The People’s House in Sosnowiec, also known as the Inn in Niemce or the Club in Niemce, is one of the most characteristic monuments in the Ostrowy Górnicze district. Erected between 1902 and 1903, the building is an excellent example of the Zakopane style, which at the time was promoted as the national style of wooden building.
The People’s House was designed by Warsaw architects Franciszek Lilpop and Kazimierz Jankowski, who were inspired by the Zakopane style promoted by Stanisław Witkiewicz. The building is distinguished by its richly decorated facades and elements of woodcarving and carpentry, which allude to the architecture of Podhale cottages. Although its scale and grandeur are more reminiscent of the Zakopane sanatoriums and hotels than of traditional cottages, the building retains a unique, somewhat exotic character against the background of local buildings.
The building in the 1930s Source: Silesian Digital Library
At the time of its construction, the People’s House served many functions. It was a meeting and resting place for officials and distinguished employees of the Warsaw Society of Mines and Steel Works, which initiated and funded the construction. The building housed, among other things, a miners’ inn, a library and reading room, a ballroom, a billiard room, a restaurant and a theatre room. Surrounded by a park area, the People’s House was the focal point of the social and cultural life of the clerks’ estate.
After the end of the Second World War, the People’s House was transformed into the Cultural House of the Kazimierz-Juliusz mine, serving this function until the late 1970s. It was a place where the local community could participate in cultural events, which underlined its importance as a centre of social life.
The People’s House currently functions as the headquarters of the “Alice” Tree Nursery and is not open to the public. It is noteworthy that the building has preserved many original elements, such as the wooden ceilings, window and door frames, tiled cookers and various interior design details. Thanks to the commitment of the current owners, a systematic renovation of the building has been underway since 1993, restoring it to its former glory.
Source: wikizaglebie.pl, slazag.pl
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