The Fuchs tenement house at 8 Wilcza Street in Warsaw has been entered in the register of historic monuments. The Mazovia Provincial Conservator of Monuments has placed the main building, the outbuildings and the entire site under protection. This decision is testament to the high historical, architectural and scientific value of the property, which is one of the best-preserved pre-war tenement blocks in the capital.
A testament to the birth of metropolitan Warsaw
The tenement block was built for the entrepreneur Moszek Fuchs at the beginning of the 20th century. It is generally accepted that it was erected in 1911 or 1912 to a design by the architects Wacław Heppen and Józef Napoleon Czerwiński. Some sources even suggest 1907 as the year its history began. The building exemplifies early modernism enriched with Romantic influences. In its heyday, the building was one of the tallest tenement blocks on Wilcza Street. Its eight storeys are concealed beneath a mansard roof, whilst the façade is adorned with bay windows, balconies and subtle Art Nouveau details.
The elegant Fuchs tenement house at 8 Wilcza Street
For over 100 years, the ingeniously designed façade and the building’s perfect proportions have caught the eye. The interiors have retained many original features. These include a marble and wooden staircase, wrought-iron balustrades, stucco work, pre-war parquet flooring and Art Nouveau tiled stoves. Of particular interest is the grand gateway with a small shrine set within a recess in the wall. The historic layout of the outbuildings surrounding the courtyard has also survived to the present day in almost unchanged form.
The war treated it gently
The fate of this tenement house took a different course to that of many buildings in Warsaw’s Śródmieście district. During the Second World War, the building escaped major damage. Wilcza Street lay outside the main areas of fighting during the Warsaw Uprising, thanks to which the built environment of this part of the city retained its exceptional continuity. Only a section of the side wall and the roof were damaged. As early as February 1945, residents began returning to their flats, and the building was soon filled with the bustle of everyday life. Among the building’s tenants were several figures who made significant contributions to Polish science and culture. Those associated with it included, amongst others, the historian Aleksander Gieysztor, the zoologist Stanisław Ejsmond, and the educator and social activist Józef Handzelewicz.
The Fuchs Tenement House secured for the future
One of the most significant moments in the building’s history was its thorough renovation, completed in 2013. As part of the work, the façades and communal areas were restored, returning the building to its former glory. Its entry into the register of historic monuments is a further step towards ensuring the best possible protection of this unique place. It is also the result of many years of care on the part of the residents and responsibly carried out renovation work, thanks to which an authentic, superbly preserved fragment of pre-war Warsaw can still be seen on Wilcza Street.
Source: Mazovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments
See also:Warsaw|Historic Monument|History|Architecture in Poland
