Zbąszyń 15-04-2025.

Railway stations Zbąszyń, Zbąszynek.

Zbąszyń – Geographic coordinates: 52.259N 15.893E. Elevation 56 m. Address: Plac Dworcowy 64-360 Zbąszyń.

Zbąszynek – Geographic coordinates: 52.242N 15.818E. Elevation 77 m. Address: Dworcowa, 66-210 Zbąszynek.

Zbąszyń is a city in Poland, in the Wielkopolska province, in the Nowy Tomyśl district, in the Zbąszyń commune. The city operates under the rights of an urban-rural commune. The city has an area of ​​5.42 km2. The population was 7,242 (2016). City office, address: ul. Żwirki 1, 64-360 Zbąszyń. The city of Zbąszyń is located in western Poland, on Lake Błędno and the Obra River, on the Wielkopolska Lowland. It lies on the border of the Poznań Lake District and the Łagów Lake District. The areas around the city are called Małe Mazury. There are 40 km of kayak trails here, which were used by Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, later Saint John Paul II.

History of the city of Zbąszyń.

The settlement was officially founded in 1231. The city was founded in 1311. The city has changed its name several times in its history. Since 1793, it had the German name Bentschen. When Poland was reborn, the name was changed to Zbąszyn, and after World War II to Zbąszyń. The name of the city comes from the personal name Zbąsza, which comes from the name Zbąd and its variants. The change of the form of the name Zbąszyn to Zbąszyń was related to the dialectal name of Greater Poland, as a result of which -in was pronounced as -iń.

The city was originally a border castellany of Greater Poland located near the Brandenburg-Polish border. In 1243, a customs house was built in the settlement, where duties were collected for trade between Poland and the Teutonic Knights. At that time, a defensive Greater Poland castle was built. In 1238, there was already a Catholic church and rectory. The settlement was repeatedly destroyed by the Brandenburgers and the Silesian dukes. From 1338 until the partitions of Poland, the city remained within the borders of Poland without a break. In 1528, the city received the right to hold 4 fairs a year. In 1793, as a result of the second partition of Poland, the city was occupied by the Prussians, as was the entire Greater Poland. After the victorious second Greater Poland Uprising in 1806 for the Poles, the city in the period 1807–1815 found itself in the Babimost district, Poznań department, within the borders of the Duchy of Warsaw. In 1815, the city once again became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. The city was plagued by fires, floods and plagues. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, larger industrial plants were built in the city: a starch factory, brickyards, sawmills powered by steam engines, textile factories. In 1895, there were 299 smokehouses (houses) in the city inhabited by 2,847 residents, mostly Catholics (55%). In 1907, the Prussians dismantled the historic castle. Only the gate and the tower remained. In 1904, a gasworks was opened in the city, which worked for the needs of workplaces and to illuminate 70 street lamps. In 1906, due to the strong Germanization of the Polish population, a strike broke out in the city schools. In 1908, a city hospital was founded.

During the Greater Poland Uprising, in the period of 1918-1919, fierce battles took place for the city between the insurgents and the Germanic army. On January 4-5, 1919, insurgent subunits of the future 61st Infantry Regiment of the Greater Poland Army reached the area of ​​the city of Zbąszyń and attacked the city from the west. The insurgents managed to occupy the train station, but were forced out by the regular Germanic army; two Brandenburg grenadier regiments. The Germans strengthened the military staff in the city to 500 soldiers, supported by a volunteer battalion of the Germanic Citizen Guard, about 400-500 strong. They were armed with about 30 machine guns, two armored trains and 10 guns. The second attack by the insurgents was carried out on the night of January 10-11, 1919. This attack was also repelled by Germanic forces, who had a military advantage. Zbąszyń returned to Poland on January 17, 1920, after the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles.

In 1926, the Order of Elizabethan Sisters arrived in Zbąszyń. The sisters ran a kindergarten called “Ochronka Anioła Stróża” at that time.

At dawn, on September 1, 1939, after bloody battles, the Wehrmacht occupied the Zbąszyń PKP station, and later the city, which was retaken by the Poles for only a few hours. The Germans incorporated the entire Wielkopolska region, as the Warthegau, into the Reich, expelling Poles from the city to the general government. Many residents were deported to Germanic concentration camps and slave labor camps, where they died or were murdered.

