Warsaw’s Mirów used to be one of the most populated districts of the capital. Unfortunately, wartime operations led to the almost complete destruction of the local buildings. Only isolated fragments of quarters and a few tenement houses, referred to as “Wola landmarks”, have survived to the present day. One such preserved building is the tenement house of Adolf Gurewicz at 41 Chłodna Street, which has just been entered in the register of historical monuments by the Mazovian Voivodeship Historic Preservation Officer.
The genesis and architecture of the building
The tenement house was built between 1912 and 1913, commissioned by Adolf Gurewicz and Ick Nuta Winer. At the time, Gurewicz was a member of the board of directors of a company producing metal and lighting products. The building design consisted of a five-storey front house and two side outbuildings, formed around a semi-open courtyard. The ground floor of the house was used for commercial and retail premises, and the gate passage was placed in the second axis. The façade of the Gurewicz house was decorated with rustication on the lowest floors and stucco decoration with garlands and masks on the floors. The façade was also distinguished by bay windows with semicircular finials, and the whole was crowned by an imposing gable and a mansard roof. The property was of a high standard at the time, with features such as a lift, gas and electricity supply and spacious two-room flats with kitchens and two entrances. The interiors of the common areas were decorated with wrought iron railings, terrazzo floors and ceramic finishes. The tenement outbuildings were more modest, equipped with wooden staircases.
Gurewicz tenement during the war and reconstruction
During the period when the Warsaw Ghetto was in operation, the building was located just outside its western border. From November 1940 to November 1941, gate 2 leading to the closed Jewish quarter was located next to the tenement. The ghetto border ran along Wronia Street, using the existing property fences. Today, this history is recalled by a commemorative plaque on the façade and a trace of the course of the wall marked in the pavement. During the Warsaw Uprising, the tenement was damaged and partially burnt down, but thanks to its fireproof ceilings, the building survived enough for the BOS to qualify it for reconstruction. After the war, however, the building was transformed: it was lowered by one storey, the decorative gable and mansard were removed, and the original façade decoration was stripped and replaced with plain plaster. Despite the destruction, some elements of the interior decoration survived, including the original balustrades, floors and some of the cladding.
Gurewicz tenement – significance
The Gurewicz Tenement House was distinguished by its height and representative form, combining features of early modernism with the urban character of its buildings. The house also played a social and educational role as the headquarters of the Workers’ University Society, an institution associated with the Polish Socialist Party. Meetings and gatherings of the workers’ movement were held within its walls. Today it is an important example of the pre-war architecture of Chłodna Street, belonging to a small group of buildings that survived both the turmoil of war and the subsequent demolition during the reconstruction and rebuilding of Warsaw.
The future of the Wola landmark
Today, the tenement is surrounded by modern buildings and its external appearance still differs from the original. Although the building has been awaiting major renovation for many years, it has not been abandoned and has retained many authentic, priceless elements. Its entry in the register of monuments increases the chances of its real protection and restoration of its historic character. On Chłodna Street, cobblestones and fragments of former tram tracks can still be seen in front of the building, reminding us of the pre-war history of this part of the city.
Source: Mazovian Voivodeship Historic Preservation Officer, warszemuzik.org
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The tenement house in 1938 and 2025. Photo: State Archives in Warsaw and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The year 1941, gate number 2 to the Warsaw ghetto and the same place today. On the right, the tenement house at 41 Chłodna St. Photo: Central Judaica Database http://judaika.polin.pl/dmuseion and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
28 April 1965 and the year 2025, perspective of Chłodna Street – view from Towarowa Street. In the centre stands the Gurewicz tenement house. Photo: NAC – National Digital Archive www.nac.gov.pl/ and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
