Buildings at 14 Franciszkańska Street and 24 Fosa Staromiejska Street in Toruń in the light of architectural research and source queries

Joanna Kucharzewska

doi:10.37190/arc220409

Abstract

The article presents the results of architectural research carried out at the basement level at 14 Franciszkańska and 24 Fosa Staromiejska Streets in Toruń. The aforementioned research was supplemented with source studies concerning both cellars and above-ground parts. The aim of the architectural research was to determine stages of construction on the plots in question from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century. An important issue was to identify the content of the oldest historic substance from the medieval period and the moment of functional and spatial integration of the opposite plots. The plot is located in the northern part of the Old Town of Toruń, within a triangular block of buildings, the outline of which was determined by the course of the north-eastern section of the city walls. Currently, on two opposite plots there is a tenement house, which received its final shape in the early 20th century. During the research, it was found that the oldest, Gothic fragments are present in the southern part (on the side of Franciszkańska Street). In the second Gothic stage, the northern part (from the side of Fosa Staromiejska Street) was given a basement and the stone foundations of the earlier building were used to create it. In the modern period, the two parts, which had been two independent units until then, were connected by a side outbuilding. In the 18th century, on the plot facing Franciszkańska Street, there was a two-story, brick granary. From the side of Fosa Staromiejska Street, there was a timber frame coach house. Both buildings burnt down at the beginning of the 19th century. In the mid-19th century, a large, fivestorey granary covering both plots was erected. The granary was founded on medieval and modern cellars. The ultimate change of buildings took place in 1906, when, after the demolition of the granary, two tenement houses were built with a common central route containing a staircase and an inner courtyard. Architectural research together with the source material was an effective tool for reconstructing individual stages of construction and expanding our knowledge about the forms of development of the walled part of the Old Town in Toruń.

Full article view is only available on bigger screens.

2022

4(72)

Joanna Kucharzewska*

Buildings at 14 Franciszkańska Street and 24 Fosa Staromiejska Street

in Toruń in the light of architectural research and source queries

Introduction

The article presents results of architectural research

carried out at a basement level of a tenement house at 14

FranciszkańskaStreetand24FosaStaromiejskaStreetin

Toruń.Theresearchwasalsosupplementedwithsource

studies concerning both the cellars and the above-ground

parts.Currently,onthisplotthereisabigtenementho-

use,whichwasbuiltin1906(Figs.1,2).However,dueto

specicdevelopmentofthecityofToruń,itwasexpected

that it might have covered earlier relics. Therefore, the

aim of our architectural research was to gain knowled-

ge of the subsequent construction stages taking place on

the plots from the medieval times to the beginning of the

century.Itwassignicanttoestablishthepresenceof

the oldest historic substance from the medieval period and

thepoint intime where twoopposite plotsbecame one

unitintermsofthefunctionalandspatiallayout.

Thereasonforconductingtheresearchwasthefactthat

both – the plots of land mentioned herein and the buildings

–havenotbeenstudiedorthoroughlyanalyzedinterms

ofchronologyandconstructionchanges,evenonthebasis

ofsourcematerials.Thelocationoftheplots–bythecity

wall(currentlyoutlinedonlyonthepavementofFosaSta-

romiejskaStr.)seemedinterestingduetocertainfreede-

velopment resulting from the economic conditions of this

areaofthecity.Moreover,asasidetopicoftheresearch,

aquestionarosewhetherthedecisionmadebythecityau-

thoritiesattheendofthe19

centurytodemolishthecity

wallsandopen thecitytowardsthedevelopingsuburbs

hadanyimpactonthemodicationsoftheplots.Thus,

theaimoftheresearchwastodetermineconstructional

stagesonbothplots.Dicultiesandlimitationsresulting

DOI: 10.37190/arc220409

Published in open access. CC BY NC ND license

ORCID:0000-0002-4560-5658.FacultyofFineArts,NicolausCo-

pernicusUniversity,Toruń,Poland,e-mail:jkuch@umk.pl

Fig.1.Toruń,24FosaStaromiejskaStreet–northernfaçade

(photobyJ.Kucharzewska,2022)

Il.1.Toruń,ul.FosaStaromiejska24–widoknaelewacjępółnocną

(fot.J.Kucharzewska,2022)

92 JoannaKucharzewska

fromthefactthatthesewere basements thatwereavai-

lableforarchitecturalresearchwerenaturallytakeninto

consideration.However,afterperformingthepreliminary

archivalquery,itwasdecidedthatitwasworthtakingthe

risk,eveniftheeldofinsituresearchislimitedtoone

storeysinceinformationaboutgroundstoreychangeswas

quitemeticulouslynotedbythePrussianadministrationin

the19

century.

State of research and methodology

The above mentioned objects have not received any

scienticstudysofar.Thebasisforestablishingchanges

inbuildingswasarchitecturalinsituresearch[1]andar-

chivalwritten,iconographicandcartographicrecordscol-

lectedintheStateArchivesinToruń.Theseweremainly

two volumes constructionles [2],[3] andone volume

landrecords[4]fromthelate18

centuryto1945.The

researchmethodsandtechniqueswereselectedduringthe

eldresearchandalsointhecourseofwritingthisarti-

cle,whichallowedfortheanalysisanddeterminationof

conclusions.Theselectionofmethodswasdeterminedby

aninterdisciplinaryapproachtotheproblem,whichcom-

binesthehumanities(history,arthistory,historicstudies

and conservation), technical science (materials science)

andart(conservationofworksofart).Thestartingpoint

forwritingthisarticlewasthemethodofanalyzingand

criticizing literature sources. Valuable information was

obtainedfromthestudiesofthehistorians:KrzysztofMi-

kulski[5],StanisławBobiński [6],TomaszJasiński [7],

[8] and Janusz Tandecki [9]. They made it possible to

createahistoricalandurbanbackgroundaswellaspres-

enttheroleandfunctionofwalledplotsincludedinthe

city at certainstages ofits development.Historical and

interpretative method allowed for the proper collection

and analysis of the above mentioned source material,

whichwasparticularly important duetotheinability to

conductarchitecturalresearchontheupperstoreyofthe

tenementhouse.Thisknowledgewasthestartingpointfor

eldresearchwithinthebasement;technicalandmaterial

studies,duringwhichtherewereanalyzedtypesofbricks

and joints, pattern of themes and their disturbances, all

kindsofbrickwork,cracks,seams,theconditionofindi-

vidual brick andstone fragments,etc.The resultof the

theseworksisthisarticletogetherwithillustrativemateri-

althatallowsustoauthenticatetheresearchconclusions,

presented as the history of the development of plots in

chronologicalterms.

Historical and urban background

TheplotlimitedbyFranciszkańskaandFosaStaromiej-

skaStreetsislocatedinthenorthernpartoftheOldTown

ofToruń,withinatriangularblockofbuildings,theshape

ofwhichwasdeterminedbythenorth-easternsectionof

thecitywalls(Fig.3).ThersturbanstructureofToruń

– with city rights granted in 1233

and translocated in

1236–did not yetcomprisetheabove-mentioned frag-

ment

.Itwasincludedintheurbanstructureonlyatthe

stageofcityexpansion[10,pp.47–84],whichtookplace

after1252[5].Itisassumedthattheprocessofthisenlar-

gementcouldnotexceed1259,whenGerhardvonHirz-

berg,thePrussianvice-master,consentedtotheerection

ofamarkethouse(domusforensis)onthemarketsquare

whichhadjustbeenmarkedout[5,p.152].Probablyat

the same time the northern block near the market square

wasdividedintolongplotsreachinguptothelineofFran-

ciszkańskaStreet.Thisarrangementallowedtheowners

to diversify the functions of the buildings – residential

buildingswereerectedfromtherepresentativesideofthe

MarketSquare,while attheotherendofthe plot,there

wereutilityandstoragebuildings.Thistypeofdivision

determined the economic character of the entire Fran-

ciszkańska Street, which obtained its nal shape after

itwas freedforthe developmentofthe northern block,

reachingtherouterunningalong the defensive walls.It

became possible after removing the wooden and earth

forticationsthattemporarilyprotectedtheinteriorofthe

enlargedcityfromthenorth[6,pp.67–73]andthecon-

 According to German researcher, the document was issued in

December1232[10].

 Therstmerchantsettlementstartedaround1231intheareaof

avillagenowcalledStaryToruńandlocatedabout10kmeastofthecity.

Onlyitstransferin1236totheareaoftoday’sOldTowncanberegarded

asthebeginningoftheformationoftheproperurbanlayout.

Fig.2.Toruń,14FranciszkańskaStreet

–southernfaçade

(photobyJ.Kucharzewska,2022)

Il.2.Toruń,ul.Franciszkańska14

–widoknaelewacjępołudniową

(fot.J.Kucharzewska,2022)

 Buildingsat14FranciszkańskaStreetand24FosaStaromiejskaStreetinToruń 93

structionoftherstpermanentcircuitofbrickcitywalls

inaround1262[7].

Eventually,theprocessofshapingtheurbanspacetook

placebeforetheendofthe13

century,andthisisthepe-

riodwhentherstbuildingswereimplementedinthearea

inquestion–i.e.withintheblockbetweenFranciszkańska

StreetandFosaStaromiejskaStreet.Byanalogywithoth-

erstreets,itcanbeassumedthattherstbuildingswere

madeofwood,andtheconstructionofbrickbuildingsbe-

ganonlyaftertheendofthesocio-economiccrisislasting

almost the entire 1

half of the 14

century[9,p.184].

Thenameoftoday’sFranciszkańskaStreet(German:

Beckergasse,English:BakerStreet)suggeststhatbakers

usedtosettlethere[5,p.323].Productionprobablytook

placehere aswell,until thebakerieswere forbiddento

operatewithinthecitywalls.Thebakeryindustryisin-

directlyrelatedtothehorsemill erected in1411onthe

western edge of the northern block, separated from the

restoftheblockbyanarrowstreetrunningfromthetrack

bythewalls,alongtheFranciscanmonasteryplot,upto

theMarketSquare[8,p.40].Thesouthernsectionofthis

streetwastransformedintoherringbenchesbefore1435,

liquidatedandbuilt-upin1594byGeorgMarx[5,p.36].

In the 15

 century, at Beckergasse (currently Francisz-

kańskaStr.),thereweresevenfull-valueplots,foursheds,

twomalthouses,aswellastheaforementionedhorsemill

andawayoutfromherringbenches[5,p.323].Thechar-

acterofthestreetwaswell-establishedanddidnotchange

signicantlyinthemodernperiod.AccordingtoMikulski,

inthe17

centurytherewereonlythreeresidentialhouses

atthestreet.Theremainingplotswereoccupiedbyone

shed, fourcrossings, ve malt houses, one granary and

ahorsemill.Inthe18

century,thebuildingsonthestreet

wereenrichedwithonlyonetenementhouse[5].

Thereisverylittleinformationaboutthecharacterofthe

buildingsattoday’sFosaStaromiejskaStreet,whichinthe

centuryhadanamereferringtothepointedarticulation

ofthegroundoorofthedefensivewalls–CensusdeSwe-

bogen[8,p.38].Similarlytootherwalledstreets,itshould

beassumedthatutilityandstoragebuildingsdominatedhere

andthatcharacterwasmaintaineduntilthe19

century.

Detailedinformationonthestagesofdevelopmentof

the plotat 14 Franciszkańska Street and 24 FosaStaro-

miejskaStreetresultedfromthearchitecturalresearchcar-

riedoutwithinthecellars.Unfortunately,itwasnotpos-

sibletocontinuetheresearchontheabove-groundoors

duetothepermanentresidenceofthetenantsandthevery

goodconditionoftheroomsafterrenovationworks.How-

ever,informationonthestateofthecurrentover-ground

constructionwasobtainedfromsourcematerials(written

andiconographic).Itwas animportantsupplementtoin

situresearch,especiallyintheeldofchangestakingplace

inthe19

andearly20

century.

Medieval period

The rst inspectionof thebasement wallsconrmed

thepresenceofmedievalrelics,butwithaclearquanti-

tative dierentiation in individual parts of the rooms

(markedinredinFig.4).MostoftheGothicwallswere

noticeableinthesouthernpart(i.e.fromthesideofFran-

ciszkańskaStreet), theywere fragmentarilyobserved in

thenorthernpart(i.e.fromFosaStaromiejskaStreet)and

almostnonexistentinthecentralpart.Therefore,rstit

isworthdiscussingtheresultsoftheresearchconducted

in thesouthern part (from Franciszkańska Street). Here

theWendishbrickworkwasfoundontheperimeterwalls

andonthecentrallongitudinalwall(Fig.4.1)separating

tworooms–easternandwestern.Itshomogeneousstruc-

ture(withpassagesre-hammeredinthelaterperiod)sug-

geststheexistenceoftwoindependentbuildingserected

onrectangularprojectionsintherstconstructionstage.

Duetothelackoftracesoftheoutworkedholes,itshould

beassumedthatthesepartswerenotcommunicatedwith

eachother.Theelementsofthestructurethatsurviveinthe

perimeterwallsalsosuggestthatbothpartshadseparate

architecturalforms.Intherstphase,datingbacktothe

mid-14

century,thebasementroomsweresingle-space,

withtheeasternperimeterwalloftheeasternpartadded

tothealreadyexistingwalloftheneighboringplot,built

ofeldstones(Fig.4.2).

The western room was connected to the street level

byacellarcorridorwithahighopening,locatedonthe

westernedgeofthesouthernwall(Fig.4.3).Thecorri-

dorplayeditsroleuntilthemid-19

century,whenawide

doorwaywasintroducedonitsaxis,onthegroundoor.It

wasfunctionallyadaptedtothegranary,whoseconstruc-

tionwastheninprogress(1856).Thenthecellarcorridor

wasbrickedup.Intheeasternpart–duetothe19

cen-

turyreconstructions–norelicswerefoundthatcouldbe

clearlyinterpretedasananalogouselement.

Inthewesternpart,alongthewesternperimeterwall,

arecesswasdeveloped,whichintheearlymodernperiod

receivedanewclosureconnectedwiththevault(Fig.4.4).

In1856–duringtheconstructionofthe19

-centurygra-

nary–therecesswaswalledup,andwhenthetenement

housewaserected(1906), a transverse wallwasplaced

perpendicularlyinthisplace(Fig.5a).

Fig.3.Contemporaryplanof

Toruńwiththe14FranciszkańskaStreet/

24FosaStaromiejskaStreetbuildingmarked

(source:https://geoportal360.pl)

Il.3.WspółczesnamapaToruniazzaznaczonąkamienicą

przyul.Franciszkańskiej14/FosaStaromiejska24

(źródło:https://geoportal360.pl)

94 JoannaKucharzewska

There is no indication that the front buildings at the

basementlevelwereconnectedtothebackyardbuildings.

Thestonewallexposedinthepresentcorridorhasanir-

regular,curvilinearface,whichindicatesthatitistheout-

ersideoftheneighboringwall(Fig.4.2).

Thestructureoftheperimeterwallsbelowthepresent

tenementhousefromthesideofFosaStaromiejskaStreet

suggeststhatintherststageofdevelopment,theseparts

didnothaveabasementatall.Largestonesandboulders

usedtobuildtheperimeterofthewallsinsomeplacesare

onlypresentintheupperzoneofthewalls.Thelowerpart

intheseplacesismadeofmedievalbrickwitharegular

layoutand supportsaslightly overhungstonepart.The

stonefaceisveryirregular,andthepersistenttetheringof

thenorth-westcornerconsistsofrandomlylayeredboul-

dersofvarioussizesanddepths(Fig.4.10).Allthisproves

thatthestonepartswereoriginallyonlyfoundations,and

didnotcreatetheperimeterwallsofthebasement.Their-

regularity,randomnessofthelayoutandthedimensionsof

the building material make it possible to assume that this

partwasfoundedbyllingtheearthditcheswithstones

thrownfromaboveandooded with mortar.Above the

stonepart,abrickosetwasbuilttosupporttheground

oorandnotsomuchthebasementceiling.

Itwasonlyduringthenextstagethatthebasementwas

addedtothebuildingsbyremovingthesoiltoanappro-

priatedepth,exceedingtherangeofthestonefoundation,

which required supporting the existing elements with

brick underpinnings (Fig. 4.11). Full recognition of the

Duringthearchitecturalresearch,anattemptwasmade

to nd original articulation of the walls in the eastern

basement. However,no seam that might have indicated

thatwasfound.Therecessespresentontheeasternwall

were built secondarily (Fig. 4.5). The arches that close

them are based on the posts separated from the face of the

Wendishwallbyadistinctverticalseam,andtheedges

oftheWendishpartshowsignsofhammering.Thestone

base of the recesses highlights the structure of the neigh-

boringfoundationwall.

Ontheeasternwallinquestion,justbehindtherecessin

thepresentbackbay,thereisatraceofatetheringbetween

thetransversewall(Fig.4.6).Thismayindicatethatthere

wasashallow backpassageintheeasternbuilding, but

thishypothesisishinderedbythelackofasimilartrace

onthe opposite side,where the passagewashammered

andthenwalledup(Fig.4.7).Anotherhypothesisassumes

thatitcouldhavebeenawallofasmallroom(hypocaus-

tum?),butagain,thisthesiscannotbeconrmeddueto

thedemolitionofthebackwallintheeasternsectionofthe

tenementhouse.Only archaeological research canprove

eitherofthesetwohypotheses.

The depth of the medieval frontage buildings at Fran-

ciszkańskaStreet is markedbya relic ofthetransverse

wall,whichisthebasisoftherearfaçadesandhasbeen

preserved in the western basement, at a slight distance

fromthepresentwalloftherearfaçade(Fig.4.8).Onthe

lineoftherelic,alongtheeasternstonewall,thereisalso

atraceofafaçadewalltethering(Fig.4.9).

