Vul. Dudaieva, 9 – former building of Polytechnic Society ID: 2235

The Historicist-style building was erected between 1905 and 1907 according to the design of Lviv architect Wincenty Rawski and is an Architectural monument of local significance. The façade features the Society's symbols, which are often mistaken for Masonic imagery. Today, the Society's premises serve as bank offices, while the second through fourth floors remain residential.

Story

The Polytechnic Society was founded back in 1877 to provide mutual support for technicians and to advance technical science, both of which had not yet gained public recognition. For three decades, the Society rented various rooms throughout the city — from townhouses on pl. Rynok to vul. Chaikovskoho — and frequently relocated its office along with its library, archive, and the editorial staff of the Czasopismo Techniczne journal. Because the rented rooms were often small, the Society had to look for and lease additional halls even for regular weekly meetings and small-scale scientific presentations with discussions, let alone general annual meetings. This was even more necessary when it came to hosting major events like the Сongresses of Polish technicians (the second in 1886 and the third in 1894 were held in Lviv) or exhibitions, such as the Society's Twenty-Fifth Anniversary in 1902. Such events were held in the City Hall assembly room, in the Polytechnic's auditorium, and, starting from 1894, in the pavilions of the General Regional Exhibition of Galicia on the grounds of Stryiskyi Park.

However, talk of erecting their own premises in Lviv did not begin until 1892 — thanks to the unexpected success of the Building Trade Exhibition, which turned a profit for the Society.

Open 30 years after the Society's founding, their own building was seen as proof of the vitality of the community of technicians and their importance to the city, society, and the state. For them, the very existence of such a building was deeply symbolic. The opening in January 1907 was quite modest. It was primarily attended by the Society's members themselves and Polytechnic students, as well as local politicians and representatives of the City Council.

The construction method itself, the people involved (all local), the finances (zero government support), the materials and structures used (as local as possible), and the building's style — everything illustrates the technicians' desire to demonstrate their professional competence, as well as their local and ethnic distinctiveness during the Habsburg Empire.

The Proceedings of the Grand Opening of the Building on January 19, 1907
The winter opening of the building was likely due to construction delays or other complications. As early as the summer of 1906, advertisements seeking tenants appeared in the Lviv press, indicating that construction was originally scheduled for completion in the fall of that year.

On the eve of the event, heavy snowfalls swept across Central and Eastern Europe, which led to the cancellation or restriction of train service on many routes in Galicia starting January 17, 1907. Obviously, this impacted the number of attendees traveling from outside Lviv. On Saturday, January 19, the air temperature dropped to –9° on the Réaumur scale (equivalent to –11°C), and plummeted to –23°R (–29°C) over the following days, with newspapers reporting deserted city streets and residents facing shortages of heating fuel for their homes.

The celebration coincided with the Epiphany season under the Julian calendar. Despite the inclement weather, the festive divine service at the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord — complete with a procession through Rynok Square and the blessing of the wells — was as crowded as ever. It was attended by prominent figures such as the Governor of Galicia, Andrzej Potocki, Marshal Stanisław Badeni, and City Mayor Michał Michalski. Once the festivities of the city's Greek Catholic community concluded, these dignitaries were able to join the grand opening of the Polytechnic Society building on ul. Zimorowicza (now vul. Dudaieva).

In addition to the politicians and the members of the Polytechnic Society themselves, the attendees included Archbishop Józef Bilczewski, Vice-Mayors Tadeusz Rutowski and Stanisław Ciuchciński, the Rector of the University, and the Deputy Rector of the Polytechnic. Several heads of manufacturing enterprises and financial institutions, representatives of the Lviv magistrate, members of other technical and scientific societies across Austria-Hungary and Polish societies from other empires, as well as students, also took part in the event.

"The fact that your excellencies and so many distinguished guests have come is proof to us that our many years of work have not been in vain, and that we [the Society] are a useful brick in the organism of the social building" — commented the President of the Society, Leon Syroczyński.

