The Transformation of Kołobrzeg’s Urban Structure under the Influence of the Railway Spatial Challenges and Plans for Urban Integration

Abstract

The spatial structure of Kołobrzeg shaped over centuries under the influence of changing economic military and administrative conditions has developed into three functionally and morphologically distinct districts. Starting in the Middle Ages when the city emerged as a center for salt trade and a river port at the mouth of the Parsęta River Kołobrzeg repeatedly transformed its urban form. A turning point in the development of Kołobrzeg’s urban layout came in the second half of the 19th century when following the demolition of fortifications intensive expansion of the city toward the coast began. This process was also influenced by the emergence of the spa function initiated with the establishment of a seaside resort. In 1859 the opening of the railway station and the newly constructed railway line marked a pivotal moment in the city’s history facilitating the concurrent development of the port the spa district and the historic old town. However the railway line routed for strategic and topographical reasons between the historic city center and the emerging spa district created a lasting spatial barrier. It effectively divided the city isolating the port and old town from the coastal spa zone and generating a functional conflict within the urban fabric. This division resulted in a persistent disjunction in both function and transportation which continues to shape the city’s spatial dynamics. Article analyzes the impact of the introduction of the railway to Kołobrzeg in 1859 on the shaping of the urban space. Despite numerous attempts to revise the urban layout both in the interwar and postwar periods none of the proposed concepts were fully implemented and the problem of structural disharmony persists to this day.