STORIES FROM PRZEMYŚL: Railway – the Przemyśl Navel of the World

The railway and its station are usually the heart of the city, a kind of beginning and end point of the route. It's the place where travelers first and last impressions of the city are made. In the case of modern Przemyśl, it's also the first Polish city for visitors from beyond the eastern border and the final station for those traveling from the west. For over 165 years, Przemyśl residents have been able to enjoy the impressive station building, reminiscent of a Viennese palace.

The building is one of the few surviving World Wars I and II. It was built on the site of the former Reformati garden. It is one of the most impressive structures on the former Galician Charles Louis railway line, connecting Kraków with Lviv.

The Dreams of Prince Leon Sapieha

The main proponent of railway construction in the region was Prince Leon Sapieha of Krasiczyn (grandfather of Cardinal A. Sapieha). A proponent of organic work, he submitted a request to establish a joint-stock company as early as 1844, which was rejected. The request gained approval only after the Crimean War in 1858. In 1862, the Sapiehas established a new joint-stock company, supplying railway thresholds and bricks for railway construction, and in 1867, a company for the construction of a railway from Lviv to Brody. Prince Leon planned to run a railway to Hungary from Przemyśl to Koszyce via Krasiczyn, Sanok, and Dukla. Ultimately, the railway to Hungary was completed in 1872 and ran along a different route – through Chyrów, Zagórz, and Łupków. Prince Leon's son, Adam Stanisław, continued his father's interests. He became one of the main concessionaires of the construction of the Przemyśl – Łupków railway line, completed in December 1872.

Two railways – one city

By 1872, Przemyśl was already a junction between Lviv and Kraków, with two railway lines operating. The Galician Railway named after Charles Louis (the emperor's brother), in operation since 1859, and the First Hungarian-Galician Railway, commonly known as the Łupków Railway, ran from Przemyśl through Chyrów, Zagórz, and Łupków, connecting Galicia with Hungary and Budapest. Here are some contemporary accounts of the railway's construction.

Galician official Henryk Schmitt, who was staying in Medyka, wrote in a letter to his wife dated May 12, 1862: "Fires break out frequently in Medyka and the surrounding area, which is said to be caused by the influx of foreign workers working on the railway. Such newcomers are suspected of having no work after the railway was completed, and now they are amusing themselves with arson so that they can steal something."

A Russian at the station

Vasily Keliyev, a journalist from Saint Petersburg who traveled through Galicia in 1866-67, left an interesting account of the Przemyśl station. In his memoirs, "Galicia and Moldavia. Putievye Pisces," published in 1868, he writes: "Jews, Jews, and Jews—wherever I turn, I find myself in the kingdom of the Jews. Things are probably so arranged here that I can't take a single step without Jews. They hover around me like flies, offering various services..." Keliyev experienced even greater consternation at the hotel next to the station when a Jewish waiter suggested to him in German: "etwas hubsches wunschen Sie?" A moment later, indignant, he realized that he was being offered the company of women of easy virtue.

A Krakow resident in Przemyśl

We owe valuable information about the construction of the Łupków railway to Kazimierz Girtler. He writes, "Local citizens testify that it was the railway that revitalized Przemyśl. Lwowska Street was once the busiest commercial area. Today, it has become a small-scale retail outlet, and the real commercial interests are concentrated around the railway station." Girtler recognizes the economic and strategic importance of the railway and adds: "The currently under construction Carpathian-Łupków Railway will, over time, discover new benefits for trade (...), it is certain that Przemyśl must necessarily benefit from them (...). Work on the construction of the Łupków railway proceeded in stages. On May 13, 1872, the Przemyśl-Chyrów section was opened, and the final section, Komańcza-Łupków (13.75 km), in December 1872. The tunnel under the Łupków Pass (416 m long), connecting Galicia with Hungary, and ultimately Budapest with the Przemyśl Fortress and Lviv, was opened later, in May 1874. On the opposite side of the tunnel was the Slovak station of Medzilaborce (Hungarian: Mezolaborc). Once it reached this station, Hungary lay open.

