Cukiernia Europejska na tle kawiarniano-restauracyjnych tradycji pałacu Pod Krzysztofory

Abstract

THE EUROPEJSKA COFFEE SHOP IN THE LIGHT OF CAFÉ LIFE AND DINING TRADITIONS AT KRZYSZTOFORY PALACE

The Europejska Coffe Shop (Kawiarnia Europejska) located  on the ground floor of Krzysztofory Palace, to the left of  the entrance hall, boasts a history of over eighty years. Over  that long period both its ownership, and its decor changed  as the place transformed from an art deco coffee shop into  an art nouveau restaurant café and bar in the style of early  20th century Viennese establishments.  The Europejska cultivates the rich café life and dining traditions  of Krzysztofory Palace that originate from the 1870s.  The first coffee shop in the palace was opened in 1874 by  Stanisław Rehman and soon became the preferred purlieu  of the local intelligentsia. The Hawełka Restaurant, established  in the 1880s and currently operating in the nearby  Spiski Palace, also had its first location here. All gastronomic  establishments had to leave the place in 1913 due to the  scheduled demolition of the building, however, the demolition  plan was effectively thwarted by the outbreak of WWI.  In 1918, when the war was over and Poland had regained  sovereignty, Krzysztofory Palace became state property and  home to a number of state institutions.  In 1928 two Kraków confectioners, Leon Siewierski and  Kazimierz Danek established a firm and rented three rooms  (together with back rooms) on the ground floor of the palace,  planning to open a coffee shop there by the name of  Europejska. The rooms had not been used since the war.  After the necessary renovation and refurbishing works had  been completed, Kraków’s new coffee shop was eventually  opened on 11 September 1929.  The interior of the Europejska was designed in the thoroughly  modern art deco style which was very fashionable at the  time. The decor and all the furnishings were first-class works  of functional art and had been designed especially for that  specific place. The words that best described it were: refinement,  elegance, and particular attention to detail. The customized  furniture, lighting, as well as polychrome decorations  and stucco ceilings had all been made-to-order to form an  original, self-contained whole. This was complemented by the  mirrors which imparted a sense of poshness to the interior.  The coffee shop must have enjoyed great popularity among  Cracovians, as a confectionary workshop located at 13  Karmelicka Street was soon added to the business. The new  place functioned as a bakery, but also as storage area to accommodate  the company’s large food supplies. The popularity of  the establishment was also reflected in the company’s impressive  annual turnover which in 1938 exceeded 100,000 zlotys.  Kazimierz Danek managed to keep his coffee shop running  throughout the Nazi German occupation period, and  the big change did not come until the end of WWII, as  the new, Communist regime was introduced in Poland.  In 1949 the Europejska, together with its decor, fittings,  and entire property was nationalized and leased to the Gastronom  Cooperative.  In 1958 the place was refurbished, which included repainting  of the walls (it was probably at that point that the polychrome  decorations which by then had probably become  tatty were removed), and the partial replacement of the furniture  (the new pieces of furniture were modelled after the  original, antique ones). An interesting fact from the postwar  history of this place is that in 1968 a few scenes from  the popular television series Stawka większa niż życie [More  than life at stake] were shot there.  In 1965 the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków acquired  Krzysztofory Palace to organize its seat here, and immediately  undertook the necessary measures to move the  coffee shop to another location. However, due to the negative  opinion issued by the Kraków Śródmieście District Office,  the case was closed for some time.  Despite certain alterations introduced during the refurbishment  and renovation works carried out in the 1950s and  1970s, the extraordinary singularity of the design and the  first-class artistic decor of the coffee shop were fully appreciated  and recognized as deserving to be covered by conservational  care. In 1990 the furnishings were entered in the  heritage list, which, it seemed, was supposed to guarantee  their proper preservation.  In 1997 the Europejska was one of the last quality eating  places in Kraków to be transferred back to private ownership.  Conservation officials had agreed to move some of the coffee  shop’s antique furniture to the Warszawianka Restaurant at 4  Dunajewskiego Street – a destination it would never reach.  The new owner was obligated to preserve the original character  of the place, carry out the necessary renovation and repair  works and purchase the period furnishings from the previous  owner. This plan, however, was not to be accomplished. The  interior of the coffee house was redesigned and redecorated.  Although the original decor was partly preserved, the new  dominant style was that of art nouveau and early 20th century  Viennese establishments, while the collection of original period  furniture that made up one of the few coherent art deco  interiors was, alas, dispersed.