Svobody Boulevard (prospekt Svobody) is the main street of Lviv. From the mid-nineteenth century it consisted of two streets, known as Untere/Obere Karl Ludwig Straße or, in Polish, Karola Ludwika wyższa/niższa (“Lower/Upper Karl Ludwig Street”). In 1871 the Obere Karl Ludwig Straße was renamed Hetmańska, in honor of the Great Crown Hetman Stanisław Jabłonowski, whose monument had been erected there in 1859. Obere Karl Ludwig Straße became simply Karl Ludwig Straße/Karola Ludwika, until 1919, when it was renamed Legionów (“Legions”). The bed of the river Poltva was driven underground in 1887, under supervision of engineer Wacław Ibański. In 1940 Hetmańska nad Legionów Streets became part of the single Pershoho Travnia (“First of May”) Street. In 1941 the street was first divided into Opernstrasse and Museumstrasse, and later joined under the name of Adolf Hitler Platz/Ring. In 1944 the street's name went back to Pershoho Travnia. Later it was renamed Lenina Boulevard. In 1991 it was renamed Svobody Boulevard.
