Wokulski shop, Łęcki tenement house — everyday life in the times of “Lalka”

Warsaw in the time of Bolesław Prus was a city of enormous contrasts and sharp class divisions. On the one hand, aristocratic salons full of splendor, on the other — the growing bourgeoisie and the dramatic poverty of Warsaw's Powiśl. The tenement house of the time constituted a fascinating microcosm in which these worlds collided brutally with each other. Under one roof, though in drastically different conditions, there existed impoverished aristocrats occupying representative fronts, wealthy merchants, and the urban poor, crowding in dark outbuildings, attics, and damp basements.

During our meeting we will look at the architecture and everyday life in the city at the end of the 19th century, taking to the workshop, among others, the famous Wokulski store and the Łęcki tenement house. We will also consider to what extent the idea of Warsaw shaped by the famous screenings of “Dolls” — from the classic film and series from the 1970s to the latest Netflix production — coincides with historical reality.

Could Wokulski's shop actually resemble a cinematic, luxurious interior? How deep did the chasm separate the luxury apartments from the courtyards-wells? We will find out what Warsaw really was and how it functioned, which was immortalized by Bolesław Prussia.