The Gawroński Villa, also known as the Leszczyński Palace, is located at 23 Aleje Ujazdowskie in Warsaw. By decision of the Mazovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments, the building has just been entered in the register of monuments. The building was constructed in 1923-1924 according to a design by Marcin Weinfeld and from the very beginning stood out for its grandeur among the representative buildings in this part of the city.
The Gawroński Villa and its architecture
The villa belongs to the urban neo-baroque architectural style, popular in Warsaw in the interwar period. It features an elaborate spatial layout and a symmetrical front façade, preceded by a small garden. The interiors of the monument were designed on a grand scale. Their central element is an oval staircase, and the representative part was complemented by a winter garden. The building was designed for use by various institutions, which was reflected in the functional layout of the individual rooms.
The Gawroński family villa in the interwar period
In the 1930s, the palace served diplomatic functions. It housed the missions of the Kingdom of Belgium and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The presence of foreign representations emphasised the high status of the address and the prestige of the building itself, which was part of the representative Aleje Ujazdowskie avenue, neighbouring other residences with rich architectural settings.
War damage and reconstruction
During World War II, the building was seriously damaged, mainly as a result of arson. The scale of the damage reached as much as 70 per cent of the structure. After 1945, reconstruction began according to a design by Helena Weinfeld and Szymon Syrkus. During this process, the mansard roof was abandoned, the window and door woodwork was simplified, and the layout of some of the interiors was changed. The new form of the villa was subordinated to post-war trends and the assumptions of the Capital Reconstruction Office, which had a rather negative impact on the overall appearance of the monument.
The post-war fate of the Leszczyński Palace
In 1948, the restored building was handed over to the US Embassy, which operated here until the early 1950s. The villa was then connected to the neighbouring Śleszyński Palace and used for the needs of the Yugoslav Embassy. We wrote about the palace HERE. After political changes in the Balkans, the building became the seat of the Serbian Embassy. The administrative part was located in the former Gawroński villa, while the ambassador’s residence was in the neighbouring building. Currently, the property remains privately owned and has no permanent function, but is occasionally made available for exhibitions.
A place of remembrance for the Home Army
On 1 February 1944, in the immediate vicinity of the palace, an armed operation was carried out by the Home Army unit “Parasol”, which ended with the liquidation of SS General Franz Kutschera. A granite boulder, unveiled in 1956, was placed on Aleje Ujazdowskie, right in front of the building, to commemorate this event and remind us of Warsaw’s history during the occupation.
Will the Gawroński Villa undergo renovation?
The decision to enter it in the register of monuments emphasises the villa’s significance as a building of high historical, artistic and research value. Its value is determined by the coherent composition of the building, the representative front façade inspired by French models and the preserved spatial layout with a central hall and staircase. The interior details are also noteworthy, including stone columns, elaborate stucco work, door woodwork and metal fittings, designed with great attention to form. Let us hope that the entry in the register will contribute to the renovation of the building and the revival of its elegant interiors.
Source:iwaw.pl, Mazovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments
See also:Architecture in Poland|Monument|Palace|History|Warsaw|Interesting facts
The Gawroński Villa in 1934 and 2025. Source: Digital Library of the Warsaw University of Technology and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The building in 1938 and today. Source: NAC – National Digital Archives www.nac.gov.pl/ and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