Fig.4.Toruń,14FranciszkańskaStreet/24FosaStaromiejskaStreet.Chronologicalstratificationofcellars(elaboratedbyJ.Kucharzewska,2022)

Il.4.Toruń,ul.Franciszkańska14/FosaStaromiejska24.Rozwarstwieniachronologicznepiwnic(oprac.J.Kucharzewska,2022)

CELLAR LAYOUT

-1/22

FRANCISZKAŃSKA 14 / FOSA STAROMIEJSKA 24

14 Franciszkańska street/

24 Fosa staromiejska street

 Buildingsat14FranciszkańskaStreetand24FosaStaromiejskaStreetinToruń 95

buildingsat14FranciszkańskaStreet/24FosaStaromiej-

skaStreetdatebacktotheyear1703,whentheplotwas

ownedbybrewerJohannFriedrichLanghammers,andin

itssouthernendtherewasamalthouse[11].Attheend

ofthe18

century,onlyagranaryismentioned.Welearn

slightlymoreaboutthebuildingsontheplotinquestion

fromtheSpecialTaxfromtheyears1807–1815,i.e.the

times of the Napoleonic campaign. Inthe year1807, as

aresultoftheexplosionofgunpowderstoredonthebar-

geandthepieroftheVistulariverbank,causedbyFrench

soldiersresidinginthecity,manyToruńtenementhouses

weredamaged.Furtherdestructiontookplaceduringthe

retreatoftheNapoleonicarmy.Paradoxically,thematerial

lossesincurredbythecity,meticulouslynotedintheSpe-

cialTax,aretodayanexcellentsourceofknowledgeabout

theconditionofbuildingsfromthebeginningofthe19

century.According to the aforementioned Tax Records,

damagealsotookplaceonpropertyno.314(Franciszkań-

ska14/FosaStaromiejska24),whichatthattimebelon-

gedtogingerbreadmakerJohannF.Wentscher[4].Both

the2-storeybrickgranaryonthesideofFranciszkańska

constructiontechniqueandthevalidityoftheabove-men-

tionedhypothesisishardtoachieveduetocurrentraising

ofthebasementoorlevelcoveringthelowerpartsofthe

medievalwalls.

The depth of the buildings in this part of the plot is

determinedbytheinteriorofthedemolishedstonewall,

whichformed thebasis of theearlier rear façades.It is

exposedontheeasternandwesternperimeterwallsofthe

presentbacktrack(Fig.4.12). It seemsthatalsoonthe

sideofFosaStaromiejskaStreettherewasadivisioninto

two independent, unconnected eastern and western cel-

lars,inaccordancewiththemedievalparceling(Fig.5b).

Theaforementionedresearchshowsthatinthemedi-

evaltimestwoindependentcellarsrstappearedonthe

sideofFranciszkańskaStreet.Ifthereexistedsomeother

buildingsontheplots,theydidnothaveanybasements.

Itwasonlyinthesecondmedievalstagethatabasement

wasmadefromthesideofFosaStaromiejskaStreet.The

centralpart–probablythecourtyard–hadnobasement.

Modern period

Intheearlymodernperiod(ingreeninFig.4)theplots

weremergedwhichwasassociatedwiththetransformation

ofthecellarsandprobablywiththechangeofthebuilding

layoutoftheabove-groundparts.Cellarsfromthesideof

FranciszkańskaStreetwerecoveredwithtwoparallelbarrel

vaults.Theseparts,whichhadbeenisolateduntilthen,were

connectedbyintroducingaforginginthelongitudinalwall,

madeinthepresentbackpassagebyremovingthebottom

oftheexistingrecessandwideningitslight(Fig.4.7).This

changewascarriedoutsimultaneouslywiththeconstruction

ofthevaults,asevidencedbythevaultlunettedeveloped

abovetheopening,adjustedtothewidthoftheforging.

Atthesametime,abasementwasimplementedinthe

central-westernpart(Fig.4.13),abovewhichasideout-

buildingwaserected,whichsurviveduntil1856.Thenew

basementwascoveredwithabarrelvaultbasedonlonger

sidewalls,thewesternofwhichhasentirelysurviveduntil

now(Fig.4.14).Theeasternonehassurvivedonlyfrag-

mentarilyasasectionsupportingthevaultinthecentral

partofthebasement(Fig.4.15),thefoundation(Fig.4.16)

andapostwhosefrontisexposedinthefaceofthewall

from1906(Fig.4.17).

Byintroducingasideoutbuilding,thebuildingslocat-

edontwooppositeedgesoftheplotwereconnectedwith

eachother.Atthe basement level, thestonewallofthe

rear façade of the building at Fosa Staromiejska Street

waspartiallydismantled.Thisisevidencedbythefounda-

tionofthelowerpartofthedemolishedstonewallwhich

presentscertainmodernfeatures(Fig.4.18).

Thearchitecturalresearchofthecellarsshowsthatinthe

earlymodernperiod,narrowadjacentplotsweremerged,

andalsoconnectedbyanoutbuildingfromthesideofFran-

ciszkańskaStreetandFosaStaromiejskaStreet(Fig.5c).

Years 1700–1856

Theearliestarchivalconstructiondatathatwecurrently

haveatourdisposal,concerningtheexaminedcomplexof

reconstruction of the cellar layout in the Gothic

first phase

second phase

third phase

reconstruction of the cellar layout in the Gothic

reconstruction of the cellar layout in modern period

Fig.5.Toruń,14FranciszkańskaStreet/24FosaStaromiejskaStreet.

ReconstructionofthecellarlayoutintheGothicandmodernperiods

(elaboratedbyJ.Kucharzewska,2022)

Il.5.Toruń,ul.Franciszkańska14/FosaStaromiejska24.

Rekonstrukcjaukładupiwnicwokresiegotyckiminowożytnym

(oprac.J.Kucharzewska,2022)

96 JoannaKucharzewska

Theexistenceofthisnew cellar corridorofthegranary

isconrmedbythepreserveddesigns–boththeground

oorplanwith visiblestairsandtheviewof thefaçade

withaschematicallydrawncasingoftheentrancetothe

basement.The building was completelysubordinatedto

thefunctionofawarehouse.Onthegroundoor,onthe

westside,therewasapassage,andstairsconnectingall

oorswerelocatedparalleltotheshorterfaçades.Thus,

theentireusableareaoneachoorwaspreparedforthe

storageofvarioustypesofmaterials.

FormerchantLeiser,itwasoneofmanyinvestments

inToruń.In1887,thegranarywastakenoverbyabranch

oftheWeimarBankinBerlin,probablyasaresultofan

unpaidmortgage.

Granary modifications (1897)

In1896,theindebtedproperty,mortgagedintheamount

of Mk 11,500, was purchased by another well-known

merchantSimonSilberstein–aproducerofvinegarand

mustard. A year later (1897) he started to change the

groundoorandthefaçadeonthesideofFranciszkań-

skaStreet.Onthegroundoor,aworkshopandashop

wereseparatedwithwoodenwalls.Heresignedfromthe

passageonthegroundoorandintroducedadoorwayto

the shop as well as two windows in this very place. In

turn,hewidenedtheexistingdoorandtransformeditinto

agate.Hechangedthelocationofthestairsbymoving

themtotheeasternwall.Thischangewasconrmedby

architectural research at the basement level. Due to the

constructionofthestairs,afragmentoftheearlymodern

vaultwasdemolished,andthereaatvaultwasimple-

mentedabove.Theeasternperimeterwall,whichwasthe

baseofthevault,waspartlyrebuiltafterthemantleofthe

earlymodernvaultwasdemolished(Fig.4.21). In1899,

abrickchimneydesignbyL.Bocktobuildwasagreedin

connectionwiththeplacementofamustardgrindinggas

engineintheattic[12,p.12].

The appearance of the granary in 1897 is quite well

known as there exist photographs showing the former

Grabenstrasse(currentlyFosaStaromiejskaStreet)incon-

nectionwith documenting medievalsections of thecity

walls with towers,which weregradually demolished in

accordancewiththeconceptofopeningthecitytowards

the suburbs and development of the areas of the former

modernembankments.Thisprocessiswellillustratedby

aphotographfromaround1904.Inthephotowecansee

theconstructionworkattheMunicipalTheatre.Thegra-

naryatGrabenstrassewascapturedinthepicturebeforeit

wasconvertedintoatenementhouse(Fig.7).

Construction of tenement houses (1906)

In1906,buildingentrepreneurRobertThoberbecame

thenewownerofthegranary.InMarch1906,therewas

an application submitted for a permit to convert the gra-

naryintotwotenementhouses inasimpliedArtNou-

veaustylewithaninneryardandacommonstaircase[3,

pp.58–64].Thefaçadesofthetenementhousespresent-

edinthedesignswere4-axialand5-storeyhigh(Fig.8).

Street(German:Klosterstrasse),aswellasatimberframe

coachhousewithbrickllinglocatedonthesideofthe

FosaStaromiejska Street (German:Grabenstrasse)were

burntdown.Theburntareawascleanedup,andthelosses

wereestimatedat214Prussianthalers.

Thedatafrom1818makeitpossibletoconcludethat

fromthesideofFranciszkańskaStreet,agranarywaserec-

tedagain–halfmadeofbrick(perhapstheoldgranary

waspartiallypreserved).Anoutbuildingadjoinedit.From

thesideofthewalls,i.e.atthebackoftheplot,therewas

anothersmallergranary.Withintheplottherewasanun-

developedyardandanexittothestreet.OnJuly14,1856,

thegingerbreadmakerJuliusWentschersoldtheproperty

withthemortgagenumberAltstadtThornNo.314tomer-

chantNathanLeiser.

Construction of a 19

-century granary (1856)

The new owner, Nathan Leiser, immediately started

– as statedin thedocuments –the reconstruction(Ger-

man:Umbau)ofthegranary[3].Infact,thechangeswere

thoroughandtheyconcernedtheentirelengthoftheplot

fromFranciszkańskaStreettoFosaStaromiejskaStreet.

Such a large investment testied to the wealth of the

owner.The census carriedout in 1856,i.e. in thesame

yearwhenthegranarywasbuilt,included131namesof

therichestinhabitantsofToruń,whoseannualincomeex-

ceededonethousandthalers.NathanLeiserwasalsoon

thislistwithanincomeof2,500thalers[12,p.287].Itis

worthstatingthatatthattimetenementhousesintheOld

Townreachedpricesof2,500to4,000thalers[12,p.387].

In1864,NathanLeiserwaselectedChairmanoftheToruń

Jewishcommunity.

GranaryatFranciszkańskaStreetwasbuiltonatrape-

zoidal plan, narrowing towards the north, and had ve

oors(Fig.6).Theperimeterwallsweremadeofbrick

andbasedonthesolidperimeterwallsofthecellars.The

beamceilings,arrangedparalleltothefaçade,weresup-

ported by a girder running in the middle, supported by

5postswithbrackets.Thisarrangementwasrepeatedon

eachoor.Fromthepointofviewoftheconstructionof

thenewfacility,itwasimportanttopreservethelongitu-

dinalwallrunninginthemiddleofthebasement–both

its medieval section (Fig. 4.1) and its modern section

(Fig.4.15–4.17).Itwasherewherethebasesoftheframe

structurepillarsoftheabove-groundstoreywereplaced.

Perhapsitwasbecauseofthereinforcementofthestruc-

turalwallof thebasementthatthemoderncommunica-

tionopeningwasbrickedup(Fig.4.7)andreplacedwith

amuchsmalleroneinthefrontpassage(Fig.4.19).Itwas

introducedbyforgingtheWendishwallandabitsmaller

onetheintradosofthevaultfromthewest.Inthefaçade

wallfromFranciszkańskaStreet,theopeningsweretrans-

formed.The cellar corridor in the western part was re-

moved(Fig.4.3)andreplacedwithanenlargedopening

atthesouth-westerncornerintheeasternpart(Fig.4.20).

The enlargement of the opening forced the partial demo-

litionofapartoftheearlymodernvaultandtheintroduc-

tionofamuchhigher,relativelyatarchrestingonagirt

perpendiculartothefaçade(Fig.4–bluedashedlines).

 Buildingsat14FranciszkańskaStreetand24FosaStaromiejskaStreetinToruń 97

Fig.6.Toruń,14FranciszkańskaStreet/24FosaStaromiejskaStreet.Granarydesignfrom1856:

a)planofthegroundfloor,b)planoftheupperfloorsandattic,

c)longitudinalsection(source:StateArchivesinToruń,FilesoftheCityofToruń,sign.G742,k.1)

Il.6.Toruń,ul.Franciszkańska14/FosaStaromiejska24.Projektspichlerzaz1856r.:

a)rzutparteru,b)rzutwyższychkondygnacjiipoddasza,

c)przekrójpodłużny(źródło:ArchiwumPaństwowewToruniu,AktamiastaTorunia,sygn.G742,k.1)

a b

98 JoannaKucharzewska

Fig.7.Archivalphotographfromaround1904presentingworks

ontheconstructionoftheMunicipalTheatre.

