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The city pawnshop

  • The building is a characteristic feature of Embankment Square.
  • It was constructed in 1867.
  • People could pawn their things to get a loan. Pledged things could be regained for the price of the pledge.
  • The money earned by the pawnshop was collected by the city treasury.
  • The conditions of granting loans were defined by the city authorities; therefore, it was possible to get a load based on fair conditions, avoiding usury.
  • In the 1990s the building was converted into a book depository, and a printing house, where bottle labels used to be printed.
  • At present, the building has been neglected and it requires renovation.

Memories and stories told by the inhabitants

Employees of the printing house used to work in two or three shifts. The ground floor of the building accommodated printing machines, the first floor was used to house bookbindery and typesetting facilities. At the back of the building some storage facilities were located.

Contemporary photographs

⯆ The building of the former city pawnshop – the front façade.

Gdańsk. The city pawnshop. Contemporary photographs. The front façade of the former city pawnshop. The photograph presents a brick building situated in the southern part of Embankment Square. The former city pawnshop is an impressive detached building composed of a ground floor, first floor and an attic. The building features the arcade style. So far, the object has not been renovated and there are still some dark stains on its walls. The windows on the ground floor are barred with black metal rods. The attic windows are small. In front of the building there is a small parking lot.

⯆ Gdańsk coat of arms.

Gdańsk. The city pawnshop and Gdańsk coat of arms. Contemporary photographs. The photograph presents a part of the representative side façade of the brick building which is decorated with Gdańsk coat of arms (two lions) engraved in stone and placed at the top. So far, the object has not been renovated and there are still some dark stains on its walls. There are some arched windows on the first floor. The building features the arcade style. The attic windows and small and rectangular.

⯆ At present, the building has been deteriorating.

Gdańsk. The city pawnshop. Contemporary photographs. The photograph presents the side façade of the brick building which has been deteriorating. The windows are broken, there are numerous cavities in the bricks and numerous dark stains on the walls. The windows on the ground floor are barred with black metal rods. The top of the façade is decorated with Gdańsk coat of arms (two lions) engraved in stone.

⯆ At the back of the pawnshop. When the building was used as a printing house, some storage facilities were located there.

Gdańsk. The city pawnshop. Contemporary photographs. The pawnshop seen from the back. There used to be some storage facilities when the building accommodated a printing house. The photograph presents the back of the brick building. On the ground floor there is a gate (a big two-leaved door opening to the left and to the right). The windows on the ground floor and the first floor are barred with dark metal rods. The windows are broken, the walls and the gate are covered with graffiti. The walls are also covered with numerous dark stains. There are also metal steps attached to the outside walls of the building, leading up to a big window on the first and the second floors. A metal roof has been attached to the outside wall over the ground floor. There are some cars parked in front of the building.

Archive photographs

⯆ A photograph of the women working at the printing house which was once located in the pawnshop building.

Gdańsk. The city pawnshop. Archive photographs. A black-and-white photograph features seven women working at the printing house which was once located in the pawnshop building. There are four women standing and three women are sitting on the grass in the first row. In the background a fragment of a brick building is visible along with a deciduous tree. The women are wearing bright working clothes and headscarves.

Minecraft: visualisation

Gdańsk. The city pawnshop. Minecraft visualisation. The photograph presents the front of the building constructed from brick blocks. The object features numerous windows and it is surrounded by a road constructed from dark grey block. In the background there are some buildings.
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