The event began at 12:00 PM with the blessing of the premises, performed by the Roman Catholic prelate Father Lenkiewicz, who had previously blessed the building's cornerstone back in October 1905. The technicians' choir, conducted by the kapellmeister of the Lviv Opera, Bronisław Wolfsthal, performed Wennerberg's "Prayer."

Next, the President of the Society, Leon Syroczyński, a mining engineer and professor at the Polytechnic, delivered a speech. He presented the more than 15-year history behind the building's creation — from its conception and fundraising to the execution of the project. He also highlighted the roles played by numerous members of the Society, who frequently worked on a voluntary basis. Afterward, other attendees took the floor to speak, followed by electrical engineering professor Roman Dziesłewski, who delivered a lecture titled "Engineering Technology in Relation to Society". The ceremony concluded at 1:30 PM.

In the evening, a celebratory dinner was held, attended by around one hundred guests. During the event, telegrams and letters of well-wishes were read aloud, particularly from individuals unable to attend the opening in person. These included messages from Societies in Kraków and Warsaw, Vienna and Prague, Aussig (the modern Czech city of Ústí nad Labem), Graz and Linz, Ostrava in Moravia, Salzburg, Stanyslaviv and Rzeszów, Nowy Sącz, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnów, and others.

Design and Construction of the Building
Nearly 15 years passed from the initial intent to build to the completion and opening of the building. For more than 5 of those years, various discussions, process planning, the organization of an architectural competition, and the refinement of project details took place. The first funds for the future building, along with the concept itself, emerged in 1892. Another milestone came in 1902 when the collected funds reached 30,000 krone; subsequent realization was financed through loans and donations.

In his opening speech, Leon Syroczyński meticulously listed almost every individual involved, as well as the materials and structures used. By doing so, he emphasized how skilled and self-sufficient local Galician (Polish) technicians and manufacturers were, and how modern their technologies were, arguing that there was absolutely no need to buy products from Vienna or other provinces of the empire, or to invite foreign specialists.

The Society established a building committee in 1905. Its members included Juliusz Ross, a railway inspector who handled administrative matters; Konstanty Biernacki, an engineer for the Regional Department (Pol. Wydział Krajowy) who managed the purchase of the urban site, settled cadastral issues, and oversaw the furnishing of the constructed building; Karol Epler, a railway engineer and member of the City Council who managed the accounts and ensured cost-efficiency; and Dionizy Krzyczkowski, an architect and professor at the Industrial School, who served as a technical consultant. The urban site was acquired that same year, and construction began in October. Out of ten proposed designs volunteered by architects who were members of the Society, the work of Wincenty Rawski was selected for execution. As one of the most experienced Lviv architects, he had studied in Vienna under one of the most prominent architects of the era, Heinrich von Ferstel, and began his own practice in Lviv back in 1872. Here, he managed the construction of the Galician Sejm and led other iconic projects. Furthermore, Rawski served on the board of the Polytechnic Society for 14 years, including 3 years as its vice-president. From 1893, he was a member of the City Council, serving on its building committee.

The earthworks and masonry were executed by the firm of builder Edmund Żychowicz. Professors of the Polytechnic, Maksymilian Thullie and Gustaw Bisanz, calculated the metal beams for the building's floors. Ivan Levynskyi provided bricks of his own manufacture. Leon Syroczyński noted that cement rather than lime was used in construction, alongside asphalt and concrete flooring, façade decoration made of hydraulic lime, Rabitz mesh reinforcement in the interiors, a glass roof in the assembly room, central heating, and electric lighting. Emphasizing the modernity and high quality of the materials, he also thanked the project's architect, Rawski, noting that thanks to him, the building was constructed "as is fitting for the twentieth century". Overall, the cost of the building slightly exceeded 160,000 krone.