On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops entered the city. Some of the former Polish residents returned to the city. In 1946, the number of residents was 4,042, and in 1961, it increased to 5,720. The city had two primary schools, a vocational school, a kindergarten, and a post office. Industrial plants were established: clothing factories, basket-and-wicker factories, a carpenters’ cooperative, a non-wood production company “Las” and a tannery. There were also numerous craft workshops.

Railway Zbąszyń.

History of name changes: From June 26, 1870, Bentschen. From January 17, 1920, Zbąszyń. From September 1, 1939, Bentschen. From January 27, 1945, Zbąszyń.

In 1870, a railway line was built through the city, initially from Magdeburg and Berlin to Poznań. The station quickly became an important railway junction, contributing to the economic development of Brandenburg and Wielkopolska. In 1870, a brick station was built, which has survived to the present day. In 1891, a station was built on the platform. In 1870, a post office building was also built (1908). In 1870, a cast iron shelter was erected on the current Platform 3. Currently, the shelter has a dismantled roof and only cast iron posts remain, which require renovation. In the period 1920-1927, a riveted steel shelter was erected on Platform 1.

A complex of buildings was built, currently at 5-7 Dworcowy Square. On May 15, 2015, these buildings were entered on the list of historical monuments under registration number 961/Wlkp/A.

In 1918, Poland regained independence. In 1921, as a result of the Treaty of Versailles, the eastern border of the Germans was established, and at the same time the western border of Poland. As a result of the demarcation of the border, the Zbąszyń station found itself on the Polish side and became a Polish border station.

The station in Zbąszyń underwent modernization. At that time, modern infrastructure was built: check-in halls, sidings, passport and customs control points. In 1928, construction of a new station began. The building was consecrated on October 14, 1929. The designer of the station was the architect Mr. Adolf Piller.

Currently (2025) at the Zbąszyń station there are several railway buildings, which are built of brown brick, not plastered. Among them is a building for railway services, with a characteristic turret. The building is currently a residential building.

There is also the first station building, which is two-story. The building is 28 m x 23 m in base. The ground floor was used for passenger service. On the first floor there were service rooms, which are currently apartments. The building has 8 axes. The lower windows are larger than the upper windows. On the west side, a single-story wing is added to the station building, which is 23 m x 14 m in base.

The historic station was built in 1929, according to the design of the architect Adolf Piller, in the modernist style. The Polish station building resembles a palace building. The building is an irregular rectangle in base, with dimensions of 123 m x 26.5 m in base. The building was renovated in the period 2021-2025. The contractor of the works was AGROBEX from Poznań. The work was carried out as part of the Railway Station Investment Program in the period 2016-2023, and was co-financed from the state budget. Its value is PLN 26.5 million. All rooms of the station, together with installations, underwent reconstruction. The building was adapted for use by disabled people; two elevators were installed. The central part of the station is still intended for passenger services; ticket offices, waiting room, toilets. There is space in the building for commercial activities and for local government purposes. In the west wing, a squash hall, gym, multi-purpose room were created. In the east wing, there is commercial space. Toilets were also adapted for disabled people. The scope of renovation also included the renovation of the building’s facade along with architectural details. The Polish Eagle emblem was renovated and illuminated. The area around the station was tidied up, and the streets were already repaired in 2019. A parking lot was created in the vicinity of the station. The modernization restored the building to its former glory, while adapting it to modern needs. On February 24, 2025, an open day was held at the station, during which residents could see the effects of the work. There was a very large turnout of visitors.

Zbąszyń Station has a very interesting layout of platforms. Platform 1 is located next to the station building and has one platform edge. Platform 1 is 260 m long and is covered with a 130 m long canopy. Platform 2 is a narrow, island platform, 215 m long, but has only one platform edge. Platform 3 is an island platform, 243 m long. Platform 3 is covered with a 150 m long canopy. There is a small station building on the platform. Platform 4 is an island platform, double-edged, and is 220 m long. The platform was covered, but only the cast iron pillars remained. The roof renovation requires large financial outlays, because the posts require specialist repair. All platforms are connected by a tunnel located on the eastern side of the platforms. The tunnel does not connect with Dolna Street, DW No. 302, on the southern side of the station.

