Mixed impressions from Zielona Góra

I have mixed feelings about Zielona Góra, which with Gorzów Wielkopolski, is one of the twin capitals of the Lubuskie province. From the time of the administrative reform of 1999, Lubuskie and Opolskie made little sense to me, neither historically, geographically or logically. (About Opolskie I wrote here). It seemed the Polish legislators, who had been working on this reform for the best part of a decade, didn't want to return to the Stalin-era administrative split (14 voivodships), and party-political horse-trading ended up creating a further two. Opole was a sop to Poland's German minority. Living too far east to qualify for wholesale deportation, to this day around a fifth of the voivodship's population self-identifies as German (i.e. having German as their first language). So I can kind of see that.

But Lubuskie is weird. It has two capitals, Zielona Góra, where the elected provincial authority meets, and Gorzów Wielkopolski, seat of the centrally-appointed provincial governor. Note the name - Gorzów Wielkopolski, suggesting it's proper place is neighbouring Wielkopolska voivodship. Also, I'm sure many foreigners are confused by one province of Poland called Lubelskie in the east and another called Lubuskie in the west of the country. Lubelskie is named after Lublin (pop. 330,000) - Polish as far back as history records, a royal city of the Crown Kingdom of Poland. But Lubuskie is named after Lubusz or Lebus across the Oder River in Brandenburg. Lebus/Lubusz is a German town with a population 100 times smaller than Lublin's. So why Lubuskie province even exists is a mystery to me, unless the answer is indeed some sort of compromise that results from political horse-trading.

Anyway - Zielona Góra. Founded by the Piast dynasty in the 13th century, it became part of Habsburg Bohemia in the 16th century, taken by Prussia in the 18th century, incorporated into Germany with unification in 1870 - and so it stayed until it was ceded to Poland in 1945. The bulk of the city centre

Today Zielona Góra has a population of around 140,000, making it Poland's 24th-largest city; if you lump the Katowice metropolitan area as one vast agglomeration (which it is) then Zielona Góra rises to 19th place. It is bigger than its rival Gorzów Wielkopolski (pop. 120,000 / Poland's 30th largest or 22nd with all those Silesian cities rolled into one). Yet other than a successful special economic zone, home to Patak's, Rajah and Blue Dragon sauces manufactured there by Associated British Food, Zielona Góra is not a foreign investment hotspot. There are no high-rise modern office buildings in which business-process outsourcing and shared-service centres thrive. The population of Zielona Góra and indeed the entire region are mainly descendants of Poles who had been ethnically cleansed - deported from their homes in what was pre-war eastern Poland. So - as in Szczecin, though close to the German border, there are few people here who speak German - something that foreign investors don't understand.

Because Grünberg in Schlesien surrendered to the Red Army without a fight, the city was spared widespread destruction, leaving its centre more or less untouched. And so, there is plenty of historic architecture. Some has been tastefully restored. Some is dilapidated - falling down. Some has merely been patched up, hanging on, awaiting more thoroughgoing modernisation.

Let me start with the town hall and market square - nicely done, nicely maintained. Zielona Góra offers some interesting shops - ones that in most Polish cities have been done for by specialist e-retailers. 

Below: the actual town hall - the Urząd Miasta - from which Zielona Góra is run.

Below: just outside the main station stands the Hotel Retro*** - a wonderfully European structure. Interwar, I'd guess, a regular haunt of mitteleuropäisches commercial travellers with their suitcases full of samples and wares.

Below: the Nysa cinema on Aleja Niepodległości. In the foreground, a statue to local speedway legend, Andrzej Huszcza. Speedway is big in Zielona Góra - the local team being Falubaz (named after the now-defunct cotton-carding-machine manufacturer - LUbuska FAbryka BAwełnianych Zgrzeblarek).

Left: this is stereotypically German. Multi-story, individual, yet forming a contiguous body. These poniemieckie kamienice (post-German tenement houses), are solidly 19th century, without traces of fin-de-siècle Art Nouveau (or secesja) styling.

Below: today, as before the war, the region had some minor fame for viticulture. In this 19th century room in which we had our conference, the ceiling cornices show off the city's pride in growing grapes and making wine. It suggests that wine traders would have had a prominent position in local society.

The culture of the vine, connecting this region to Europe's pleasure-seeking south, rather than the dour, beer- and spirit-drinking north, is made much of in the city's marketing. Below: fragment of a fine mural near the old market.

Just as one of Wrocław's tourist draws is its army of brass gnomes dotted around the city centre, so Zielona Góra has adopted Bacchus - pot-bellied, spindly legged and garlanded, clutching a wine goblet and bunch of grapes. Brass figurines (such as the one on the left) are there to be tracked down and ticked off along the main tourist trail. This depiction of the Roman god (Dionysus in Greek mythology) suggests a rather down-to-earth relationship between Man and Alcohol.

Below: as in most cities, there's a right side and a wrong side of the tracks; in Grünberg in Schlesien/Zielona Góra, the right side lies to the south. And just to the north, ulica Towarowa ('Goods Street' or 'Cargo Street') is this building. The shop on the corner (open? closed?) is called 'Złoty Róg', which can mean 'Golden horn' or indeed 'Golden corner'. Orange VW van lends some much-needed colour to the scene.

Below: also on ul. Towarowa, a dental clinic. Judging by its location (facing the railway line) and its appearance, I'd guess this building originally fulfilled some function related to the transportation of goods. 

Left: uncovered pre-war German ghost signs are evidence that today's western Poland no longer has any hang-ups about history (I snapped some in Wrocław and Gliwice). Anfertignung von modern Küchen = Production of modern kitchens. Below: there are still eyesores like this in the city centre, suggesting a lack of profitable projects that could tempt developers.

Left: there are plentiful signs of rising civic pride. Unveiled this September, this sculpture, Generacje, by Oscar Zięta is about technology, generational change, and dreams come true. It is also about "research and development in the area of stainless-steel stabilisation". A shame I didn't see it on a sunny day!

Below: I double-take - a bus to Chynów? Why, that's 460km due east, via Leszno, Kalisz and Łęczyca... No, this Chynów is a suburb of Zielona Góra. However, take a look at the bus and the bus stop. A modern fleet, partially electrified, e-tickets available from your phone, proper electronic signage - a big plus in the city's favour.

Just outside the railway station is the clinic for railway workers (though the sign outside suggests that it's part of the national health fund). The top floor looks like a post-1945 addition.

It didn't take too long to get back to Warsaw. Half an hour on a local train, the Gęsiarz ('goose-herd') to Zbąszynek, and the Berlin-Warsaw main line, and now just over three hours back from there.

Despite the dismal December weather (a damp, overcast 10C) I enjoyed my visit to Zielona Góra - and as with Szczecin and Świnoujście, these cities are places that most Poles have never stepped foot in, but are certainly worth going to. Though I must say I was quite unimpressed by Gorzów Wielkopolski.

This time last year:
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This time two years ago:
Frustration for the local wozidupek community

This time three years ago:
Small local milestones, Chynów station

This time four years ago:

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This time six years ago:
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This time eight years ago:
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This time nine years ago:
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This time ten years ago:
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This time 15 years ago:
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