Inthebackgroundagranaryat24FosaStaromiejskaStreet

before conversion into a tenement house

(source:StateCopernicanLibraryinToruń,[13])

Il.7.Fotografiaarchiwalnazokoło1904r.

prezentującapraceprzybudowieTeatruMiejskiego.

Wtlewidocznyspichlerzprzyul.FosaStaromiejska24

przedprzebudowąnakamienicę

(źródło:KsiążnicaMiejskaim.M.KopernikawToruniu,[13])

The ground oor – both on the side of Franciszkańska

StreetandFosaStaromiejska Street wasdecoratedwith

a bossage, whereas the upper oors were covered with

smooth plaster. The two central axes were extended in

theformofanatticroomandankedbydormers.From

thesideofFosaStaromiejskaStreet,thebalconieswere

placed on the 1

,2

and3

oors,coveringthetwocen-

tralaxes.Therewasashopwindowonthegroundoor.

The nal formal arrangement of both façades diered

fromtheoriginaldesignandwastheresultofmodica-

tionsintroducedbyThoberinJune1906.Inthefaçadeon

thesideofFranciszkańskaStreet,onlythedormers,closed

withtriangulargables,changedtheshape.Thefaçadeon

thesideofFosaStaromiejskaStreetreceivedanewclas-

siciststylization(Fig.9).Onthe5

oor,theoriginally

designedatticroomanddormerwindowswereabandoned

infavorofaraisedmansard.Flutedpilasterswereused

between the windows, and the entire construction was

toppedwithabalustradewithapseudo-atticandobelisks.

Theexactlayoutoftheroomsoneachoorispresentedin

Thober’sdesigns(Fig.10).Oneachoorthereweretwo

independent apartmentsseparated by acentral route, in

whichtherewasayardandastaircase.

Fig.8.Toruń,14FranciszkańskaStreet/24FosaStaromiejskaStreet.Designofrebuildingthegranaryintoatenementhousefrom1906

(owner:RobertThober):a)viewofthenorthern(fromFosaStaromiejska)façade,b)viewofthesouthern(fromFranciszkańska)façade

(source:StateArchivesinToruń,FilesoftheCityofToruń,sign.G742,k.59)

Il.8.Toruń,ul.Franciszkańska14/FosaStaromiejska24.Projektprzebudowyspichlerzanakamienicęz1906r.(właścicielRobertThober):

a)widokelewacjipółnocnej(odul.FosaStaromiejska),b)widokelewacjipołudniowej(odul.Franciszkańskiej)

(źródło:ArchiwumPaństwowewToruniu,AktamiastaTorunia,sygn.G742,k.58–64)

a b

 Buildingsat14FranciszkańskaStreetand24FosaStaromiejskaStreetinToruń 99

Changesinthebasementareawereconrmedbyar-

chitecturalresearch(Fig.4markedinpurple).Firstofall,

itwasonly duringthisreconstructionthatthebasement

wasaddedtoeasterncentralpart.Therewasadesigned

corridor in there with a staircase leading to the ground

oor.Thewayofclosingthebasementroomsintheentire

northernpart(fromthesideofFosaStaromiejskaStreet)

waschanged.Eventually,thebackstonewallofthecellar

wasdemolished,aswellasafragmentofthelongitudinal

earlymodern wall adjoiningit.Thus, a newline of the

rearfaçadeof thenortherntenementhousewasmarked

out, and it was signicantly shifted towards the south.

Becauseofthat,inthetenementhousefromthesideof

FosaStaromiejskaStreet,itwaspossibletodesignatetwo

routes,whichwereclosedwithsegmentalvaultsonsteel

beams–inthefrontrouteparalleltothefaçade,intherear

–perpendicularly. Implementation ofsocalled Prussian

Cope was connected with rebuilding theupper sections

oftheexistingperimeterwalls.Additionalmassivewalls

dividing the rooms wereintroduced inaccordance with

thecourseofthewallsontheabove-groundoors.Once

again, the arrangement of openings in the façade walls

was modied, and they were given a shape, which has

preserveduntilnow.

Tenement houses after 1906

InNovember1907,thepropertywasputupforpublic

forcedauction[4].Ayearlateritwasownedbyacompa-

nytradinginbuildingandheatingmaterials–thePichert

Brothers(GebrüderPichert). In Decemberthecompany

appliedforapermittoofmakemassiveexternalstairsto

thebasementfromthesideofFosaStaromiejskaStreet[3,

p.116].InSeptember1910,PaulFuley,onbehalfofthe

Pichert Brother company, applied for another permit to

changetheuseofthepremisesonthegroundoorfrom

thesideofFranciszkańskaStreet[3,p.121],andtheshop

wasturnedintoanapartment.From1912,thetenement

housewasownedbyFranzŻurawskiandhiswifeMar-

tanéeGoetz.InDecember1913,thenewownersofthe

apartment, which had been a shop before, replaced the

windowwithadoor,thankstowhichtherewasadirect

entrance from the street [3, p. 125]. In 1915, the tene-

menthousewasputupforpublicauctionagain.In1918,

itwaspurchasedbyJuliusGrosser,whoalsoownedthe

neighbouringbuildingonthewesternsideofthetenement

house in question. Grosser was a well-known entrepre-

neurfromToruńandhetreatedthepurchaseoftenement

housesasoneofhis many investments.Helivedinthe

area of Bydgoskie Suburb in a half-timbered villa sur-

roundedbyagarden

.WhenPolishstatehoodcameinto

existence in 1920, Grosser sold his fortune and left for

theReich.During theinterwarperiod,thepropertywas

ownedbyWacławRudziński.Atthattime,nosignicant

constructionchangesweremadeapartfromtemporaryre-

 At15aKrasińskiegoStreetin2007itwasdismantledandtrans-

ported inparts by aprivateowner toAntoniewnear Golub-Dobrzyń,

whereitwasreconstructed[14].

pairsandrefreshingofthefaçade.Asimilarsituationtook

placeafterWorldWarII.Currently,thetenementhouseis

ownedbyaprivateindividual.

