This wooden bridge once connected the center of Kalisz, starting from the Main Square and City Hall, toward St. Nicholas’ Square (now New Market Square), and further into the industrial district of Piskorzewie. It was constructed in the second half of the 19th century. During World War II, between 1941 and 1942, the bridge was dismantled by German forces, along with the filling-in of the Babinka canal.

(more information under the photos ↓)

Bridge over the Babinka on Kanonicka Street, 1870-1871, foto.
Source: Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna w Kaliszu, ,,Album de Kalisch” Jan Wilhelm Diehl

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Bridge over the Babinka on Kanonicka Street, 1882-1883, drawing.
Source: Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna w Kaliszu, Album widoków historycznych Polski poświęcony Rodakom, Napoleon Orda

Bridge over the Babinka on Kanonicka Street, 1915-1916. Source: Muzea Wielkopolski, MOZK

Bridge over the Babinka on Kanonicka Street. Source: Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna w Kaliszu

Bridge over the Babinka on Kanonicka Street. Source: Archiwum Państwowe w Kaliszu, heritage Tadeusza Martyna

Bridge over the Babinka on Kanonicka Street 1939-1942.Source: Archiwum Państwowe w Kaliszu, heritage Tadeusza Martyna

Bridge over the Babinka on Kanonicka Street. Source: archive M.Kurzajczyk


Bridge over the Babinka on Kanonicka Street.Source: Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna w Kaliszu

It was one of five bridges crossing the Babinka, a branch of the Prosna River (see a separate plaque for more information on the Babinka). The bridge extended the lively Kanonicka Street toward the main market square, which was originally called the Pig Market, later renamed St. Nicholas’ Square and finally Dekert Square. Although the bridge reached its complete form in the second half of the 19th century, a footbridge likely existed in this location earlier. Near the bridge, on the same street, stood a large church dedicated to St. Nicholas, which gave the crossing and the square on the other side their names. Kanonicka Street and the nearby butcher stalls (see separate plaque) were bustling with trade, and the continuation of commercial activity across the bridge was a natural outcome of this phenomenon. On the other side of the Babinka, the bridge led directly to the building of the Fire Brigade station, described on another nearby plaque, from which firefighters, referred to as the "knights of St. Florian," rushed into the city center using this very route. Over several decades of use, the bridge underwent multiple partial repairs. The Babinka Canal was filled in by the Germans during World War II, leading to the removal of this and other bridges over it. Information about those crossings can be found on plaques located on Narutowicza Street, Złota Street, Kilińskiego Square, and along the Aleja Walecznych in the city park.

This wooden, two-span, though fairly long bridgewas built across the Babinka around 1875 in response to the development of a marketplace on its western side and the growing Piskorzewie district. Previously, in roughly the same area beyond the Babinka, there had stood a modest church or rather a chapel dedicated to St. James, which was ultimately destroyed by floods in 1861 and 1870. The salvaged planks were used to build a fence enclosing a small cemetery, which served as the resting place for local residents who had died between 1781 and 1807. These were modest people, living in humble homes - just like the chapel that had served them. Before the bridge was constructed, footbridges lower along the waterway provided a means of crossing, although they were often swept away by floods. The completed bridge was situated in a particularly important location, especially for the local Jewish community. Right nearby there were a mikveh and, a little further, a Jewish hospital (both marked with separate plaques). The surrounding area was also frequented by local residents for shopping and selling goods - thanks to bustling Kanonicka Street and the nearby market stalls. Just to the left of the bridge was the heart of the Jewish district, which was full of life. In the area, there were also timber markets, as well as various warehouses. The character of the neighborhood changed dramatically at the end of the 19th century. The market was relocated from the Main Square to this area. Around it sprang up increasingly grand townhouses with shops, cloth halls, and eventually a market hall. A fire station (marked by another plaque) was built nearby, and on the opposite side of the square stood a small city jail, known as the "goat." The rapidly developing Piskorzewie district, particularly along what is now Majkowska Street, saw the rise of large factories: a gasworks, a bleachery, a tannery, and slaughterhouses. The bridge also became a route for those seeking entertainment - from horse markets and circus shows in St. Nicholas’ Square to early football matches and airplane demonstrations at the fairgrounds in Piskorzewie. Given all this, it's no surprise that this bridge became one of the most heavily used crossings over the Babinka. Its existence came to an end when the Babinka Canal was filled in during 1941–42.

Author of the text:

Piotr Sobolewski

Project partners:

Archiwum Państwowe w Kaliszu

Muzeum Okręgowe Ziemi Kaliskiej

Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna