra Skargi Street is a rather short path, starting at Freedom Square or Plac Wolności, on the west side, and leading eastward to May 3rd street.
History
While the main axis of downtown Bydgoszcz (), Gdańska Street, grew quickly after 1835, it took more time for side areas to develop as well. The first reference of Piotr Skarga street in city address book of Bromberg dates back to 1872.
First map to mention the street bears the year 1876.
Through history, the street bore the following names: 1870s-1920, Hoffmann straße; 1920–1940, Piotra Skargi street; 1940–1945, Hoffmann straße; Since 1945, Piotra Skargi street.
Actual namesake comes from Piotr Skarga (1536–1612), a Polish Jesuit, preacher, hagiographer, polemicist, and leading figure of the Counter-Reformation in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Main edifices
Tenement at 2, in the corner with Casimir the Great Park and Freedom Square
Early 1870s
Eclecticism
The house at then Hoffmann straße 13 was initially the villa for the general commanding the 7th Infantry Brigade billeted in Bromberg, today in Pomorska Street. First tenant in 1872 was Ludwig von La Chevallerie. In the 1920s, the tenement was inhabited by displaced Poles that left former eastern territories, or Kresy, as a consequence of the Peace of Riga: Maria Górska and her family. Today, the edifice houses the Regional Inspectorate for the Protection of the Environment ().
The house stands out first by its entry porch adorned with stained glass protect the gate. A frieze with floral motifs runs all around the top. The facade on Piotra Skargi Street shows delicate decoration on the second floor: cartouches displaying human figure, lintels supported by corbels. A terrace stands on the side of the villa giving onto Freedom Square, adorned by pilasters on the ground floor. The building has been extended in the 1970s with a glass extension on park.
Hugo Bille Villa, at 3, corner with Freedom Square
Registered on Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship heritage list, Reg.A/263/1, May 28, 1991
1886, by Józef Swiecicki and Anton Hoffmann
Neo-Baroque
The villa was designed and built in 1886 for a well-known Bydgoszcz doctor, Hugo Bille. At then Hoffmann straße 1&1a, the ophthalmologist and hospital doctor ran a medical cabinet. Dr. Bille was also a practitioner at the Luisen Stift (in present time Swederowo district) and at the Deaconess hospital (in today's Bielawy district). He was additionally the landlord of a vast tenement at today's 9 Zduny street, at the corner with Warmińskiego street.
In 1910, it was owned by a pensioner Mr Dentler, who had as tenant Julius Von Rogowski, the General Commanding the 4th Artillerie Brigade in Bromberg. After 1920, another physician, Jan Król lived there. He was the owner of the clinic at Gimnazjalna 2a, specialised in nervous diseases. Since 1992, the edifice houses a restaurant, "Villa calvados".
The main elevation of the villa gives onto a small garden, neighbouring Plac Wolności. It has a neoclassical architecture, with a bulky middle avant-corps, highlighted by a semicircle one floor high second avant-corps. the latter is adorned with columns, all the ground floor windows being arched. Larger openings appear on the first floor, with balustrade and pilasters and lintel for chambranle. A small frieze tops the main avant-corps, and a corbel table caps it all. The gate on Piotra Skargi street displays a nice semicircle transom light and delicate carved motifs.
Tenement at 5, corner with corner with Mikołaja Reja Street
1880s
Secession
This tenement at then Hoffmann straße 2 was the property of Ms Raaß in 1882, then of Emma Stengert.
None of the original frontage decoration survived. The main elevation is topped by a large triangular pediment. Side facade on Mikołaj Rej street displays a mural painting, "Self-determination" (), one of 20 pieces in Bydgoszcz streets.
Tenement at 6
1880s
Eclecticism
This tenement at then Hoffmann straße 11 has been designed as habitation building for pensioners.
The right-side facade displays a mural painting, Śniadanie Mistrzów () realized by three local artists, Spectrum, Etam and Pain. This work is a part of an ensemble of more than 20 pieces scattered in Bydgoszcz streets.