Summary

Architecturalresearchconductedinthebasementsofte-

nementhousesinToruńsituatedinthenorthernpartofthe

OldTownat14FranciszkańskaStreetand24FosaStaro-

Fig.9.Toruń,24FosaStaromiejskaStreet.

Thedesignofre-stylingthefaçadefrom1906

(source:StateArchivesinToruń,FilesoftheCityofToruń,

sign.G742,k.74)

Il.9.Toruń,ul.FosaStaromiejska24.Projektzmianystylizacjifasady

z1906r.(właścicielRobertThober)(źródło:ArchiwumPaństwowe

wToruniu,AktamiastaTorunia,sygn.G742,k.74)

100 JoannaKucharzewska

miejskaStreetmadeitpossibletodetermineseveralstages

ofreconstruction.Thekeyissuewastoestablishthecontent

oftheoldesthistoricsubstancefromthemedievalperiod.

As a result of the research, it was foundthat the Gothic

fragmentsarelocatedinthesouthernpart(fromthesideof

FranciszkańskaStr.).ItwasonlyinthesecondGothicstage

thatthebasementwasaddedtothepartofthebuildingfrom

thesideofthecitywalls,partlyusingthestonefoundations

laidfortheearlierconstruction.Inthemodernperiod,these

two,previouslyindependent,partswereconnectedbythe

westernoutbuilding.Atthisstageoftheresearch,itisnot

knownwhattheabove-groundbuildingslookedlikeinthe

medievalandearlymodernperiods,althoughitisafactthat

the plots adjacent to the wall were of utility and storage

character.ThisthesisisconrmedbythedocumentofSpe

cialTaxfromtheyears1807–1815,whichshowsthatonthe

plotatFranciszkańskaStreet,therewasatwo-story,brick

granary,andfromthesideofFosaStaromiejskaStreet

there

Fig.10.Toruń,14FranciszkańskaStreet/24FosaStaromiejskaStreet.Designofrebuildingthegranaryintoatenementhousefrom1906

(owner:RobertThober):a)planofthebasementfloor(Kellergeschoss),b)planofthegroundfloor(Erdgeschoss).

Thedesignedwallsaremarkedinred(source:StateArchivesinToruń,FilesoftheCityofToruń,sign.G742,k.60)

Il.10.Toruń,ul.Franciszkańska14/FosaStaromiejska24.Projektprzebudowyspichlerzanakamienicęz1906r.(właścicielRobertThober):

a)rzutpiwnicy,b)rzutparteru.Koloremczerwonymzaznaczonoprojektowaneściany

(źródło:ArchiwumPaństwowewToruniu,AktamiastaTorunia,sygn.G742,k.60)

a b

 Buildingsat14FranciszkańskaStreetand24FosaStaromiejskaStreetinToruń 101

wasacoachhousewithatimberframestructurewithbrick

lling.Bothbuildingsburneddown.Inthemiddleofthe

century,alarge,ve-storeygranarywasbuiltonthe

walls of medieval and modern cellars.The nal change

ofbuildings,reectedinthereconstructionofthecellars,

tookplacein1906.At that time, after the demolition of

thegranary,twooppositetenementhouseswerebuiltwith

acommonstaircaseandaninneryard.

Architecturalresearchisthemosteectivemethodof

learningabouttheconstructionhistory of abuilding.In

situstudiestogetherwiththesourcematerials–written,

iconographicandcartographic–areaneectivetoolfor

the reconstruction of individual stages of construction.

Their mutual interaction and complementation can lead

aresearcheraswellasaloverofhistoricarchitectureto

obtainabetterknowledgeabouttheobjectoratleastto

getamoregenuineimageofit.

Translatedby

KarolinaPszczółkowska

References

[1] KucharzewskaJ.,DąbrowskiP.,Badaniaarchitektonicznepiwnicy

wkamienicyprzyul.Franciszkańska14/FosaStaromiejska24wTo-

runiu,Toruń2017[manuscriptin:ArchiwumMiejskiegoKonserwa-

toraZabytków,Toruń].

[2] Archiwum Państwowe w Toruniu,Akta miasta Torunia,Akta bu-

dowlane,sygn.G725.

[3] Archiwum Państwowe w Toruniu,Akta miasta Torunia,Akta bu-

dowlane,sygn.G742.

[4] ArchiwumPaństwowewToruniu,AktamiastaTorunia,Aktagrun-

towe,sygn.F344.

[5] MikulskiK.,PrzestrzeńispołeczeństwoToruniaodkońcaXIVdo

początkuXVIIIwieku,UMK,Toruń1999.

[6] Bobiński S., Urbanistyka polskichmiast przedlokacyjnych, PWN,

Warszawa1975.

[7] JasińskiT.,ToruńXIII–XIVwieku–lokacjamiasttoruńskichipo-

czątkiichrozwoju(1231–1350),[in:]M.Biskup(red.),HistoriaTo-

runia,t.1:Wczasachśredniowiecza(doroku1454),Towarzystwo

NaukowewToruniu,Toruń1999,100–166.

[8] JasińskiT.,ZzagadnieńtopograispołecznejśredniowiecznegoTo-

runia(CzęśćI–StareMiasto),“ZapiskiHistoryczne”1983,t.48,

z.3,390–431.

 [9] TandeckiJ.,Rozkwittoruńskiegoośrodkahandlowegoiprodukcyj-

negowlatach1350–1411,[in:]M.Biskup(red.),HistoriaTorunia,

t.1:Wczasachśredniowiecza(doroku1454),TowarzystwoNau-

kowewToruniu,Toruń1999,168–178.

[10] LöwenerM.,DieEinrichtungvonVerwaltungsstruktureninPreus-

sendurchdenDeuschenOrdenbiszurMittedes13.Jahrhunderts,

Harrassowitz,Wiesbaden1998.

[11] Krakowiecka-Górecka D., Soczewica K, Jarosz S., Toruń. Stare

Miasto,KwartałMariacki,BlokH,zabudowawobrębieulic:Cheł-

mińskiej,Franciszkańskiej,FosaStaromiejska.Dokumentacjanau

kowadopotrzeb konserwatorskich,t.3,Toruń 1997[manuscript

in:ArchiwumMiejskiego Konserwatora Zabytków,Toruń, sygn.

