General view of Lublin

At the end of the 19th century, Lublin was the capital of Lublin Governorate, which was an administrative part of the Kingdom of Poland. The city was developing quite dynamically at that time. Thanks to efficient transport connections, trade flourished. In 1877, a railway network connecting Lublin with Warsaw and Kowel was opened. In the suburbs, the former monastery areas were being developed. New streets, factory buildings and public utility buildings were erected. The number of inhabitants had almost quadrupled since the January Uprising.

The development of Lublin was not uniform. After 1864, the Bronowice Manor, which had been leased for almost half a century, found itself outside the administrative borders of the city. The space separating it from the strictly urban development remained undeveloped. The oldest part of Lublin, situated on the Old Town hill, was also not included in the dynamic spatial development. The old buildings combined with the open space were picturesquely incorporated into the landscape. Such a panorama of Lublin from Stare Bronowice can be seen on Aleksander Stepanoff's photograph from the end of the 19th century. In the foreground there is a huge green belt with low single-storey houses scattered here and there. In the background there is a densely built-up city with recognisable towers of the Krakowska Gate and churches - the former Bernardian, Cathedral and former Dominican - situated between two public buildings, symbolising order and order. On the left, among the municipal buildings, is the New Town Hall, the seat of the municipal authorities. On the right, the outlying castle, which was then used as a prison.