Interesting facts

Interesting facts

  • The most famous Polish cartoons, „Bolek i Lolek” and „Reksio” were made in the Animated Film Studio. The studio is located in 24 Cieszyńska street. Initially, in 1974, the head office was based in Wisła, but in 1948 it was permanently transferred to Bielsko-Biała. At the beginning, the movies produced in the Studio were mostly for adults. It was only in 1963 when “Bolek i Lolek” cartoon was released, and “Reksio” – in 1967. The youngest viewers were very enthusiastic about both of the titles. At that time, some other films were also produced. Altogether, over 1000 movies were produced, winning over 250 awards in total, at numerous local and international festivals. The Studio welcomes visitors, who can take a sightseeing tour with popular science presentation on animated movies and a short lecture on the Studio’s history.

 

  • The highest point of the city is the peak of Mount Klimczok (1117 m above sea level), and the lowest one – the Komorowice ponds (268 m above sea level).

 

  • Between 1972 and 1983, a popular „Syrenka” car, called colloquially “Skarpeta” (“a Socket”) was manufactured in FSM, its official model name was Syrena 105.

 

  • The PZL-Bielsko production plant was located on the territory of the present Aeroclub’s sports airport, the only glider manufacturer in Poland those days..

 

  • Unique statue of Martin Luther. The only monument of the great reformer in Poland is located in Bielsko-Biała. Its was unveiled on September 8th, 1900, in the Martin Luther Square situated near the Saviour Evangelical Church. It was erected to commemorate 350 years of Evangelicalism in Bielsko-Biala. The statue is made of bronze, designed by a Viennese sculptor – Franz Vogl. It stands on a granite pedestal made by a local stonemason – Theodor Gröger. It is 2.5 meter tall and weighs 690 kg. Soon after World War II, other monuments of Luther in Poland (e.g. in Brzeg, in Gdańsk) were taken down. The only exception was the statue in Bielsko-Biała which was cannonaded by Soviet soldiers, but not destroyed. The monument of Reformer Martin Luther, was the first one to be erected in Bielsko.

 

  • Edmund Wojtyła, a brother of Karol Wojtyła – Pope John Paul II, spent his last years in Bielsko.

 

  • Trams in Bielsko-Biała. Trams appeared in Bielsko-Biała earlier than, for example, in Warsaw, Cracow or Vienna. The first electric tram line in Bielsko-Biała started to operate on December 11th, 1895. Along with Elbląg, it was the second city on the territory of contemporary Poland (after Wrocław), where these means of transport were put into operation. The line was 4959 metres long. It ran from the Main Station to Cygański Las. The year 1941 was the peak of its popularity and over 3 million of passengers used the line. However, in time, the popularity of trams was taken over by bus transport. Finally, in 1970, the city government decided to liquidate the tram line.

 

  • Bielsko-Biała has as many as four squares: Rynek (the Marketplace), plac Bolesława Chrobrego (the Bolesław Chrobry Square), plac Wojska Polskiego (the Poilsh Army Square) and plac Wolności (the Square of Liberty).

 

  • City’s bugle call. The word „bugle-call” (pl: hejnał) comes from the Hungarian language and means “dawn”, “aurora”, “morning”. Hejnał is a short music composition, a simple melody composed of natural sounds played on an instrument, e.g. a trumpet. A signal indicating a reveille, a time of a day or an hour. Bugle calls became popular in early Middle Ages and were used for military purposes. Calls were used to wake up soldiers in camps, warn against approaching enemies, or as a pious song. Later, buglers used to be hired by local governments for purposes associated primarily with keeping order and for security reasons. What’s interesting is that, apart from Cracow, it was in the very Silesia, where the custom of sound calls was preserved. On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Bielsko, culture people organized a call contest. Works by 10 artists competed in the contest, and the jury chose the melody composed by Piotr Stachura. The call reflects the tones of local nature, reveals all the charms of the Beskid Mountains. Textile machinery rhythm and forest rustle combine and create an optimistic song, the song of triumph. For the first time, hejnał sounded from the city hall tower on May 1st, 1964, performed by a young musician, a student of the National School of Music in Bielsko-Biała, Józef Polak from Wilkowice. Every day, every three hours, you can hear the trumpet call of Bielsko-Biała sounded from the tower of the city hall.

