#Industrial and technical building #Bielany Wrocławskie #1937
Deutsches Reich (German State)
Motorway A4 exit Bielany Wrocławskie South
55-040
Bielany Wrocławskie,
Poland
Public transport: Bielany Wrocławskie Makro or exit Bielany Wrocławskie
Access: Public building, free entry during working hours
Today's use: petrol station
Description
The triangular shape of the petrol station and its roof corresponds to the shape of the surrounding streets. Cars can drive to the petrol station from the exit. The concrete roof marks this position even more so that drivers can see the petrol station from afar. The small house made of masioned clinker bricks used to have a snack bar, a toilet, a lounge for the petrol station attendant and storage rooms in the basement.
This petrol station is a rare example, that modernist architecture was used during the Nazi time in Germany. For a functional, technical building it seemed to be not that difficult to realize a project like this. But it is said, that also against modernist petrol stations started some protests. After 1945 Wroclaw and the whole region became a part of Poland. On the roof was placed the lettering Wrocław.
History
The construction works on the motorway between Berlin and Wroclaw started in 1934. The operation of this service petrol station started in 1937 according the Polish Heritage Institute and in 1936 according German texts. This part of the motorway was opened by Adolf Hitler on September 27, 1937. In the north part of this exit was built a same station that exists until today. Furthermore a similar parallel system of petrol station was planned for the exit Cottbus-West, being part of the motorway Berlin-Wroclaw. But the beginning of the Second War a different priorities in German politics resulted in not implementing this plans anymore. The petrol station is still in use and despite its history connected with the Third Reich it is a worth and nice modernist building.
In Fürstenwalde (Germany) was built the same type of service station, being not in use today anymore.
On this website are shared historical pictures.
Sources
