Stefan Żeromski Park (Szczecin)

Stefan Żeromski Park
Stefan Żeromski Park
	The Stefan Żeromski Park in 2022.
Type	Urban park
Location	Szczecin, Poland
Coordinates	53°26′N 14°34′E / 53.433°N 14.567°E
Area	21.97 ha
Created	1910

The Stefan Żeromski Park,^[a] until 1945 known as the Grabowo Gardens,^[b] is an urban park in Szczecin, Poland. It is located in the Old Town neighborhood, within the Downtown district, between Matejki, Malczewskiego, Parkowa, Kapitańska, Storrady, Wawelska, Starzyńskiego, and Zygmunta Starego Streets. With an area of 21.97 ha, it is the second largest park in the city. It was established in 1910, in place of the former Grabowo Cemetery.

Name

The park is named after Stefan Żeromski, a 19th- and 20th-century novelist and dramatis.^[1] Before 1945, it was known as the Grabowo Gardens (German: Grabower Anlagen).^[2]

History

Between 1735 and 1741, to the southeast of the cureent park was constructed Fort Leopold, as part of the city fortifications of the Szczecin Fortress. It was designed by Gerhard Cornelius van Wallrawe.^[3]^[4]

In the first half of the 18th century in the area was also founded the Reformed Christian cemetery, used by the French community, which begun settling in the city after 1721. It was located between current Storrady Street, Wawelska Street, Parkowa Street, and Kapitańska Street.^[5]

In 1802, the local authorities enacted a law forbidding buring people in churches and their adjusted cemeteries, located within the city walls. As such, that year was opened a new large all-religion cemetery, with an area of 5.5 ha, named the Grabowo Cemetery. It was placed near current Malczewskiego Street, between Fort Leopold and the village of Grabowo.^[6]^[5]

Among first people buried there was Carl Böttcher (died 1803), one of the initiators of its construction. Other notable graves included Johann August Sack (died 1831), government official and the Supreme President of the Province of Pomerania, and painter Eduard Hildebrandt (died 1868).^[6]^[7]

In 1846, to the north of Malczewskiego Street, was opened another cemetery groud, in a form of a rectangle with length of 200 m, and width of 80 m. It was placed between buildings at current Malczewskiego, Kazimierza, Plater, and Parkowa Streets.^[6]^[5]

In 1873, the city fortifications, including Fort Leopold, were deconstructed. The cemetery was expanded in its place, including the area between current Matejki Street, Malczewskiego Street, Parkowa Street, Wawelska Street, Starzyńskiego Street, and Zygmunta Starego Street. To the southeast, it bordered the French Reformed Church Cemetery].^[6]

At the end of the 19th century, the cementery became full, and a portion of its graves detiorated and was overgrown by nature. It was closed for new burials and replaced in that role by the Central Cemetery, opened in 1901. Between 1888 and 1890, to the north of the cemetery, was constructed the St. Stanislaus Kostka Church (then known as the Church of Peace).^[6]^[7]

Between 1902 and 1907, to the south of the cemetery at the former fortification ramparts was developed the Haken Tarrace scenic boulevard (now known as the Chrobry Embankment). Between 1906 and 1921, allongside it were constructed the Stettin Region Administrative Building (now Szczecin Voivodeship Office, the City Museum (now Szczecin National Museum), social insurance institution and Chief Customs Directorate buildings (both now housing the Maritime University of Szczecin).^[8]

Most of the gravestones of the Grabowo Cemetery were removed in 1910, and the area turned into a park, known as the Grabowo Gardens (German: Grabower Anlagen). There were placed fountains and coffeehous. Several graves of historical imporatance, belonging to the most notable city inhabitants, were spared. In 1924, there was made an exception, in which Alberta Toepfer, a local entrepenour and one of the richest inhabitants, was buried at the former cemetery.^[2] In 1912 there was opened the Park House (German: Parkhaus) café, designed by Wilhelm Meyer-Schwartau. Currently, since 1995, in the building operates the Park Hotel.^[1]^[9] In 1913, at the square next to the park was unvailed a bronze equestrian statue dedicated to Frederick III, the Emperor of Germany in 1888. It was made by Ludwig Manzel, and stood there until 1942.^[10]

The French Reformed Church Cemetery was renovated in 1926, and there was constructed a brick chappel and a wooden gardener building. It was closed for burials in 1937.^[5] The chappel was destroyed during the World War II. After 1945, it began being known as Żabikowo Cemetery among Polish population which settled in the city following the end of the conflict.^[5]

After 1945, the Grabowo Gardens were renamed to Stefan Żeromski Park, while the former cemetery north of Malczewskiego Street was turned into the Stanisław Nadratowski Park. Most of the remaining graves were removed in the early 1950s, although a few of them survived to as far as the 1980s. The graves themselves were never exhumated.^[2]^[7] The gravestones at the nearby French Reformed Church Cemetery were also removed in 1965, and it was incorpoated into the park.^[11]^[6]

On 3 May 1960, at the Mickiewicz Square next to the park was unvailed the Adam Mickiewicz Monument, designed by Sławomir Lewiński. It consists of a concrete statue depicting its namesake, a 19th-century poet, writer, and political activis. It was placed in the former locatio of the statue of Frederick III.^[10]

In the 1970s, in the park were unvailed a monument dedicated to its namesake, Stefan Żeromski, and a few sculpture.

Since 1983, the park has the status of a protected cultural property.^[12]

In 2020, during the construction in the park was uncovered a black granite gravestone dating to 1867. It belonged to stockbroker Johan-Julius Röscher (1800–1867), and remains the oldest surviving gravestone from the Grabowo Cemetery. It was moved to the Centeal Cemetery.^[7]^[13]

Characteristics

The Stefan Żeromski Park in 2010.

The park is located in the Old Town neighborhood, within the Downtown district, between Matejki, Malczewskiego, Parkowa, Kapitańska, Storrady, Wawelska, Starzyńskiego, and Zygmunta Starego Streets. With an area of 21.97 ha, it is the second largest park in the city, after the Jan Kasprowicz Park.^[14]^[15]

It is an arboretum with around 177 species of trees and bushes growing there.^[16]

There are also located a few sculptures, them being:

the monument dedicated to Stefan Żeromski, made in 1978 by Sławomir Lewiński;
sculpture Prometheus by Anna Paszkiewicz from 1978.
sculpture Fountain by Sławomir Lewiński from 1977;
and sculpture Motherhood by Anna Paszkiewicz from 1970.^[1]^[15]

There are also two rocks with statues of natural monuments, them being:

a rock with plaque dedicated to child camp followers;
and a rock named Adam.^[1]^[15]

To the southeast from the park are placed to urban squares, located between Starzyńskiego, Szczerbowca, Jarowita, and Zygmunta Starego Streets, and separated by Henryka Pobożnego Street. They are the Adam Mickiewicz Square (Polish: Plac Adama Mickiewicza) to the north, and Women's Rights Square (Polish: Plac Praw Kobiet) to the south. The former includes the Adam Mickiewicz Monument, made in 1960 by Sławomir Lewiński.^[10]^[17]

In the park is located the Park Hotel, a historical building dating to 1912.^[1]^[9] Around the park are also located numerous notable buildings, such as Chrobry Embankment, Szczecin Philharmonic, Szczecin National Museum, St. Nicholas Church, Maritime University of Szczecin, and Szczecin Voivodeship Office.^[15] To the northeast it borders the Stanisław Nadratowski Park.^[18]