The passenger car factory in Żerań in Warsaw has been a symbol for decades. It was established shortly after World War II, although its history dates back to the interwar period. A giant employing over 20,000 people at the end of the 90s. people has not existed for a decade. Soon after the factory, which can be considered one of the most important in history, only a memory will remain.
The developer buys 63 hectares of land. A huge estate will be built
The place where such famous models as Warsaw, the siren, the Fiat 125p and the Polonaise were created, will soon turn into a huge construction site. The area of 63 hectares in total was bought by a developer. He intends to create a gigantic housing estate here.
“This is one of the largest transactions of this type on the real estate market, not only in the capital, but also throughout Poland,” reads the press release of Okam, the company responsible for the investment. The new owner of the land admits that the construction of the estate, which will be built on the site of the factory, may take even several years. The planning itself can take a few.
Fabryka Samochodow Osobowych right after its creation Source :earchwarchiwach.gov.pl/
“In the near term, however, we plan to take measures to make this place more attractive for current and future tenants and to provide them with the possibility of continuing their activities” – reads the release.
Passenger Cars Factory Fot. flyz1/Wikimedia/CC 3.0
The FSO factory will turn into a housing estate. But the developer wants to pay tribute to history
The new owner ensures that the history of the place matters to him. “It is very important for us to leave the character of this extraordinary place so important in the history of the Polish automotive industry, therefore the investment will be carried out by us respecting the past and will be preceded by consultations with interested parties” – emphasizes Arie Koren, president of Okam.
The developer’s plans are ambitious, but the transaction is certainly also one of the record ones. One of the highest on the market with only one transaction.
Polonez and Fiat, the pride of Polish roads
Initially, FSO produced a copy of the Soviet M20 Pobeda car (Russian for “victory”). After the first mass-produced car in Poland, the time has come for the Syrena. A car for the masses had elements of Soviet construction in it, but a Polish heart – an engine developed by our engineers.
FSO factory, 1950s photo. szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
In the 1960s, FSO established cooperation with Italy. This is how the Fiat 125p, known as the “big Fiat”, came to Poland. “Little” was the no less popular Fiat 126p.
The successor of Fiat 125p was FSO Polonez. A model considered by many to be the king of Polish roads. Its production lasted until 2003. It was the first Polish hatchback, i.e. a five-door car with the tailgate lifted along with the rear window.
Fiat 125p Foot. SuperTank17 / Wikimedia (CC 3.0)
In 1996, FSO was acquired by Daewoo. A company from South Korea wanted to flood Europe with models produced in Poland. Matiz, Lanos, Tico gained popularity in Poland, but big plans failed, because the company went bankrupt. There were attempts to save the Polish factory, includingin. cooperation with the Ukrainian AwtoZAZ. Ultimately, however, for a decade, the FSO factory did not function and partially fell into disrepair. The purchase of the land by the developer ultimately ends an era that is important for Poland.
Polish Photo Dickelbers / Wikimedia / CC 3.0
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