Nikiszowiec is the second, next to Giszowiec, historic urban establishment created in the early 20th century for the employees of the "Giesche" company. Its name comes from the nearbyThe lisps of the "Nikischschacht" (now "Poniatowski") shaft. Unlike Giszowiec, which was built in a rural style, Nikiszowiec's buildings have an urban character. The architects alluded with their idea to the Renaissance architecture of Florence, with arcades and arcades. The designers tried to introduce as many diverse elements as possible to avoid monotony and create a friendly atmosphere. Each of the polygonal buildings is very different in terms of decorative elements. The facades of the houses are made of red brick, and the buildings form a compact form and are surrounded by streets on all sides. Adjacent townhouses are connected by overhangs resembling imposing decorative gates, like triumphal arches. The streets converge on the main square, which serves as a market square, along which run arcaded galleries and arcades housing retail and service outlets. Within the overall compact development of the estate there are inner courtyards, where additional outbuildings were located in the past: pigsties, chicken coops and cells for individual residents. In each such courtyard there were also ovens for baking bread, the so-called "bakeries", which were used for general use. Today, the outbuildings have mostly been demolished and the courtyards greened. The houses in Nikoszowiec, characterized by high standards, consisted of three-island apartments with a total area of up to 70 m². Each family had its own basement and attic. Lavatories were located in corridors, two on each floor. Today, Nikiszowiec is a place of many events and cultural happenings related primarily to the industrial history of Silesia. The estate often appears in films, books and art. It is the setting of many film works, including "Salt of the Black Earth" and "Pearl in the Crown." Together with Giszowiec, it was described in M. Szejnert's book "Czarny Ogród". It was from it that non-professional painters gathered in the so-called Janowska Group drew their extraordinary visions, including Ewald Gawlik, known as "van Gogh of Nikisz".
31.08.2014