 

  • German war cemetery at the foot of Mount Dębowiec. Walking around Dębowiec, we do not realize that a few years ago a German war cemetery was located there.

 

  • „Panorama” swimming pool. The facility was built in 1936. By 1950, it was one of the most modern outdoor swimming pools in Europe! Before the war, Polish swimmers competed with Americans in a water polo match, and in 1939 the last pre-war 18th Polish championships were held here, the participant of which was Gertruda Dawidowicz, a Polish 100 meters freestyle record holder (whose sculpture you can still see at the entrance to the pool).

 

  • Underground Niwka stream. Up to 1916, the Niwka river flew under Stojałowski street. Sometimes, the Niwka boulevards were called “the Venice of Bielsko” or “a countryside inside the city”. In 1916, according to suggestions of Max Fabiani, an architect and urban planner, the first part of the Niwka river was channelized and an ordinary street was constructed over it. The second section of Niwka was reconstructed in 1974.

 

  • The first water dam on the Polish land was erected in Bielsko-Biała (1932).

 

  • Glacial deposits. Near the city hall, there is a glacial erratic – a red Scandinavian granite – from the glacial period. The erratic was marked with the commemorating inscription at the time it was handed over to the museum in Biała in 1908 by W. Schlesinger. Although not very big, (1 m high, 60 cm wide and 90 cm long), it is a legally protected inanimate nature monument. It weighs about one tonne. The erratic is displayed in a noticeable place, in a park next to the city hall, facing Stojałowskiego street.

 

  • 16th-century ruins of city walls . The old city walls run along Orkana street (former Węglowa street). The fortification was about 800 m long and utilized the natural shape of the hill where the castle stands up to this day. In 16th century, the walls were extended. Their remains can be seen in Orkana street.

 

  • Bolesław Chrobry Square was formerly known as Smolny (Pitchy) Square, Garncarski (Potters) Square or Fiakier (Fiacre) Square. Discover why. The square’s exact date of origin is not known. Probably, it has existed from 15th century. In the past, more facilities could be seen there, as compared to nowadays. The surrounding buildings housed a bank, a printing house, numerous villas of factory owners (this is where the names “Pitchy Square” and “Potters Square” come from) as well as public utility facilities. Omnibuses, fiacres (another name for a horse-drawn carriage) and taxicabs also stopped there. Moreover, there was a petrol station, discovered quite recently, during general repair and restoration of the Square. During the Second World War, for 6 years, the Square was called Adolf Hitler Platz.

 

  • The sculpture of Gabriel Narutowicz. At the beginning of 20th century, the present-day Adam Mickiewicz Square was actually on the outskirts and the monument of Gabriel Narutowicz was located in the place of the contemporary statue of our national poet.

 

  • A gondola lift on Mount Szyndzielnia. In December 1953, the gondola lift transported first passengers. It was the first investment in this area in the postwar Poland. The lift was built by Polish Cable Railways (PKL) and utilized a Brüder Girak system, which was an example of innovative construction solutions in cable transport. Until now, the lift was modernized several times. Its popularity among tourists and local residents is still great.

 

  • The sightseeing tower on the peak of Mount Szyndzielnia. It was built in 2015 as a part of the Szyndzielnia leisure and tourism centre. The tower is situated next to the upper station of the gondola lift. From the tower’s view terrace you can observe details of the impressive panorama of Bielsko-Biała, the Little Beskids (Beskid Mały) and the Silesian Beskids (Beskid Śląski), through a 25x zoom telescope. With good weather, you can see the Tatras, Mount Babia Góra and Mount Pilsko, with a naked eye. The tower is 18 meters high.

 

  • Motor Museum. It was established in 2006 and is located in 1 Kazimierza Wielkiego (Casimir the Great) street. It is open to public on each Saturday, between 11 am and 4 pm.

 

  • The Siren Monument located next to the Technician House (NOT) was erected in 1954. It was founded to express gratitude to the residents of Bielsko-Biała for their contribution to the reconstruction of the capital city of the country. In 2007, it was renovated and shifted a few meters away, for better display.