The foundations were laid on a cement-concrete pad, partially on a lime pad. The principal elevation features a base course and gate trim made of natural dressed stone. The intermediate floors consist of brick layouts over iron beams. The assembly room was built using Monier system reinforced concrete structures. Its walls are double-layered with an air cavity, and the ceiling consists of reinforced glass, which is also double-layered, with the lower piece featuring stained glass executed by the Ekielski i Tuch firm in Kraków. The central steam heating system was also installed by a Kraków-based firm, that of Leonard Nitsch.

The roof was covered with tiles manufactured in Lviv. The joinery work was completed by the enterprise of Karol Hornung, the locksmithing by Edmund Gottlieb, and the iron structures by Piotrowicz i Schumann. The apartments were heated by stoves (partially from the firm of Arnold Werner, and partially by Ivan Levynskyi). The asphalt insulation works, as well as the walkway on the terrace above the hall, were handled by Stefan Szeliga Łyszkiewicz's firm. The varnishing was done by Karol Łopata, the decorative painting by the Fleck Brothers (Bracia Fleck), and the glazing by the Meisels i Salz firm. The installation of plumbing, bathtubs, and toilets was carried out by the Mund Brothers (Bracia Mund), and the electrical work by Sokolnicki i Wiśniewski.

The façade was finished with stone veneer bricks, partially laid on hydraulic mortar. The majolica tiles above the third-floor windows were provided free of charge by Ivan Levynskyi. A portion of the sculptural work was executed by Edmund Pliszewski.

Architectural Perception of the Building
Leon Syroczyński limited his remarks to a checklist of the building's materials and structures, offering no explanation of its aesthetic value; likewise, no records survive indicating that the project's architect, Rawski, ever addressed this aspect. The President's speech also reveals that the Polytechnic Society held a rather modest view of the outcome, believing that the building paled in comparison to similar technical society structures in Kraków and Warsaw. He emphasized the shortage of funds and the reliance on volunteer contributions from technicians and donors, calculating that it would take fully forty years to repay the borrowed loans.

In the press, particularly Lviv's Polish newspapers, one could find praise for the building — it was described as stylish, accomplished, and one of the most beautiful erected in the city over the past decade — yet these accounts failed to explain why. On the one hand, this can be attributed to the lack of an established architectural criticism community in Lviv at the time, which meant absence of well-defined categories for what constituted good architecture. On the other hand, such a community was actively developing in Kraków around the professional journal Architekt. In its pages, the Lviv building was virtually ignored.

Construction on the Kraków building began in July 1905, a few months earlier than the Lviv project, and was also completed sooner — its grand opening took place on December 1, 1906. The superior financial standing of the Kraków Society at the beginning of the twentieth century, and especially the greater financial support it received from the local municipal government, allowed them to erect a significantly more palatial structure. There, it was situated on a prestigious street, with windows opening onto the Planty Park (laid out on the site of ancient fortifications) and the buildings of the Jagiellonian University. Conversely, the urban site in Lviv on ul. Zimorowicza (now vul. Dudaieva) was considered rather unfavorable; a location on more central streets, such as Kopernika or Batoria (now vul. Kniazia Romana), would have been far more desirable. Due to its small area (327 m²), the site was also perceived as difficult to design. This difficulty was primarily linked to the necessity of accommodating a spacious assembly room while adhering to Lviv building regulations that restricted the footprint of development, all while ensuring it did not obstruct the natural light of the residential flats.

The Kraków building, much like the Lviv one, is positioned within a tight row of terraced buildings on a narrow urban site and is neither larger nor more spacious. However, all of its rooms were intended exclusively for the Society, and almost the entire ground floor was dedicated to an open exhibition space. The principal entrance to the building was designed through this exhibition area, set at street level without steps, while large display windows underscored the building's public function and openness to the community.

The Lviv building, by contrast, reserved premises for the Society only on the ground floor, while the second, third, and fourth floors were occupied by apartments for rent.