There are a dozen or so through tracks running through the passenger station, but several tracks on the southern side are unused and overgrown with self-seeded plants. Former railway warehouses located on the southern side, which function as shops: a second-hand shop, a door shop, a printing machine shop.

On the western side of the station, there are non-through tracks. There are 12 of them. In this part, there is a rectangular locomotive shed building, in which there are 6 tracks. The western part of the station is serviced by the “Zb1” signal box. The “Zb” control box is located in the eastern head of the station, at the rail-road crossing along Graniczna Street. Nearby are the former brickyard areas. The second rail-road crossing is located in the western head of the station along Jacentego Janka Street. The entire station is 1,600 m long. The distance between the Zbąszyń – Zbąszynek stations is about 6 km.

In April 2025, 89 trains departed from the station per day and you could go to the following stations: Białystok, Frankfurt/Oder, Gdynia Główna, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Koło, Leszno, Oborniki Wielkopolskie, Poznań Główny, Rzepin, Świnoujście, Warszawa Wschodnia, Wolsztyn, Wronki, Września, Zielona Góra Główna. Never in the history of the station have there been so many trains and such a large offer. Even in Germanic times, when there were only 30 trains. Currently, there are 6 pairs of trains on the Warsaw – Berlin route; Berlin – Warsaw – Express. The offer includes InterCity trains: No. 77108 Podlasiak, Zielona Góra Główna – Poznań Główny. No. 230 Gedania, Gdynia Główna – Berlin, with an electric locomotive DISPO 193 MRCE. No. 75104 Bachus, Zielona Góra Główna – Gdynia Główna, with an electric locomotive EP07 or EU160. No. 75108 Stoczniowiec, Zielona Góra Główna – Gdynia Główna, with an electric locomotive EP07. No. 78103 Strzelecki, Warszawa Wschodnia – Zielona Góra Główna, with an electric locomotive EU160. No. 78101 Luboszanin, Lublin – Zielona Góra Główna. No. 18170 Uznam, Warszawa Wschodnia – Świnoujście, with an electric locomotive EP07. No. 71107 Zielonogórzanin, Zielona Góra Główna – Warszawa Wschodnia, with an electric locomotive EU200. Passengers are also served by: Koleje Wielkopolskie and PolRegio.

Zbąszyń Przedmieście.

The Zbąszyń Przedmieście train stop is located on LK Nr 359 Leszno – Zbąszyń. There is a station building. Inside there is a ticket office, waiting room and service rooms. Only passenger trains of the carrier Koleje Wielkopolskie depart from the passenger stop in the direction of Leszno, Wolsztyn and Zbąszynek.

The Germanic action Polenaktion.

The German action of expelling Jews from Poland began in October 1938. The beginning of this action should be sought in the attitude of Jews who were Polish citizens. When Poland was reborn, many Jews decided that they would be better off in Germany and emigrated. In Poland, a law was introduced that stated that the absence of Polish citizens in Poland for more than 5 years automatically deprived them of Polish citizenship. In Poland, the law was passed by the Sejm on March 31, 1938. The Germans decided that one way to get rid of Jews from Germany was to deport them to Poland. The action was codenamed Polenaktion. Within a few days, the Germans tried to expel about 17,000 Jews to Poland. On October 26, 1938, the head of the Reich Security Service, Reinhard Heydrich, announced a decree on the immediate expulsion of all Jews from Poland. This decree primarily covered those Jews who no longer maintained any contact with Poland. The deportation was carried out very quickly, without the possibility of taking any movable property. Only those who were absent from their place of residence or had taken refuge were saved from deportation. The deportees were driven on foot to railway stations and loaded onto wagons. The wagons were closed and sealed. On the night of October 27-28, 1938, at the border stations in Zbąszyń, Bytom, before Chojnice and Wschowa, trains appeared, carrying several thousand Jews. The Germans tried to drive them across the border. Several thousand people camped on the border strip, between the cordons of the German and Polish troops. In Zbąszyń, about 6,000 people were placed in a transit camp, on the grounds of former barracks; former cavalry barracks, with stables and a disused mill. The Polenaktion action provoked protests from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which threatened to expel German citizens from Poland in retaliation. Polish-Germanic negotiations began and the action was suspended. Most of the Jews were taken back to Germany, and the trains went straight to concentration camps. In retaliation, Herschel Grynszpan, for including his family in this action, killed the Germanic diplomat Ernest vom Rath, which became a pretext for Kristallnacht. The Polenaktion action clearly showed the low culture of the Germans, who still aspire to rule in Europe.

