Małej 13

An over 100-year-old tenement house from Warsaw’s Praga Północ district entered in the register of historical monuments

The tenement house at 13 Mala Street in Warsaw’s Praga North district has been entered in the register of immovable monuments by a decision of the Mazovian Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments. This entry, which is the result of the activities of the association Porozumienie Dla Pragi, allows for better protection of this unique building, which is an important element of the architectural heritage of the capital.

The building was erected around 1906-1908 on a plot of land originally belonging to Ludwik Walusiński. Initially owned by Władysława and Romuald Nazimek, the property passed to Father Jan Skwara. It was on his initiative that an image of Vir Dolorum (Christ of Sorrows) appeared above the entrance gate. A survey plan from 1906 shows the property as a complex that included a 3-storey townhouse with a side annexe and a 1-storey outbuilding in the north-east corner of the plot. In 1909 the property was divided into two parts (13 and 13A Mala Street), which was delineated along the eastern elevation of the front tenement.

Małej 13

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In 1930 the property was purchased by a married couple, Zofia née Przedpełska and Eugeniusz Śpiewak. At the time, the building was mainly inhabited by railwaymen, workers, domestic servants and students. A grocery shop run by J. Nowicki operated on the ground floor. The tenement house survived the Second World War without major damage, and after 1945 it was used as a dormitory. In 1960 it passed into the ownership of the State Treasury. Soon afterwards, its façade was simplified by removing some of the architectural detail.

Despite these changes, the building has retained its artistic and architectural value. Its façade combines historicist elements, such as profiled window bands, pediments with floral decoration, consoles with acanthus motif or palmettes, with modernist simplification in the form of a gate passage and rustication. The interiors of the building also conceal interesting solutions – from the then modern terrazzo floors and metal balustrades, to traditional elements such as wooden balusters and coloured tiles with geometric patterns and bordering.

Małej 13

The inclusion of the building at 13 Mala Street in the register of historical monuments is an important step in preserving its unique character. This building, a testimony to the urban and architectural development of Prague in the early 20th century, is now in urgent need of renovation. The decision to place the monument under legal protection may accelerate this process.

Source: Mazovian Voivodeship Historic Preservation Officer

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