The Handke family house, currently the seat of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Pułtusk, was entered in the register of immovable monuments of the Mazovia Province. This extremely interesting building, located at 6 Daszyńskiego Street, played an important role in the history of the city, both architecturally and socially.
The house was erected at the end of the 19th century by Karol Handke, the owner of the Pułtusk brewery, which had been in operation since 1873. At the time it was one of the most magnificent buildings in the city, which earned it the nickname ‘Monopoly’ among the local population. The two-storey brick building reflected the success of the Handke family, being at the same time a symbol of the economic development of the town.
Photo credit: May/photopolska.eu, Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0
However, in the 1930s, probably due to financial problems, the building was taken over by the State Treasury, which allocated it for a post office. During World War II, although the suburbs of Pultusk were significantly destroyed, the Handke house survived in good condition and continued to serve as a post office. In the 1950s and 1960s the Handke house underwent modernisation, and in the 1990s it was converted for use as the Pultusk District Prosecutor’s Office. It now serves a public function and remains an important landmark on the city map.
The tenement represents the style of eclectic historicism, which draws inspiration from various eras and architectural trends. Elements of Italian Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque can be seen in the facades of the building, making the whole look extremely harmonious and rich. Characteristic elements are the hildebranded corbels and the mansard roof, which are reminiscent of Viennese townhouses, adding elegance and prestige to the building.
The building is one of the few preserved examples of the rich, bourgeois architecture of Pułtusk from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The inclusion of the building in the register of monuments is recognition of its historical and architectural value.
Source: Mazovian Voivodeship Historic Preservation Officer
Read also: Monument | Curiosities | Tenement house | Facade | Architecture in Poland