Its basement level housed service and utility rooms, including a security guard's room, while the area beneath the courtyard contained the boiler room for the central heating of the hall, alongside cellars. Of the Society's four rooms, the office and reading room were located along the street elevation. The rooms at the rear — the executive office and the cloakroom — were left windowless, as they served as a passage to the large assembly room (102 m²), a single-story annex attached to the main mass of the building. The entrance to the building was positioned at the side of the façade, leading through a narrow entryway and stairwell.

Consequently, from the outside, the building looked more like just another residential tenement for rent rather than a public building. Nevertheless, its floor plan layout was considered highly efficient, highlighting the skill of the architect, Rawski, who managed to maximize the utility of the site to the greatest extent possible.

In its journal Architekt, the Kraków Technical Society dedicated an entire issue to its new building. It was presented as a true work of art, with meticulous descriptions detailing the richness and significance of every feature, such as the decorative paintings and sculptures. For the title of the publication, they used the ancient Roman motto "In Arte Salus"(Pol. U sztuce zbawienie! … Uzdrowienie!) — salvation in art — followed by expressions of hope that this building would launch a new era in the life of the Technical Society and, moreover, inaugurate a new epoch in the art and architecture of Kraków — a city with a glorious past that had allegedly begun to decline in recent years. In contrast, the journal's editors did not dedicate a single word to the Lviv building, publishing only a photograph of its principal elevation.

Lviv's Czasopismo Techniczne also prepared a detailed description of the Kraków building. In fact, Leon Syroczyński began his own speech by drawing a comparison to this "architectural gem." This underscores just how deeply the building was perceived in a symbolic sense, reflecting a widespread feeling at the time that Lviv, despite being a city of great ambitions, was losing ground to its competitors.

Architecture

Architectural Style of the Building

As previously mentioned, at the time of the building's construction and opening, its aesthetic merits went unremarked. It is worth noting that the limited architectural criticism in Lviv during the early years of the twentieth century focused almost exclusively on whether a building had been designed and erected by local hands. If the project's architect came from outside Galicia and was not Polish — especially if he was an Austrian from Vienna — the building stood no chance of receiving a positive review from the local community. Similarly, if a local architect utilized imported construction materials, he exposed himself to scathing criticism in the press. The same applied to government architects — such as employees of the Technical Department of the Governorate (the Emperor's regional representative) — who were accused of consciously or unconsciously promoting architectural "templates" from the imperial capital. From this perspective, the Polytechnic Society building was entirely "local", meaning there was absolutely no reason for it to be poorly received.

The emphasis on the materials and structures used, their quality, and their modernity in descriptions of this building can also be seen as a certain approach to architecture — one that either did not express itself in terms of style or deliberately ignored them. While the façade composition and the selection of decorative elements can be characterized as deriving from the Neorenaissance, Neogothic, and Neoromanesque styles, allowing one to summarize the building as a product of eclectic thinking from the Historicist era, such a view would completely overlook the building's technological aspect.

Nevertheless, aesthetically, the building contrasts sharply with its surroundings, both within the streetscape and across Lviv as a whole. The combination of various colors and textures — brick masonry alongside rendered, rusticated sections, colorful majolica tiles, and metalwork — creates a highly picturesque effect. A similar approach in Lviv architecture can be traced back to the appearance of the Galician Savings Bank, designed by Julian Zachariewicz, and was reflected in architects' discussions during the 1892 Building Trade Exhibition in Lviv regarding the search for a localized approach to architecture.

On the fourth floor of the principal elevation, a subtle avant-corps projects outward, supported from below by Neogothic colonnettes and featuring a blank frieze. This frieze once bore the inscription Dom Towarzystwa Politechnicznego (House of the Polytechnic Society) until it was removed, along with the dissolution of the Society itself, shortly after Soviet troops entered Lviv in 1939. The avant-corps is topped by an attic with volutes and obelisks — a so-called "Polish attic" — which architects in the early twentieth century considered an architectural feature unique to the Polish Renaissance.