Zbąszynek.

The provisions of the Treaty of Versailles meant that after the Great World War the course of the eastern border of Germania, and at the same time of reborn Poland, was established. In the vicinity of Zbąszyń, the border was drawn along a section of the Obra River. The border line passed the town of Zbąszyń on the western side, assigning the town to Poland. The Germans were clearly dissatisfied, but the Poles were, because the town was typically Polish. This arrangement required the creation of a new border station on the German side. The Szczaniec station became the provisional border station.

The new station was planned to be built near the town of Dabrówka Wielkopolska. It turned out that there were difficulties with purchasing the land, and the owners demanded exorbitant fees. At that time, interest was shown in the land of the village of Kosieczyn.

The newly built station and town were given the name Neubentschen. The station was to serve as a cargo station, a customs chamber, and a passenger station with customs clearance. The station was designed in accordance with the latest trends, dividing it separately into passenger and cargo sections. Everything was to complement the town, which was designed as a garden city.

Permission to build a new track system, including a railway station, was issued by order of the Reich Minister of Traffic on July 27, 1923. In 1925, trains were already running on the new track system. Work continued for several more years. The station became a large and modern railway junction. Freight and passenger traffic was routed on separate railway lines, to separate zones. A rectangular locomotive shed, locomotive and wagon repair halls were built on the station premises. A large rectangular locomotive shed, a fan-shaped hall for locomotives, freight sidings, repair workshops, and administrative buildings were built. Vehicular traffic was routed without any collisions under the tracks in tunnels and under viaducts. Currently, these grade-separated intersections are used for public traffic.

A garden city was built in the north-west direction. This type of development was very popular at the time. This is how Rakowice, currently a district of Kraków, was created. The designer in Zbąszynek was Friedrich Veil (1889-1929). The city received streets in a regular layout with a main square (market) and a town hall. Only the central square received full development of all frontages, with two oval gates, along today’s Kilińskiego and Gdańska streets. The remaining streets were to be built with terraced single-family houses, with large private gardens. Each house was to receive running water from the municipal water supply, a sewage connection and an electricity connection. Thanks to this, there was no problem with recruiting railway workers. The streets were paved, received curbs and hardened sidewalks. Many trees were planted. The majority of interwar residents were employees of the Germanic railways and customs officers. At the end of the 1920s, two churches were built. A community center, primary school, post office and bank were built. The designer of most of the buildings was Wilhelm Beringer. All the buildings were made of brick from the local brickyard. The characteristic features of the buildings are large windows and steep roofs with red tiles. A printing house was founded in the city, which published a local newspaper, brochures and professional manuals.

Zbąszynek maintained all the railway connections that the Zbąszyń station had. There was an important railway line Warsaw – Poznań – Berlin, from the period 1856-1870. It is part of the Berlin-Poznań Railway. There was a direction: Gubin – Cottbus – Leipzig and Dresden. There was a direction: Międzyrzecz – Skwierzyna – Gorzów Wielkopolski and Wolsztyn – Leszno.

And again the Germans started another world war, which we call; World War II. And again the Germans lost a lot. At the end of the war the inhabitants of Neu Bentschen were evacuated by train deep into Germania. Inexplicably, the city was not destroyed. The great men of this world decided that the border would be moved to the line of the Odra and Nysa Łużycka rivers. In 1945, the city was temporarily given the name Nowy Zbąszyń. Polish people, mainly associated with the railway, poured into the city. The city administration was mainly carried out by the PKP station management. It was not until 50 years later that a civilian city administration was established.

After 1945, the area was annexed to Poland, and Neu Bentschen was renamed Zbąszynek. The entire railway infrastructure was taken over by the Polish State Railways (PKP). Zbąszynek became one of the main railway junctions in western Poland. There were numerous workshops, railway schools, and repair plants there. Many families made their living from working on the railway.

