Virtual 3D reconstruction of the Polish town of Strumień from the 1930s

For many years I have dreamed of going back in time and walking through the streets of my hometown where my ancestors lived and were experiencing their worries and joys. I remember, in my childhood, I shared my grandad's excitement when we heard the clatter of the horses' hooves on the iron bridge. We ran quickly towards the gate just to watch them. For me, they were majestic animals, but in him, they were evoking memories and emotions.

The back of this photo has the inscription "Our brave Janka 5.7.43." The horse belonging to my grandad's family was part of the family history.

Why is that important to me?

I was significantly influenced by the stories I listened to for hours from my grandma Andzia's youth, born in 1922. Grandma was my emotional support. Her stories instilled curiosity and a desire to look into the past. That's why this project is so close to my heart.

Bit of history

The town’s name – Strumień, means in English “the stream.” It derives from a stream mentioned for the first time in 1293 that vanished and no longer exists. It was also unofficially called the capital of the “Frog Land” as many wetlands and ponds were nearby.

“Even after World War II, it happened that cows, goats or geese were driven through the market square nibbled on the grass growing here and there because the traffic was minimal” ("Kalendarz Cieszyński" 1985)

Town changes its name

In 1918 Poland regained its independence after more than a century of partitions by Russia, Prussia, and Austria-Hungary. Finally, the town was returned to its Polish name – Strumień – after years of being renamed Schwarzwasser by the Austrians who occupied that territory. In the 1930s, it was developing. New houses were built, and businesses were created, but it was also struggling as Strumień was one of the poorer towns in Silesia during the interwar period. The inhabitants lived oblivious that soon, in 1939, there would be another war. Turbulent times during which the town’s name will be Schwarzwasser on maps once again.

Approach to the project

Old photos have always caught my attention with their atmosphere, and I would like to recreate their realism in 3D in my project. It will be modelled on reference materials such as maps from 1931, photographs, technical plans of buildings, and information obtained from residents and archives.

Appreciation

I want to thank all the people who support me. Whether with their substantive knowledge about the town’s history and the houses, making their collections available, or helping me in this search. I am also grateful to my mentors from Limit Break Mentorship, who share their game dev expertise and give me valuable feedback and guidance during my learning.

It's a journey for me that started with a dream. This process, although difficult, gives me much joy, especially with the support of others.

What to expect

I invite you to join me on this journey. In the following blog posts, I will show and share with you:

• Exciting historic facts of Strumien and the people’s stories
• The progress of building 3D environment assets (modeling, texturing, and lighting)
• Experiments with different techniques, which includes photogrammetry
• Collaborating with key individuals to gather reference materials
• Problems encountered and how I approached them
• My design choices and thought processes throughout the project

I also encourage you to participate in my project. If anyone would like to share materials or information or have any questions, please reach out and contact me.