1538/3].

[12] NiedzielskaM.,ŻyciepolityczneikulturalneTorunia(1815–1914),

[in:]M. Biskup(red.), HistoriaTorunia.W czasachzaboru pru-

skiego(1793–1920),t.3,cz.1,TowarzystwoNaukowewToruniu,

Toruń2003,220–289.

[13] KsiążnicaMiejskaim.KopernikawToruniu,DziałZbiorówSpe-

cjalnych,Graka,Teka5,nr33.

[14] https://plus.nowosci.com.pl/jak-palec-bozy-wille-juliusa-gross-

era-ocalil/ar/12460322[accessed:12.03.2022].

Abstract

Buildings at 14 Franciszkańska Street and 24 Fosa Staromiejska Street in Toruń

in the light of architectural research and source queries

Thearticlepresentstheresultsofarchitecturalresearchcarriedoutatthebasementlevelat14Franciszkańskaand24FosaStaromiejskaStreets

inToruń.Theaforementionedresearchwassupplementedwithsourcestudiesconcerningbothcellarsandabove-groundparts.

TheaimofthearchitecturalresearchwastodeterminestagesofconstructionontheplotsinquestionfromtheMiddleAgestothebeginningofthe

century.Animportantissuewastoidentifythecontentoftheoldesthistoricsubstancefromthemedievalperiodandthemomentoffunctional

andspatialintegrationoftheoppositeplots.

TheplotislocatedinthenorthernpartoftheOldTownofToruń,withinatriangularblockofbuildings,theoutlineofwhichwasdeterminedby

thecourseofthenorth-easternsectionofthecitywalls.Currently,ontwooppositeplotsthereisatenementhouse,whichreceiveditsnalshapein

theearly20

century.

Duringtheresearch,itwasfoundthattheoldest,Gothicfragmentsarepresentinthesouthernpart(onthesideofFranciszkańskaStreet).Inthe

secondGothicstage,thenorthernpart(fromthesideofFosaStaromiejskaStreet)wasgivenabasementandthestonefoundationsoftheearlier

buildingwereusedtocreateit.Inthemodernperiod,thetwoparts,whichhadbeentwoindependentunitsuntilthen,wereconnectedbyaside

outbuilding.Inthe18

century,ontheplotfacingFranciszkańskaStreet,therewasatwo-story,brickgranary.FromthesideofFosaStaromiejska

Street,therewasatimberframecoachhouse.Bothbuildingsburntdownatthebeginningofthe19

century.Inthemid-19

century,alarge,ve-

storeygranarycoveringbothplotswaserected.Thegranarywasfoundedonmedievalandmoderncellars.Theultimatechangeofbuildingstook

placein1906,when,afterthedemolitionofthegranary,twotenementhouseswerebuiltwithacommoncentralroutecontainingastaircaseand

aninnercourtyard.

Architecturalresearchtogetherwiththesourcematerialwasaneectivetoolforreconstructingindividualstagesofconstructionandexpanding

ourknowledgeabouttheformsofdevelopmentofthewalledpartoftheOldTowninToruń.

Key words: architecturalresearch,Toruń,14FranciszkańskaStreet,24FosaStaromiejskaStreet

102 JoannaKucharzewska

Streszczenie

Budynki przy ul. Franciszkańskiej 14 i Fosa Staromiejska 24 w Toruniu

w świetle badań architektonicznych i kwerend źródłowych

Wartykulezaprezentowanowynikibadańarchitektonicznychprzeprowadzonychnapoziomiepiwnicprzyul.Franciszkańskiej14iFosaSta-

romiejska24wToruniu,uzupełnioneokwerendyźródłowedotyczącezarównopiwnic,jakiczęścinaziemnych.Celembadańarchitektonicznych

byłoustaleniekolejnychetapówbudowlanychzachodzącychnaomawianychdziałkachodśredniowieczadopoczątkówXXw.Istotnąkwestiąbyło

rozpoznaniezawartościnajstarszejsubstancjizabytkowejpochodzącejzokresuśredniowiecznegoorazmomentuscaleniafunkcjonalno-przestrzen-

negoprzeciwległychdziałek.

BędącatematempracydziałkaznajdujesięwpółnocnejczęściStaregoMiastaTorunia,wobrębietrójkątnegoblokuzabudowy,któregozarys

determinowanybył przezprzebieg północno-wschodniegoodcinka murów miejskich.Obecnie nadwóch przeciwległychparcelach znajdujesię

kamienica,któraostatecznykształtuzyskałanapoczątkuXXw.

Wtrakciebadaństwierdzono,żenajstarszegotyckiefragmentyznajdująsięwczęścipołudniowej(odstronyul.Franciszkańskiej).Wdrugim

etapiegotyckimpodpiwniczonoczęśćpółnocną(odstronyFosyStaromiejskiej),wykorzystująckamiennefundamentyzałożonedlawcześniejszej

budowli.Wokresienowożytnymtedwie,dotejporyfunkcjonująceniezależnie,częścipołączyłaocynaboczna.WXVIIIw.nadziałceodstrony

ul.Franciszkańskiejznajdowałsię2-piętrowy,murowanyspichlerz,aodstronyFosyStaromiejskiejwozowniaokonstrukcjiszkieletowej.Obydwa

budynkispłonęłynapoczątkuXIXw.WpołowieXIXw.powstałduży,obejmującyobiedziałki,5-kondygnacyjnyspichlerz,któryzałożonona

średniowiecznychinowożytnychpiwnicach.Ostatecznazmianazabudowynastąpiław1906r.,kiedyporozbiórcespichlerzawybudowanodwie

kamienicezewspólnymtraktemśrodkowymwypełnionymklatkąschodowąiwewnętrznympodwórkiem.

Badaniaarchitektonicznewrazzmateriałemźródłowymstanowiłyskutecznenarzędziedorekonstrukcjiposzczególnychetapówbudowyiposze-

rzeniawiedzynatematformzabudowyprzymurnegofragmentuStaregoMiastawToruniu.

Słowa kluczowe: badaniaarchitektoniczne,Toruń,ul.Franciszkańska14,FosaStaromiejska24