After World War II, both stations; Zbąszyń and Zbąszynek lost their importance. But they still remained important railway junctions. The Warsaw-Berlin railway line was and is still important. The line serves both long-distance and regional trains. The Zbąszynek-Czerwieńsk-Zielona Góra line gained in importance, which after years gained a connecting line that bypasses Czerwieńsk. Currently (2025) several new, large workplaces have been built next to the station, in the vicinity. Therefore, the station no longer plays the most important role in the region.

The station itself, over 150 m long, is still considered the city’s showpiece. It was built on a “C” plan. Its front on the side of the tracks is 80 m long, and the side wings are 37 m long. The central block is two-storey, just like the end wings. The rest is single-storey, but with a developed attic. The entire station is covered with a high roof, which is covered with red tiles. The central block is 7-axle. In the middle is the central entrance to the main station hall. Above the entrance there is a large window, which is semicircular at the top. There is a similar window on the side of the tracks. On the front there is the inscription “Dworzec Kolejowy”, the PKP sign and a clock. The building is plastered in cream. Decorative elements include pilasters, cornices and rustication, especially at the main entrance. In the station building, in addition to the waiting room, ticket offices, toilets, there is a Polish Post office, a bank, and a DOMO store. The station square is the roundabout of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of railway workers. The neighboring streets are paved, with sidewalks and trees.

There are three island platforms at the station, and each has two platform edges. All platforms have green flower beds with trees and flowers. Platform 1 is 300 m long. Platform 2 is 347 m long. This is the platform with a small station and a 154 m long roof. Platform 3 is 360 m long.

The Zbąszynek station starts at the Chlastawa “CH” signal box. This is where the track to the freight section branches off. Three main tracks run towards the passenger section. Further on, along Koszarowa Street, there are 5 railway viaducts. The street runs below. One of the viaducts is not used, and the tracks are overgrown with self-seeding trees. The freight section starts at the “Zk-11” signal box. Nearby, there is a large administrative building and warehouses. The administrative building is quadrangular with an internal courtyard. The building is 24 m x 35 m at its base, has a basement, two storeys, and a developed attic. The building is plastered and covered with a steep roof, which is covered with red roof tiles.

In the freight section, there are over 30 tracks, several of which are not used and are overgrown with self-seeding trees. The PKP PLK plant is located in the intermarium. The passenger section begins at the “Zk-1” signal box, which is located near the rail-road crossing on Kolejowa Street. On the north-eastern side of the platforms, there is a complex of railway buildings. The buildings house, in a former hostel, the “Pod semaforem” hotel, a bar and a vocational training centre. On the eastern side of the aforementioned buildings, there is a steel railway viaduct with one track and the “Zk-13” signal box. A little further on is a block of flats at Kolejowa Street 1. Further along the tracks, there is the “ZkB” signal box, which begins another group of freight tracks. Nearby is a water tower. The main building in this area is a large rectangular repair hall of the “Koleje Wielkopolskie” carrier. The hall is 140 m x 94 m in its base and is one of the most modern buildings of this type in Poland. The hall was created as a result of the reconstruction of an old hall. An administrative building was built nearby. The building was built on the site of the old railway buildings. Nearby is the “ZkA” signal box. At this point, Okrężna Street runs through tunnels under the tracks. There are 5 tunnels in total. In the western part of the station there are; the Zbąszynek Rolling Stock Maintenance Point, PKP Energetyka Plant, the “Zk-15” signal box. Here are the railway switches in the direction of: Rzepin and Czerwieńsk / Zielona Góra Główna stations. In this part, all roads have grade-separated intersections with railway lines. There is also a steel railway viaduct on concrete supports. LK No. 358 Zbąszynek – Gubin passes over LK No. 3 Poznań – Rzepin. The viaduct is 65 m long and was renovated during the renovation of LK No. 358. The entire station is 4,400 m long.

Railway lines Zbąszyń.

LK No. 3 Warszawa Zachodnia – Kunowice. The line is double-track, electrified, with a maximum speed of 160 km/h. The station is at 379.335 km.

LK No. 359 Leszno – Zbąszyń, the line is single-track, non-electrified. The station is at 68.878 km.

LK No. 373 Międzyrzec – Zbąszyń, single-track, non-electrified.

The remaining, former railway sections were liquidated in the period 1920-1930.

Written by Karol Placha Hetman