Austrian Military Barracks in Lviv – Part I

From the end of the 18th century to the middle of the 19th century After the Habsburg Monarchy began to rule Galicia, a large number of land holdings became property of the Austrian military. This is no wonder as the military required considerable resources such as fields, mills, magazines (ammunition […]

Read More

Housing Developments in Interwar Lviv: The Professors’ Colony

Location: Main streets – Iryny Wilde St., Nishchynskoho St., Mizhhirna St.Built for: EducatorsFunded by: Society for Lending and Construction for Employees of Secondary and Higher Educational Institutions in LvivYears of construction: 1935-Architects: Tadeusz Wróbel, Leopold Karasiński, and Maximillian KochuraStyle: Functionalism (Modernism) After overcoming World War I and the financial crisis, […]

Holding Together Historical Buildings: The Anchor Plates of Lviv

Anchor plates (also called wall washers, pattress plates, masonry stars, etc.) are used to reinforce the structure of masonry buildings. Made from cast or wrought iron, these plates are connected to rods that penetrate the building. Sometimes the rod is exposed, which can be seen on balconies and porticos. The […]

The Only Thing New in the World: Galician Slaughter 1846

By Chris Wilkinson Harry Truman, the United States President from 1945 – 1953, once remarked that “the only thing new in the world is the history you do not know.” This is certainly appropriate when it comes to Eastern Europe. It is quite easy to find interesting historical topics from […]

Housing Developments in Interwar Lviv: The Officers’ Colony

Location: Chereshneva St., Samiylenka St. and Oleny Pchilky St.Built for: Polish military officersYears of construction: 1923-1931Architects: W. Jakimowski, R. Voelpel, T. Wróbel, W. LembergenConcept: Garden City (Ebenezer Howard’s vision as promoted by Ignacy Drexler)Style: Polish Manor Style (styl dworkowy), some elements of Art Deco After overcoming World War I and […]

Combating Dust 100 Years Ago: Traces of Lviv’s Antique Central Vacuum Cleaners

A rather unique and rare remnant of the past found in Lviv is the antique central vacuum inlet — one small part of a central vacuum cleaner system that was installed in buildings still before WWI. Central Vacuum Cleaners A central vacuum cleaner works by sucking dirt particles through tubes […]

Five Fun Facts about the Galician General Regional Exhibition of 1894

The biggest fair in the history of Lviv (Lwów), the General Regional Exhibition (Powszechna Wystawa Krajowa) drew nearly 1,150,000 visitors over a four-month period. The most distinguished guest was Austrian Emperor Franz Josef I himself. The exhibition was a platform to demonstrate Lviv’s and Galicia’s economic and cultural progress, and […]

Electricity Comes to Lviv’s Residential Buildings: Antique Electrical Panels

Dozens of prewar electrical panels can be found inside the entryways of many of Lviv’s old buildings. Although more than one hundred years have passed since they were installed, these devices continue to supply power. Here’s a look at how electricity first came to Lviv’s residential buildings and the role […]

The Pavilions of the Galician General Regional Exhibition of 1894

The largest fair in the history of Lviv / Lwów / Lemberg, the General Regional Exhibition (Powszechna Wystawa Krajowa) was held in 1894, on the 100th year anniversary of the Kosciuszko Uprising. The aim of the exhibition was to promote Lviv as a modern metropolis and demonstrate Galicia’s economical and […]

Engineer Słowik and His Enduring Mark on Lviv

The Recovered Story of a Prewar Metalworks Owner Countless people contributed to the urban development of Lviv and left their enduring mark on the city. It is thanks to these architects, urban planners, engineers, entrepreneurs, craftsmen, construction workers, and factory workers that we have the beautiful architecture, cobblestone roads, infrastructure, […]

Housing Developments in Interwar Lviv: Vlasna Khata Building Cooperative

Location: 26-40 Piskova St., 22-38 Kharkivska St., 3-7 Ostrozkoho St.Built for: Vlasna Khata Ukrainian building cooperative Years of construction: 1927-1929Architect: Oleksandr PezhanskyiStyle: Modernism (functionalism) with elements of Art Deco After overcoming World War I and the financial crisis, housing developments (often called “colonies”) started to be built in Lviv for […]