World War One Sites - The NETWORLD Database

Railway station, Dobrich, Bulgaria

In 1893, the Ministry of Public Buildings, Roads and Communications was established by Decree №1 of the Bulgarian ruler Ferdinand I. The building of the railway network in Bulgaria started. The Dobrich-South railway station was built in 1910. It is slightly larger, but very similar to the other station buildings on the Dobrich-Varna line. Buildings consist of identical modules on one or two floors. Designed like on a conveyor, they have the same decorative elements and clocks with carved consoles on the facade. During the First World War, the Romanians has to leave the town in 1916 and the station in Dobrich became an arena of tragic events in which innocent Bulgarians died.

Bulgaria, Dobrich

Type of WWI-heritage

  • Non-Military Site of World War One Relevance

Dimensions

250 m2

State of repair/preservation

Bad

Historical WWI Context

Dobrich was libereted on the 4th day after the war has began. The actions of the Bulgarian troops are light-heeled and they rescue the city from massive pogroms and destruction. Five days before the beginning of the military action, the Romanian authorities in Dobrich take a criminal action. In the home of Pretoria Giorgiscu, the city government and the commander of the Romanian troops, General Argirescu, meet. They decided to arrest without any reason 250 well-known Dobrich citizens. The only accusation is that thefts have been detected in some administrative offices. The real intention of the Romanian authorities is to do away with the Bulgarian elite of the city. Romanian soldiers and policemen invaded the houses of the citizens and forcibly drag them out. The arrested people are taken, devided in goups, in closed carriages in the prison, at the railway station and in the barracks. Here literally hours before the liberation of the city, they are subjected to cruel torture. The victory of the Bulgarian cavalry and the overthrow of the village of Baladzha provoked panic among the 19th Romanian Infantry Division in Dobrich, headed by General Argirescu, who left the city without battles on 3 September 1916. Powerless to resist the Bulgarian troops, the Romanians pour their anger on the civilian population. Hours before their leaving, the Romanians slaughter in the most cruel way 57 citizens in Dobrich and the wounded are bullied with savage blows. In the area of the railway station in Dobrich, 57 people have been killed, and more than a hundred prominent citizens are abducted as hostages. Another group of 300 people were arrested and jailed. They are expected the same fate, and only the rapid offensive of the Bulgarian troops, which led to the liberation of the city, saved them from cruel death. There is no salvation, however, for more than 300 dobrich people that the Romanians abduct as hostages. Duringn the preparation of the plan for conducting the war, the headquarters of the Third Army considered Dobrich as an important strategic point on which the further successful advance depended. The Bulgarian Command suggests that aftert aiming the the main forces of the army toward Tutrakan, it is highly probable to expect a Romanian counterattack in the direction of Dobrich - Varna. With the conquest and liberation of the city, a solid support would be created in the right wing of our army before the expected appearance of the Russian troops.

State of legal protection

Protected

Owner

Dobrich District

Opening

Entrance Fee

No entrance fee

Further information sources

For further information see:

http://artdialog-bg.com/%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%8A%D0%B2-%D0%B5-%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD-%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BE-%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5-%D0%BF/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPmLZOw_qvQ

http://www.focus-news.net/opinion/0000/00/00/10509/

http://www.dobrichmuseum.bg/index.php/bg/research/new-history-research/282-spisak-zaginali

http://www.dobrichmuseum.bg/index.php/bg/research/istoricheski-arhiv/143-istoricheski-arhiv-100-godishnina-ot-napisvaneto-na-o-dobrudzhanski-krai

http://www.dobrichmuseum.bg/index.php/bg/research/istoricheski-arhiv/192-ravna-dobrudzha

ebridge.info/bg/statii/arhitekturnoto-nasledstvo-na-ujna-dobrudja-chast-5d-starata-sgrada-na-j-p-gara-ug-v-dobrich

www.dobrich.utre.bg/2017/03/29/423148-putepis_za_dve_gari_koya_stava_za_muzey_video

dariknews.bg/regioni/dobrich/starata-gara-v-dobrich-veche-se-stopanisva-ot-oblastna-uprava-1621833

 

Bibliography:

Бойчев, Петър. Симеонов, Радослав. Те загинаха за Добруджа. София, ИК „Гутенберг”, 2016 г.

Първата световна война и събитията на Добруджанския фронт. The First World War and the events on the Dobrudzhan  front. Сборник с изследвания. Тутракан, 2011 г.

Dobrudja – Politicsq Societyq Economy and Culture (XIX-XX Centure). Добруджа – политика, общество, стопанство и култура (XIX-XX в.). Тутракан, Ковачев, 2015 г.

Dobrudzha in the Wars for National unification. Добруджа във войните за национално обединение. Добрич, 2016 г.

Букурещкият мирен договор и съдбата на Южна Добруджа. Добрич, 1994 г.

Добричката епопея 1916 г. Историко-библиографски справочник. Добрич, 2006 г.

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