Hale targowe międzywojennego Białegostoku

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the issue of market halls that were built in the 1930s as a result of the activities of Seweryn Nowakowski, first as a receiver, and from 1934 as the Białystok president. Before 1915 small trade took place on the main square (today Rynek Kościuszki), but since 1893 booths and stalls from the main market were removed and placed on the market in Piaski (Rynek Sienny), that was formed since the first half of the 19th century. In addition, the Świński Market (today’s Stary Rynek) was established in the Bojary district, and the Fish Market, one with the largest area in the city, was established in the Piaski district. Before 1915, the city authorities were able to build only simple, wooden buildings/roofs, which served as market halls in the Fish Market and meat stalls at Zielona Street (today Zamenhofa Street). This conditions were inherited by the new local authorities in 1919. In 1921, the old meat stalls were transformed into the first market hall, but it was a facility re-adapted to the new function. In the 1920s, the market halls remained in ambitious plans. It was only Seweryn Nowakowski in the years 1933–1935 who managed to obtain credits from the Labor Fund, which he allocated for the construction of market halls – on Rynek Rybny and Rynek Stary. Until 1939, further activities were carried out to reorganize public markets in Białystok. Market halls survived World War II. The hall at Rynek Rybny was finally demolished in the early 1960s, while the second market hall was not used during the communist period. After 1989, it underwent a thorough renovation and still has commercial functions.