Public spaces in the landscape of Lviv at the end of the nineteenth century

The most important factor in the growth of Lviv at the end of the nineteenth century was the fact that it was a capital city, and this influenced its increased importance and development, and determined the locality of all of its public spaces. A major part in its development was played by the modernization and extension of the railway network as well as the construction of new railway stations and a rapid extension in tram lines and the creation of a sewage system. At that time, there was no clearly defined urban zones in Lviv, but many different areas that overlapped: representative, housing, and recreational, which were used simultaneously by different groups of the city’s inhabitants. Lviv’s development was stimulated by different social groups as their members constructed monumental and important public and private buildings, thus shaping its space. At the same time, however, they decided on the locality and size of newly erected buildings and their architectural form. The role of Lviv Municipality and the Galicia authorities was not dominant, being merely one of the city’s growth factors. It was related to the rapid development and enrichment of the city that was one of the greatest metropolises in Central Europe, a centre with modern urban planning and management, and infrastructure that was being still modernized. One of the distinguished features in Lviv’s public space was the formation of the largest and most representative architectural complexes in the Polish lands. One of these was an axis starting at the Municipal Theatre with Adam Mickiewicz’s monument and ending at Catholic Bernardines church. Slightly earlier was the complex of the so-called Governor’s Ramparts with some representative buildings. Another was the layout of monuments on Akademicka Street together with the surroundings of the Galician Sejm sessions hall and the numerous monumental buildings in neighbouring streets. These spaces proved to be surprisingly durable: at the end of the nineteenth century they already dominated like the representative avenues, and after 150 years they still dominate the city’s space.

Abstract in English

p. 163-198 : ill. (some color) ; 24 cm

s. 163-198 : il. (w tym kolorowe) ; 24 cm

Abstrakt w języku angielskim.