The façade displays the official insignia of the Polytechnic Society, which today more frequently evokes associations with Masonic organizations rather than engineering professionals. On the ground floor, there is a composition based on a 1896 design by architect Jan Tarczałowicz. It incorporates the tools of drafting work (a set square and compasses), mechanics (a gear wheel), hammers representing mining, an Ionic capital as a symbol of architecture, and a palm branch symbolizing victory.

The attic is further embellished with motifs of triangles and compasses.

People

Members of the Society and individuals involved in the construction:

Gustaw Bisanz (1848–1935) –– professor at the Polytechnic.
Konstanty E. Biernacki –– engineer for the Regional Department.
Karol E. Epler –– railway engineer and member of the City Council.
Władysław Ekielski (1855–1927) –– architect, architectural critic, editor of the Architekt journal, and co-owner of a stained glass firm in Kraków.
Eisig & Maurycy Fleck (Bracia Fleck/Fleck Brothers) –– Painters, specialized in interior decorative painting in Lviv.
Edmund Gottlieb –– engineer and owner of a locksmithing enterprise in Lviv.
Karol Hornung –– engineer and owner of a joinery enterprise in Lviv.
Dionizy Krzyczkowski –– architect and professor at the Industrial School.
Karol Łopata –– completed the varnishing works.
Stefan Szeliga Łyszkiewicz –– engineer and asphalt manufacturer in Lviv.
Salomon Meisels –– joiner and co-owner of a glazing firm in Lviv.
Bracia Mund (Mund Brothers) –– firm in Lviv, specialized in plumbing installation, among other services.
Leonard Nitsch –– engineer and owner of a central steam heating firm in Kraków.
Zygmunt Piotrowicz –– engineer and co-owner of an ironworks enterprise in Lviv.
Edmund Pliszewski –– sculptor.
Wincenty Rawski Jr. (1850–1927) –– architect, member of the Polytechnic Society and its board, and designer of the building.
Juliusz Ross –– railway inspector.
Dawid Salz –– glazier and co-owner of a glazing firm in Lviv.
Jan Schumann –– engineer and co-owner of an ironworks enterprise in Lviv.
Gabryel Sokolnicki –– co-owner of an electrical engineering firm in Lviv.
Leon Syroczyński (1844–1925) –– professor at the Polytechnic, researcher of deep drilling, and President of the Society from 1903 to 1907.
Jan Tarczałowicz (1869–1923) –– architect and designer of the Society's insignia.
Maksymilian Thullie (1853–1939) –– professor at the Polytechnic.
Antoni Tuch –– artist and co-owner of a stained glass firm in Kraków.
Arnold Werner –– co-owner of a ceramic products firm in Hlynsko near Lviv.
Kazimierz Wiśniewski –– co-owner of an electrical engineering firm in Lviv.
Julian Zachariewicz (1837–1898) –– professor of architecture at the Polytechnic and founder of the Lviv Architectural School.
Edmund Żychowicz –– architect and owner of a building firm.

Attendees at the opening of the building from outside the Polytechnic Society:

Stanisław Badeni (1850–1912) –– Marshal of Galicia.
Stefan Bartoszewicz (1870–1934) –– representative of the Oil Society, from whom the technicians rented premises for many years at what is now vul. Chaikovskoho 17.
Stanisław Ciuchciński (1841–1912) –– Vice-Mayor of Lviv.
Bołesław Długoszowski –– representative of the Chamber of Engineering.
Bronisław Dułęba –– representative of the Government of Agricultural Circles.
Feliks Gryziecki (1837–1923) –– professor of law and Rector of the Franciscan University in Lviv.
Tadeusz Gubrynowicz –– representative of the Galician Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Edmund Lukas –– director of the Lviv magistrate.
Andrzej Lubomirski (1862–1953) –– prince, industrialist, curator of the Ossoliński National Institute in Lviv, etc.; attended as the President of the Galician Manufacturing Union.
Michał Michalski (1846–1907) –– Mayor of Lviv.
Jusef Mikułowski (1868–1935) –– director of the Agricultural Academy in Dubliany.
Andrzej Potocki (1861–1908) –– Governor of Galicia.
Józef Rychter (1843–1917) –– professor of hydraulic engineering at the Polytechnic; represented the Society for the Advancement of Polish Science in Lviv.
Zygmunt Rucker –– representative of the Galician Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Tadeusz Rutowski (1852–1918) –– Vice-Mayor of Lviv.
Karol Skibiński (1849–1922) –– pro-rector of the Polytechnic.
Marian Smołuchowski (1872–1917) –– professor at the University of Lviv, physicist; represented the Copernicus Polish Society of Naturalists.

