Dolne Miasto owes its unique charm not only to its historic architecture and unique location but above all to its fantastic residents. Many of them are involved in the activities of local public benefit organizations, such as the Neighborhood House with the Neighborhood Energy Incubator and the Association of Storytellers of Dolne Miasto in Gdańsk, who passionately uncover the history of this exceptional place on the map of the Tricity. It’s the residents who give Dolne Miasto its spirit, passing down its unique traditions and culture from one generation to the next. Therefore, in today’s post, we invite you to read an article by one of the Storytellers – Mr. Jacek Górski – about Kamienna Grobla Street, where our project, Kamienna 28, is being developed at number 28.

Kamienna Grobla (Steindamm in German) owes its name not only to its proximity to the Nowa Motława but primarily because it was one of the first paved streets in Dolne Miasto. Densely built, it bustled with life before the war, not only due to the numerous factories, craft workshops, and raw material depots located here but also because of such unexpected places as the port of the Polish Rowing Club and even the Consulate of the Kingdom of Belgium. But let’s start from the beginning…

Approaching Dolne Miasto from Szopy Street, we have to pass a jammed truck with a trailer. After walking under the bridge, which many claim split Dolne Miasto into two unequal parts, we arrive at Kamienna Grobla Street. Kamienna Grobla is lined on one side primarily by five high-rise buildings constructed in the early 1960s, while on the other, it is almost completely open to the Nowa Motława River, touching its right bank. Completing the scene are the fence of the renovated sports field and the wall of the Alf Liczmański Primary School No. 65 in Gdańsk, a brand new residential building erected on the site of a pre-war oil mill, and a post-war car workshop and recycling center, and one side of the former children’s park.

Today, it’s hard to imagine, but before the war, almost this entire side of Kamienna Grobla was built up. Along the water, there were mainly wood and fuel depots. Since 1934, there was also a rowing pier on Kamienna Grobla Street belonging to the Polish Rowing Club. Contrary to assumptions, it was not in the same place where the Szpicgat kayak club operated for many years later. It was located approximately at the height of today’s school sports field.
Before the war, the numbering of Kamienna Grobla started at the extension of Szopy Street, past the intersection with Ułańska Street. The first significant company in this area was a wholesale iron and steel goods company owned by M. Broh, which operated at Kamienna Grobla Street 2 probably until the outbreak of World War II. After the war, for almost a decade, the Cooperative for Boiler Construction and Metal Services operated at this location in Gdańsk.

At plot 4-7, J. Zimmermann ran his machine factory and foundry. However, a few years before World War II, the range of goods offered here changed completely. Karl Krüger relocated his fruit and vegetable canning factory to this place from Grunwaldzka Avenue.
At number 9, Ernst Bahrendt was very active in the philatelic market in the 1930s. About 10 years earlier, he would have faced very close competition because Emil and Marie Rudnick pursued the same commercial hobby at number 31. Approaching Dolna Street without crossing it, you could find Master Blacksmith E. Mischke’s shop at number 14.

The first but not the last opportunity to purchase coal was at Kamienna Grobla 15 (the first address after the intersection with Dolna Street) at Hansa-Kohlen-Vertrieb owned by Alojzy Buda. Just behind it was a large storage yard at number 16-20. Here, court expert in wood matters Bernhard Döring ran his office and lumber yard.

Another coal merchant, H. Berger, operated at number 21. The same address was listed in the business correspondence of Gerhard Neckritz, a merchant engaged in export-import activities, including in the Italian market.
At the intersection of Kamienna Grobla and Śluza Street, on both sides, the Gdańsk Margarine Factory operated for over two decades. It was later renamed to Van den Bergh’s Margarinefabriken. Specifically, these were buildings 25a and 26-30. And passing by the fence of plot 24 on the way, you might have encountered a secondary entrance to the R. Haffke & Co. vinegar and mustard factory, which officially operated on the other side of the block at Jaskółcza 34a. An interesting fact is that from 1897 to 1911, the Belgian Consulate operated at number 25a. Returning to plots 26-30, from 1843-1920 (almost 80 years), a factory producing edible oil, flour, and starch operated here.
A few years before World War II, one had to be cautious of exceptional car traffic in this part of the street. This was because an auto repair shop, paint shop, upholstery shop, and car body assembly plant operated at the same address.
The third and final coal depot was located at the very end of the street. Its owner was Franz Böhm, probably the largest representative of this industry in Dolne Miasto. His coal, coke, briquette, anthracite, and timber depots were not only at Kamienna Grobla 35 but also on nearby Dobra Street and Śluza Street. The origins of this enterprise go back to the late 19th century, when W. Pegelow operated a similar business near the Toruński Bridge.
Speaking of the bridge, at number 34, Ernst Wiechert ran the “Zur Thornschen Brücke” inn before the war.
This street is quite noisy, especially when the bridge gets congested. During the 2014-2015 revitalization, it took over a significant part of the traffic from Długie Ogrody towards Toruńska and vice versa.

For the benefit of pedestrians and strollers, it was decided in the 1970s to develop the bank of the Nowa Motława River along this street, constructing something akin to terraces with steps leading down to the water.
In the summer of 2015, a mini-beach was created on one of these terraces. On another occasion, a Scandinavian orchestra performed on a different terrace.

Kamienna Grobla (in German: Steindamm) owes its name to its proximity to the Nowa Motława River and being one of the first paved streets in Dolne Miasto. Not everyone knows that at the beginning of the 20th century, it was divided into three sections. The first section ran from Szopy Street to Dolna Street, the second from Dolna to Śluza, and the third from Śluza to Toruńska. This division might correspond to earlier historical sections of the street, which in the mid-17th century were named I Mottlaugasse, II Mottlaugasse, and III Mottlaugasse.

The color photo comes from the collection of Jacek Górski. The first black-and-white photo was taken by Artur Wołosewicz. Source: L. Sobiecka, M. Kaliszczak (ed.), Gdańsk – Dolne Miasto. Historical and Urbanistic Documentation, PP Pracownie Konserwacji Zabytków [Polish Historical Preservation Works], Branch in Gdańsk, Historical-Scientific Documentation Studio, Gdańsk 1979. The second black-and-white photo belongs to Ela Woroniecka. The third was taken by Piotr Stojałowski. A fragment of the map of Gdańsk from 1904 (source: “Meyers Konv-Lexikon”) comes from the archives of Opowiadacze.
Sources of pre-war advertisements: Gazeta Handlowa: the only economic daily newspaper in Poland. R. 4, 1929, No. 246, p. 6; Straż Gdańska: organ of the Central Electoral Committee for the Free City of Gdańsk R. 4, No. 7 (March 1, 1935) p. 18; Flota Polska: economic journal for maritime, air, and colonial affairs, 1934, No. 18, p. 35.
Author of the article: Jacek Górski.