Bydgoszcz, a city full of architectural surprises, boasts many buildings of unique character. One of these is the house of the Weynerowski family, located at 16 Kopernika Street in charming Sielanka. The property’s unique form with its curvilinear arched roof and picturesque facades catches the eye of every stroller. Erected in the 1930s by Witold Klemens Weynerowski, this modernist gem with Dutch accents hides within its walls a fascinating tale of entrepreneurship, family fortunes and the turbulent history of the city.
From Gorzyskow to the shoe empire
The history of the Weynerowski family is inextricably linked with Bydgoszcz. As early as the 18th century, they settled in Gorzysków, near Bydgoszcz, where they owned a landed estate. The family’s real heyday, however, came in the second half of the 19th century, thanks to Wiktor Weynerowski. In 1876, he established a small shoe factory on the Bydgoszcz Canal. This modest venture gave rise to a veritable empire. In 1906, the factory moved to a property at the junction of Chocimska and Kościuszki Streets, and Wiktor’s son, Antoni Weynerowski, passionately expanded and modernised the factory. By 1910, the factory was already working at full steam, while after 1920, “W. Weynerowski i Syn” had become a brand of international renown, with a network of shops and branches in major Polish cities such as Warsaw, Vilnius, Krakow and Lviv.
The house in the 1930s Fot. zabytek.pl/whiteboard
The Weynerowski House – a Dutch-style wedding gift
In the 1930s, during the prosperity of the family business, Witold Klemens Weynerowski decided to celebrate his marriage in a unique way. After returning from Switzerland and marrying a Dutch woman, Julia Kessler, in 1934-35 he built a villa for her in a style reminiscent of the architecture of Dutch houses with their characteristic curvilinear roofs. The most original element of the design is a section of the ship’s bow with a long, decorative stern. The location of the house was not chosen by accident – it fell on the elegant district of Sielanka. The author of the design is unknown, but according to family accounts, he came from the land of tulips and windmills.
Architectural pearl of Sielanka
Weynerowski’s villa at 16 Kopernika Street is distinguished by its modernist architecture with subtle historicising details. The building was erected on a brick foundation, with solid burnt bricks and some “hollow” bricks, covered with plaster, and the plinth was faced with clinker bricks. The pointed-arch roof with rectangular facades and a semi-circular risalit gives the building its original character. The interiors, although partly rebuilt over the years, have retained many original features such as the wooden staircase, window and door joinery, and fragments of marble flooring and parquet flooring.
Turbulent fortunes and a return to roots
Until 1939, the villa at 16 Kopernika Street served as the Weyner family home. However, the outbreak of the Second World War left its mark on its history. The building was occupied by the Gestapo and, after the war, by the Security Office. The retreating Germans completely looted the villa’s rich furnishings. In the 1960s, the property was handed over to the Civic Militia, which arranged a kindergarten in it. It was not until 1993 that the villa was returned to the Weynerowski family.
The Weynerowski Family House – for the love of history and architecture
Since 1993, the owners have been passionate about restoring the “Dutch House” to its original character. Intensive renovation and construction work was carried out to restore the house to its former glory. The parquet floors were painstakingly restored and replenished, the stucco was reconstructed and the interiors were filled with stylised furniture, some of which originated from the period. Thanks to these efforts, the villa has regained its former charm, becoming not only a beautiful house, but also a living monument to the history of the Weynerowski family and Bydgoszcz’s Sielanka district. Recently, however, the building has been standing abandoned, raising concerns about its future.
Source: zabytek.pl
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