A small building, the outbuilding of Róża Zamoyska’s villa, has recently returned to the capital’s landscape after more than 70 years. Its reconstruction is the result of the determination and long-term struggle of the Klimczak family to restore a fragment of Warsaw’s lost architectural heritage. Despite numerous administrative and legal obstacles, the heirs of the pre-war owners led to the reconstruction of the building on its original foundations, preserving its former character. The reconstruction was completed in November 2024, thus restoring the missing element of the Avenue of Roses.
History of the villa and its reconstruction
The Villa of Róża Zamoyska, together with the adjacent outbuilding, is one of the oldest surviving residential complexes in Warsaw. It was built between 1875 and 1879 to a design by Karol Kozłowski, an architect also known as the designer of the Warsaw Philharmonic building, which was destroyed in 1939. The property at 12 Róż Avenue has changed its appearance and function many times over the years. The first significant reconstruction took place in 1913, when the villa received a new façade in the spirit of modernised classical forms, decorated with sculptures by Zygmunt Ott – an artist known, among other things, for his sculptural decorations on the tympanum of the Zachęta building. In 1935, the property became the property of Kazimierz Klimczak, an industrialist and owner of the Targówek Glassworks, who made changes to the outbuilding, converting the former coach house into garages with a flat upstairs.
The villa during World War II
During the Second World War, the villa suffered bombing damage. After reconstruction, the property, together with the entire Avenue of the Roses, became a zone inhabited exclusively by Germans (Nur für Deutsche). As a result of this decision, the villa was taken over by the Wehrmacht. During the Warsaw Uprising, the building was burnt down, but its walls survived. After the war, the villa was rebuilt, but changing the layout of the rooms and dividing the large flats into smaller units. During the renovation, a new side elevation was created to match the rest of the building’s architectural design. Before the war, another house adjoined this wall, but was destroyed.
Rosa Zamoyska’s villa in 1938. Source: State Archive in Warsaw
The post-war fate of the property
After the end of the war, the Klimczak family tried to reclaim the property, but decisions by the communist authorities stood in the way. Under the Bierut Decree, almost all of Warsaw’s buildings became the property of the State Treasury. The family then received a reply that the Romanian embassy was planned to be located in their villa. Eventually, however, the building was handed over to the Presidium of the Council of Ministers, and in the 1950s Soviet advisors lived there, later replaced by high functionaries of the Polish United Workers’ Party. In this way, the property at 12 Róż Avenue ceased to be the property of the Klimczak family for several decades. The outbuilding housing the garages, although it survived the war without damage, was demolished in 1953. The official reason was to ensure the safety of the tenants of the neighbouring building, i.e. PZPR activists with their families.
The battle for family property
The Klimczak family started fighting for the return of the property as early as 1989. The process took 10 years and was marked by great hardship and reluctance on the part of the authorities towards the rightful heirs of Kazimierz Klimczak. Finally, in 1999, they obtained a perpetual lease document. Then, in consultation with the tenants, they saw to it that they were evicted and new flats were found, although the first floor could not be recovered. In 2013, a major renovation of the villa began, which was co-financed by the Capital Conservator of Monuments, and the renovation project was prepared by architect Małgorzata Wagner. The work included restoration of the façade, insulation of the foundations, renovation of the roof, parts of the interior and the staircase. The original pink colour of the building was then uncovered. The window and door woodwork was also restored, preserving many of the original pre-1952 elements. Today, the villa houses, among other things, the consular department of the embassy of the Czech Republic.
The villa before and after restoration. Photo: Maciej Czarnota and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The villa outbuilding – from concept to completion
The idea of rebuilding the outbuilding, which was demolished in the 1950s, already appeared in the 1990s, but it was only in May 2012 that the approval of the Capital Conservator of Monuments was officially obtained. In 2015, an archaeological survey was carried out, which revealed that the foundations of the garage pavilion were in very good condition. Finally, in 2021, its reconstruction began, based on the original foundations and preserving the appearance of the building before its demolition, in accordance with archival sketches. The Klimczak family again entrusted the project for the reconstruction of the outbuilding to the now trusted architect Małgorzata Wagner. During the reconstruction, the building was recreated in the form it had presented in the 1950s, just before its demolition. The only significant modification to the exterior of the building was the addition of large glazed areas at the rear of the building, on the Swiss Valley side. Before demolition, there was a blind wall there, so the architect decided to arrange it according to her own ideas, opening up beautiful views of the greenery of the garden. All work, from design to construction, took place under the strict supervision of the conservation officer.
The outbuilding of Róża Zamoyska’s villa anew
Construction took two years and was completed in November 2024. The outbuilding has retained the historic division of the space: the ground floor has a spacious utility area and the first floor is used for residential and commercial functions. A terrace has been arranged on the roof to provide additional recreational space. The finished building has been leased by the development company Milestone Real Estate, which has used it as its headquarters. The interiors of the former garage are decorated with paintings by Aldona Klimczak – painter and wife of Tadeusz Klimczak. Today, Róża Zamoyska’s villa, together with the rebuilt outbuilding, is a valuable element of Warsaw’s architectural landscape. The steadfast attitude of the Klimczak family shows how important it is to care for the past. Thanks to their efforts, another page of the city’s history has been written, and the Avenue of Roses has regained some of its former charm. The reconstruction of the outbuilding is an example that it is worth fighting for lost heritage – even if the road to the goal takes decades.
The property at 12 Avenue of the Roses before and after the reconstruction of the outhouse. Photo: Google Maps and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Mr and Mrs Aldona and Mr Tadeusz Klimczak for sharing the fascinating history of the townhouse and outbuilding, to Ms Małgorzata Wagner, the architect, for providing materials and valuable information relating to the construction, and to the staff of the developer Milestone Real Estate for providing the interiors. Your kindness and commitment are invaluable to me and have significantly enriched my article.
Read also: City | Architecture in Poland | History | Warsaw | Interesting facts
Willa Róża Zamoyska in 1938 and 2025. Source: State Archive in Warsaw and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The outbuilding of the villa in the late 1930s and today. Source: National Archive in Warsaw and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The villa before and after the renovation. Photo: Maciej Czarnota and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
View of 12 Rose Avenue from the Swiss Valley before and after the reconstruction of the outbuilding. Photo: Google Maps and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
View of 12 Rose Avenue from the Swiss Valley before and after the reconstruction of the outbuilding. Photo: Google Maps and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
