TRAFO stations, or the history of Przemyśl's electrification

Few people know, but TRAFO stations—that is, transformer stations—like those we have at Plac Konstytucji, for example, are not a common feature of the urban landscape. We, as residents of Przemyśl, should be proud, because we were once pioneers of electrification. Our city was the first in Galicia to produce electricity for civilian use.

While the remaining infrastructure—even the historic transformer stations and the former power plant building on Sportowa Street—has nothing to do with this initial electrification process, it's been there since the beginning. The decision to electrify Przemyśl was made in May 1895. At that time, the city's streets were lit by 500 kerosene lanterns, each of which had to be lit and extinguished daily. The city was then in full bloom, fueled by the construction and mere presence of the Fortress. At that point, the garrison numbered 7,192 soldiers, generating demand for various services, construction companies fueled by military funds were rampant, and the city was expanding further into the suburbs.

The then-state railway company decided to rebuild and expand the railway station, which provided the final impetus for the city's electrification. It was then that the city authorities decided to invest in the then-innovative electric lighting technology. Since the city itself could not afford such a large expense as building a power plant, it was initially to be borne by Siemens & Halske, Berrich, and Sp., which, however, failed to meet the deadline, and the prepared documentation was taken over by the Mortgage Bank in Lviv. At that time, banks engaged in a much broader range of investment activities than they do today. The city provided them with a plot of land, and the agreement stipulated that the Mortgage Bank would build the power plant and its network, operate it, and profit from it for 40 years, after which the city would take over the infrastructure free of charge. Since Przemyśl had never been a wealthy city, the Mortgage Bank was given a plot of land that, for the bankers at the time, was located on the city's outskirts. And this is not the market square on today's Sportowa Street.

The first power plant in Przemyśl was built on the site of a former cemetery, between present-day Dworskiego and Mickiewicza Streets, on Konarskiego Street, where the Courthouse is today! It housed a boiler room with four steam boilers and a 30-meter chimney. Additionally, it housed a battery bank and a distribution board. This power plant produced direct current at a voltage of 2 x 150 V and had a capacity of 165 kW. The electrical grid was overhead, distributed primarily on wooden poles, sometimes with only steel supports attached to the buildings.

The entire city wasn't electrified; electricity was provided to Śródmieście, Podzamcze, and parts of Lwowskie Przedmieście between Basztowa, Słowackiego, Smolki, Dworskiego, and Konarskiego Streets. This overlapped with the densely built-up area subject to stricter fire regulations. In Zasań, only Constitution Square, along with the initial sections of 3 Maja, Grunwaldzka, and Krasińskiego Streets, was electrified. The cable was run on steel supports attached to the main road bridge at the Kościuszko exit. Mostly incandescent lamps were used, with a few arc lamps… which also had to be switched on and off one by one every day.

As you might imagine, the implementation of this bold project immediately brought with it a multitude of problems. The first thing that happened after the power plant's construction was the almost simultaneous development of numerous tenement houses in the immediate vicinity, along with a residential district between Tarnawskiego, Puszkina, and Kilińskiego Streets. And since the plant was built to provide electricity for street lighting and individual consumers, it operated only when it was dark—late afternoons and evenings. Apparently, it hummed loudly at that time, and the profit-driven Mortgage Bank (who would have guessed) fueled it with inferior coal, causing the unfiltered chimneys to spew steam laden with sulfur dioxide and dust, which settled on the brand-new building facades. Furthermore, steam boilers require large amounts of water, and the plant's well successfully drained all the private wells in the area (because there were no waterworks in the area at the time).

Due to the commercial orientation of Bank Hipoteczny, its relationship with the city was… difficult. They refused to invest in power plants, grid expansion, or anything else. So much so that there wasn't enough electricity for everyone, and for example, the very elegant Gans Passage opposite the railway station had to generate its own electricity from a generator. As early as 1908, the city decided to build a new power plant on what is now Sportowa Street, then called Targowica. The biggest advantage of this location was the proximity of the San River and the ease of water supply for the boilers. Construction of the new power plant began in 1909 and was commissioned in 1912. The old plant was purchased in 1910—less than 40 years later—based on a valuation based on proven costs less depreciation. For a time, the plants operated in parallel to ensure continuous power supply. The new plant, unlike the old one, produced direct current. Direct current is distributed over long distances at high voltage, and before reaching the consumer, it must be reduced to medium and low voltage. This is also accomplished at transformer stations. Initially, "kiosks" were set up in strategic locations around the city, containing distribution boards, transformers, and street lighting controllers.

The stations we see today were built after Poland regained independence, in three aesthetically distinct layouts. Five Type A stations from 1926 have survived – at Konstytucji Square, Rogozińskiego Square, Bohaterów Getta Square, the corner of 3 Maja and 29 Listopada Streets, and at Dolińskiego Street. The station at Konstytucji Square is currently being renovated to its original appearance – with plastered and brick sections. There are four Type B stations: at Łukasińskiego, Słowackiego, Kilińskiego, and Dworskiego Streets. Type C stations were built in 1936, and the latter two are at Mickiewicza and Konarskiego Streets. To put it mildly, the diminishing attention to "facade aesthetics" is a clear sign that the country was sinking into crisis at the time.

The power plant heroically maintained production (with brief interruptions during the shifts of armies occupying Przemyśl) throughout World War I, including sieges. Although the entire Zasanie district was temporarily cut off due to the severance of an overhead line installed on a destroyed road bridge. Many power lines serving individual customers were severed by bombing, but all were quickly rebuilt immediately after the end of hostilities. Most of the historic transformer stations still serve their original purpose today. As we gaze at these beautifully restored buildings, we remember that Przemyśl was the first city in Galicia to provide electricity to civilians. And by the way, did you notice that it has a concrete ball on top of that roof?

Dr. Natalia Stojak – Pomykacz