The city of railway workers – the railway is the breadwinner

Experts call Przemyśl "Little Vienna – a city of soldiers, priests, nuns, monasteries, churches, and railway workers." And what about the railways? Between 1870 and 1921, the number of railway employees increased from 152 in 1870 to 1,469 in 1921. The share of railway employees increased from 4.3 percent in 1870 to 10.9 percent in 1921, taking into account the total number of employees in the city. Leopold Hauser provides the staffing composition of both railways at the Przemyśl station. The Charles Ludwig Railway employed 85 people. However, the staffing of the Imperial-Royal I Hungarian-Galician Railway was more modest. Employment there included: a chief inspector, a station master, senior and junior engineers, an assistant engineer, clerks, a traffic controller, a telegraph stage manager, a materials auditor, and a cashier. A total of 28 people.

Crowned heads and celebrities on the Przemyśl platform

On September 5, 1880, around 11 a.m., the imperial train arrived at the Przemyśl station platform. Aleksander Nowolecki described it in "A Souvenir of Emperor Franz Joseph I's Journey through Galicia...": "The court train consisted of two locomotives and several dozen carriages. At its head was a safety car. A reconnaissance train preceded it. Its exterior was painted green with gold trim and emblems. The imperial salon contained an ottoman, a sleeping chair, a desk, and chairs. The walls were upholstered in heavy damask, and the floor was draped with Persian rugs. The double windows were shuttered. The compartments were lit with gas and heated with hot water." The monarch was greeted at the station by Mayor Waygart, Bishops Hirszler and Stupnicki, Prince Sapieha, Count Michałowski of Bolestraszyce, and military officials. After the greetings, the emperor departed for the starosty for a meal. Przemyśl bid farewell to the monarch with the ringing of bells in all the churches and Orthodox churches.

Archduke

In July 1887, the city welcomed the heir to the throne, Archduke Rudolf of Habsburg, on his way to Krasiczyn. A welcoming committee was established for this occasion. "Gazeta Przemyska" No. 6 of July 3, 1887, reported that on July 2, a few minutes after the second quarter, cannon salutes from Fort XVI on Zniesienie announced Archduke Rudolf's arrival. At the station, the heir to the throne was greeted by Mayor Dworski, Bishops Solecki and Stupnicki, the generals and officer corps of the 10th garrison, the nobility, and the aristocracy. After leaving the city, Rudolf traveled to Krasiczyn for a feast. His host, Prince Adam Sapieha, entertained him with a lavish dinner. Two years after this visit, in 1889, Archduke Rudolf, son of Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) and Franz Joseph, died under mysterious circumstances at Mayerling Castle.

Second Polish Republic

During the Second Polish Republic, distinguished guests were greeted and bid farewell with equal frequency. In early June 1937, President Ignacy Mościcki, accompanied by Foreign Minister Józef Beck and his entourage, stopped in Przemyśl. The dignitaries were returning from a visit to the Kingdom of Romania. Reports of this event were published in the June 1937 editions of "Tygodnik Przemyślski" and "Ziemia Przemyślska."

At the station, the guests were greeted by General Boruta-Spiechowicz, President Chrzanowski, station master Mr. Nestor, standard-bearers, school students, and teachers. A guard of honor presented arms, and an orchestra played the national anthem. The gathered residents shouted "Long live!" That same month, on June 26, 1937, Przemyśl welcomed King Carol II of Romania and his son Michael, as they traveled to Warsaw.

Przemyśl Švejk

The role of Przemyśl and its railway station has been recognized in literary works. From here, Jaroslav Hašek's hero, the soldier Joseph Švejk, departs on the Przemyśl-Chyrów train. The city hasn't forgotten its literary hero, and the figure of the soldier Švejk can be seen sitting in Przemyśl's Market Square. So, I suggest you board a not-so-ordinary train (a Przemyśl train) with me and good old Švejk and take our summer train journey. Perhaps during the journey, we'll see distinguished guests on the Przemyśl platform. Such as in May 2024, when world leaders were traveling to Kyiv. Anything is possible, because history, as we know, has a way of repeating itself. Then, the Przemyśl railway station will once again become the center of the Przemyśl world, and the Fortress City, the Rescue City, will gain a new status.

In the meantime, I invite you to the Lubin Dienstl station restaurant – currently the "Pearl of Przemyśl" – where in the interiors of the Imperial-Royal era we can peacefully eat a Viennese cutlet.

Dr. Beata Świętojańska