The text describes the issue of the so-called Polish House in Chernivtsi, Bukovina. It was opened on 2-3 December 1905. The history of the Polish diaspora in Chernivtsi is recalled, and the appearance of the house, located at 40 Panska Street, is described in detail. All the interiors are also described in detail (Source: "Tygodnik Illustrowany", Warsaw 1906, Półrocze II, p. 742, after: Digital Library of the University of Lodz).

A modernised reading of the text

Polish House in Chernivtsi.

On the 2nd and 3rd of December 1905, the consecration and opening of the "Polish House" in Chernivtsi in Bukovina took place. The day was rightly called a local national holiday by the Chernivtsi Polish newspaper. "The Polish Society of Brotherly Help and the Polish Reading Room in Chernivtsi" is the full name of the institution which has been regarded by its own and strangers as the representative of Polishness in Chernivtsi itself and to some extent also in the Bukowina (over thirty thousand Poles in the whole country) for thirty-six years. This representation relates mainly to socio-national matters to the exclusion of political ones in the stricter sense of the word.

After the year 1860, when tens and hundreds of survivors sought shelter or support from their own people in the Bukovina, the idea of founding a society to take care of the unfortunate migrants was born. The work began with modest means, but the strong feeling of unity for common goals made it possible not only to cope with the numerous requests for support, but also to expand the scope of activities considerably.

The society's strengths, thanks to the work and the tireless foresight of brave individuals and the generosity of the whole community, grew over time, so that in the 27th year of its existence it acquired a modest real estate, and 16 years later a second one, located in one of the main streets of the city, with a view to adapting it to the increased needs and growth of the society. This happened under the leadership and mainly due to the efforts of Dr Ad. Strzelbicki, and by the winter of 1905 the "Polish House" was finished. A magnificent edifice with a façade in the Cracovian Revival style, designed by Franciszek Skowron, Senior Building Councillor at the Ministry of the Interior, has been erected at 40 Pańska Street.

On the front there is an inscription in gilded letters at the top, "Polish House", below in the centre a shield with the Mother of God of Częstochowa, on the right and left-hand sides shields with an eagle and a herald and the dates of the founding of the company in 1869 and the completion of its construction in 1905. All the shields are made in majolica from the factory of Prof. Jan Lewiński in Lviv. The central window in the stone frame, as well as the lintel above the gate, is decorated with stained glass from the Ekielski and Tuch factory in Kraków.

The sculptural details come from the workshop of sculptor Piotr Harasimowicz of Lviv. The whole brings honour to the creator of the project, known by the way for his many other works of high architectural value, an honour all the greater because in the elaboration he was constrained by the necessity to follow the dimensions already existing. The front part of the house houses all the Polish associations of Chernivtsi and the editorial office of the Polish newspaper. Passing through the vestibule and a small courtyard, we reach the hall, located on the ground floor, or the cloakroom, connected to the hall by two entrances. The hall itself, 18 m long, 11 m 35 cm wide, 7 m 60 cm high, was made in the Zakopane style to a design by and under the direction of Konrad Górecki, an engineer.

The interior of the hall, stylish in almost every centimetre, bears the proudest testimony to its designer. The tiniest detail testifies to the conscientious and reverential treatment of things inspired by the native art, and despite the meticulous precision there is nothing there that could be described as stencil-like or monotonous; everything merges into a harmonious whole that pleasantly binds the viewer's eye. The colourful plafond with fillings, painted on canvas and depicting well-known Zakopane motifs such as leluses, gold-heads and cornflowers, with sunrise motif in the corners.

In order to avoid the gloomy tone that the wood-panelled walls might have taken on over time, a departure from the rule was allowed, and the brick walls were left in pea-colour, the soft shade of which infuses a certain element of calm and, by creating a transition from the multicoloured plafond, constitutes, as it were, the overall colour scheme. Multicolour also adorns the chamfers and carvings on the ceiling beams. The main candlestick and wall chandeliers with Zakopane motifs are made of wrought iron, very beautifully crafted (old bronze) in Józef Górecki's factory in Kraków. The candlesticks may not quite match the rest with their serious character, but the eye soon gets used to them, especially as the lines here harmonise completely with the whole.

The carvings in the lodges and on the frames of the mirrors were made by Mr Walery Skwarnicki from Chernivtsi, and he put so much artistic subtlety into his work that it goes far beyond the limits within which "works" of this kind usually suffocate. The beautiful tiled cookers of Zakopane design by Prof. Kowats (Lviv) come from the factory of J. Lewiński. The hall has a small-size scene, separated from the auditorium by a curtain by the painter Stanisław Kaczor-Batowski (Lviv). The canvas is larger in size, at 24 square metres, and depicts Sabała telling his tales by the fire, against the backdrop of a mountainous landscape. The figure of the Tatra guide, as if alive, pleasantly adapts to the truth and freshness of his surroundings; enveloped in smoke at the foot of the blazing bonfire, he seems to be telling an inspired tale of the great dawn.

The plans for the new building and the renovation of the old one were drawn up by the engineer Alois Friedel, and he did a great job, doubly so if we consider that he had to comply with the existing building, with which the new one was to be connected, and with the programme which was drawn up according to the needs and means of the Society. It seems that there are not many architects who would undertake such a project under such conditions. It is only to the higher motives of the planner that he persisted, especially as architecture was not his speciality. So much more gratitude is due to the young engineer, who, according to impartial professionals, emerged victorious from a "difficult" situation.

After many years of preparation and preliminary work, the construction of the "house" came to fruition under the leadership of Dr. Tadeusz Mischke with the help of faculty members: Kazimierz Angerman, Grzegorz Cicimiski, Father Walenty Dubiel, Leopold Drszeńka, Zygmunt Dworski, Konrad Górecki, Dr Eugeniusz Mitkiewicz, Kazimierz Niewiadomski, Karol Schwan, Robert Steingraber, Władysław Sołtyński (deputy chairman) and Henryk Zucker.