A natural branch of the Prosna River, which in the Middle Ages served as a moat marking the boundary of the chartered town and formed part of its defensive system. Later, it was used by factories located nearby. Babinka was one of many natural branches and man-made canals of the Prosna River flowing through Kalisz. It was filled in by the Germans during World War II, between 1941 and 1942, using almost free labor - prisoners of war and the last remaining Jewish residents of the city.

(more information under the photos ↓)

Source: Archiwum Państwowe w Kaliszu

Source: Babinka Canal, 1900-1910 rok, Muzea Wielkopolski, MOZK 

Source: Babina Canal, the years 1920-1940, source: Muzea Wielkopolski, MOZK, autor: I. Mikunicki.

Source:  Babinka Cabal, the year 1941, source: photo from M.Kurzajczyk's archive

Source: Babinka Canal, the year 1941, source: photo from M.Kurzajczyk's archive

This particular branch of the Prosna, after the chartered town of Kalisz was surrounded in the 14th and 15th centuries by defensive walls (the longest surviving section of which can be found nearby - look for a separate plaque), served as a moat. Once separated from the main river, it flowed through the park, and beginning in the 19th century, formed a natural boundary between the city center and the Piskorzewie district. The western side of the canal was lined with boulevards in the 19th century (now Babina Street), intended for leisurely walks. The name Babinka comes from Babina Street, which runs along its western bank. The street's name is believed to be linked to the presence of elderly women who begged for alms in the area, though this origin is more poetically interpreted by a local legend (see QR description). Over time, the canal became crucial to the growth of local industry. From the mid-19th century onward, factories began to appear along Babina Street. As a result, there were periods when the partially dried-up canal bed was filled almost entirely with sewage and, due to the nearby meat stalls (see separate plaque), "more rats than water." This pollution contributed to the German occupiers’ decision to fill in the canal in 1941–42. A 300-meter section of a green belt was created in its place (the project was completed after the war). More information about Babinka can be found on plaques near Narutowicza Street and in the City Park.

The decision to locate the town in this area in the mid-13th century was primarily driven by its natural defensibility, provided by the numerous branches and canals of the main river. Over the years, dozens of bridges and crossings were built over these waterways, leading some to refer to Kalisz as the “Venice of the North.” Babinka, too, served this defensive function. It branched off from the main river opposite today’s theater building and flowed as a wild stream through the City Park (which was later regulated into a straight canal in the late 19th century). Further downstream, now filled in, it marked the natural boundary between the city center and the Piskorzewie district. As noted earlier, the name Babinka is derived from Babina Street, which may have gotten its name from elderly women who begged in the area, likely residents of the Holy Spirit shelter, or perhaps from midwives (babki in older Polish), who were easily found in the area. One legend tells of a woman selling vegetables on the street who was asked by a passing Russian soldier, Nu kak, babinka?, to which she replied, Kharasho, spasiba. Despite its modest appearance, Babinka was often a source of trouble during floods, as its unregulated banks would overflow, flooding the surrounding area, including the wooden church of St. James nearby.

However, as the city grew and industry expanded, especially in Piskorzewie and along Babina Street, factories began dumping waste into the canal. Butchers on the opposite bank contributed further to the degradation (see a nearby plaque). As a result, Babinka was picturesque in name only. In 1941, the German occupiers, who had access to nearly free labor in the form of prisoners of war and the last Jewish residents of Kalisz, ordered the canal to be filled in, implementing a Polish plan originally proposed in 1911. And perhaps they might have been credited for this, after all, thanks to this, Kalisz (and not only Kraków or Rawicz) gained a charming green beltt, were it not for one tragic detail. To fill the canal, in addition to soil and rubble from demolished Jewish buildings, the Germans also used tens of thousands of books from both Polish and Jewish libraries, public and private, as well as furnishings from destroyed synagogues and artifacts from the Kalisz museum. This act was part of a deliberate effort to eradicate the literary and cultural legacy of entire generations. The majority of these "dumpings" occurred in a section of Babinka where there had been a small sluice. Today, this location is marked by a small memorial statue commemorating this act of German savagery. Between 1946 and 1949, the former site of Babinka was converted into an almost 700-meter-long promenade, now called the Planty Miejskie (the green belt).

Author of the text:

Piotr Sobolewski

Project partners:

Archiwum Państwowe w Kaliszu

Muzeum Okręgowe Ziemi Kaliskiej

Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna