Chorzów Stary

A few pictures taken in the oldest part of Chorzów on a cloudy day. This part of town reminds me the most of the hometown I remember from times growing up here.

Chorzów Stary is the oldest part of my hometown. Supposedly it’s roots date back to the 13th century, when it was first mentioned as a village established by the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem – a Roman Catholic order of knighthood under the protection of the pope. There isn’t much left from that distant past. Most of the buildings have been erected in the 19th century, and quite frankly haven’t been well maintained ever since. It’s been a cloudy day today, but I think the weather suits this dark and rather dirty district very well.

 

Many streets in Chorzów Stary are still paved with cobblestones.

My Mother's car in front of one of many historic buildings in Chorzów Stary.

Large power station behind old buildings in Chorzów Stary.

Typical Silesian view - colorful flowers on red painted windows of a brick house.

Such views are not uncommon in modern day Silesia. Church tower in the background, commercial ads in front.

Small streetside chapel on Bożogrobców in Chorzów Stary, power station in backgrond.

Bożogrobców Street with a view of an old church in the background.

Black cat crossing the Bożogrobców Street just in front of a passing car.

Turn of a 19th century buildings on Bożogrobców Street, Mary Magdalene parish on the right.

The old buildings are called "familoki" (multi-family).

One of recently restored brick buildings on the corner of Bożogrobców and Bytkowska.

Clock tower of the Mary Magdalene parish in Chorzów Stary.

History of this church is tied to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and dates back to 1299 AD.

Many buildings are still in very poor shape, as they haven't been properly maintained since before the Second World War.

Before the Second World War, Upper Silesia was an autonomous region.

Everything in Upper Silesia seems rather eclectic - traditional buildings, even if restored mix with ugly advertisments.

Coming down Bożogrobców Street to Krajcok (intersection with Siemianowicka Street).

View on Krajcok from Siemianowicka Street.

Starochorzowskie Centrum Kultury on Siemianowicka Street.

An old fashioned poster pillar, in the back Nadia and Agnieszka entering SDK.

Ball room in SDK being prepared for an upcoming wedding party.

Cobblestones on Siemianowicka Street.

A building in dire need of repairs is not an uncommon view throughout Upper Silesia region.

Typical sidewalk in one of the poorer districts of Chorzów Stary.

Typical red frame windows.

A tree growing on top of an old building.

Lock-up garages painted red with an old shaft in the background.

Old buildings adopted for commercial activity. The stainless steel box on wheels on the right is a garbage container (hasiok).

Pigpens were not uncommon in this region in the 19th century.

Modernized single family house in the poor district of Chorzów Stary.

Nadia on an old, heavy steel carousel.

Agnieszka and Nadia are having a blast!

A checkers table in a community park.

Ping pong table in a community park.

"Einfart" (a gate) in one of the old buildings on Kasprowicza Street in Chorzów Stary.

"Chlewiki" (pigpens) are being used as storage units.

Some more pigpens alongside Kasprowicza Street.

Almost every "familok" used to have "chlewiki".

Sidewalk on Kasprowicza Street.

Power station is visible from almost every place in Chorzów Stary.

Private property sign on an empty plot.

Power station behind old buildings and gated pigpens and trash container on the left.

An old cobblestone street off of Kasprowicza Street. A man trimming hedge around his allotment.

A lady looking out her window on Kasprowicza Street (not uncommon view in Upper Silesia).

Pigeons on the sidewalk in Chorzów Stary.

Politically incorrect graffiti on Kasprowicza Street.

Graffiti on Kasprowicza Street.

A view on Mary Magdalene parish from Kasprowicza Street.

An old fashioned poster pillar in front of the church.

Poster pillar on Kasprowicza Street.

Agnieszka and Nadia reading ads on an old poster pillar in Chorzów Stary.

A traffic sign with street names and directions to police station and garbage collecting company.

A monument in front of Mary Magdalene church in Chorzów Stary.

A typical "einfart".

Restored building off of Bożogrobców Street.

Old buildings in rather decent shape alongside Bożogrobców Street.

AN entrance gate ("einfart") painted red.

An old building with power station in the back.

Regional graffiti.

Most buildings preserved in Chorzów Stary date back to 19th century.

A typical view in Upper Silesia.

Some of the buildings have been declared historic landmarks.

Flowers on windows painted orange.

Green painted entrance.

A sign on one of the buildings.

A passage under old railroad.

A path to one of the gates of the old power plant.

Abandoned power plant buildings high above the city.

Old railroad tracks.

Gate number 8 - one of the entries to the abandoned power plant.

The rails are still functional.

As activity alongside those rails reduces, nature is taking over again.

An old abandoned building over railroad tracks.

An old mining shaft in the background.

An abandoned building.

A statue of a saint in the center of a four way cobblestone paved intersection.

 

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