Organizations

Polytechnic Society (Towarzystwo politechniczne)

Founded in 1876, functioned until 1939 (from 1913 known as the Polish Polytechnic Society) — the first and leading non-governmental organization of technical professionals in the crownland of Galicia. Combined the characteristics of a trade union and a scientific society. Responsible for the founding of the Industrial Museum in Lviv, the introduction to the city of electricity and the sewerage system, etc.
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Society of Friends of Fine Arts in Lviv (Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Sztuk Pięknych we Lwowie)

The Society of Friends of Fine Arts in Lviv (Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Sztuk Pięknych we Lwowie) was the first art organization in Lviv to operate from 1868 until the outbreak of the Second World War. The Society brought together artists and art connoisseurs, organized exhibitions, sold works of art and provided material support to artists.
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Technical Journal (Czasopismo Techniczne) 1877-1914

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable This was the printed organ of the Polytechnic Society. It was aimed at consolidating and promoting the newly created technical milieu in Galicia, which was formed due to Lviv Polytechnic. The periodical was published from 1877 until the beginning of the Second World War. Its first name, until the end of 1882, was the Dźwignia (pol. for lever).
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Sources

"In Arte Salus", Architekt, 1907, z. 1, 3-24;
"Dom Towarzystwa Technicznego w Krakowie", Czasopismo techniczne, 1907, Nr. 3, 46-47;
"Dom Towarzystwa Politechnicznego we Lwowie", Czasopismo techniczne, 1907, Nr. 4, 61-68;
"Poświęcenie i otwarcie Domu Towarzystwa Politechnicznego", Gazeta Lwowska, 1907, Nr. 16, 3;
"Kronika Lwowska. Uroczystość Jordanu", "Gmach Towarzystwa Politechnicznego", Gazeta Narodowa, 1907, Nr. 17, 2;
"Kronika. We Lwowie. Uroczystość św. Jordanu", Kurjer Lwowski, 1907, Nr. 33, 3;
"Nowy gmach towarzystwa politechnicznego", Kurjer Lwowski, 1907, Nr. 34, 2;
"Dom towarzystwa politechnicznego", Nowości Illustrowane, 1905, Nr. 44, 12;
"Poświęcenie gmachu Tow. politechnicznego we Lwowie", Nowości Illustrowane, 1907, Nr. 4, 15-16;
Towarzystwo Politechniczne we Lwowie 1877-1902. Pamiętnik jubileuszowy, red. Edmund Stanisław Grzębski (Lwów, 1902);
Polskie Towarzystwo Politechniczne we Lwowie 1877-1927. Pamiętnik jubileuszowy, red. Maksymiljan Matakiewicz, (Lwów, 1927);
"Poświęcenie gmachu Towarzystwa politechnicznego", Słowo Polskie, 1907, Nr. 35, 4;
Jakub Lewicki, Między tradycją a nowoczesnością: architektura Lwowa lat 1893-1918, (Warszawa: Neriton, 2005), 143.

Citation

Olha Zarechnyuk. "Vul. Dudaieva, 9 – former building of Polytechnic Society". Lviv Interactive (Center for Urban History, 2020). URL: https://lia.lvivcenter.org/en/objects/dudaieva-9/

Author(s): Olha Zarechnyuk

Language editor: Uliana Holovata

Urban Media Archive Materials

Uppermost part of the building 9 Dudajeva St.