Tatra Museum in Zakopane
'Koliba' House
The Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz Museum of Zakopane Style
address: Zakopane, 18, Kościeliska Street, tel. (+49)18-20-136-02,
Oficjalna strona Muzeum Tatrzańskiego: www.muzeumtatrzanskie.pl
The Stanisław Witkiewicz Museum of Zakopane Style was opened on 4 December
1993. The oldest part of the house presents interiors in Zakopane style: the
dining-room ('mountaineer room'), drawing-room (Gnatowski's room) and guest
room ('servant's room). Additionally on display in the 'mountaineer room' is
Zygmunt Gnatowski's ethnographic collection. Exceedingly valuable, once donated
to the Tatra Museum, it returned to where it was originally based after an
interval of a hundred years. Plans are being made for organizing an exhibition
illustrating the history and the creator of Zakopane Style Stanisław
Witkiewicz.
In reponse to the appearance in Zakopane at the second half of the 19th century
of Swiss-style summer residences, Stanisław Witkiewicz felt induced to work out
a Polish style based on folk art motifs from the Podhale region. Known as
Zakopane Style, it was the first Polish national style to go further than
theoretical stipulations and result in practical accomplishments not only in
Zakopane but in the areas within the borders of the Polish Commonwealth before
the partitions.
The first building in Zakopane Style was the Koliba erected to Stanisław
Witkiewicz's design in Kościeliska Street in 1892-1894 for Zygmunt Gnatowski,
landowner of Podolya.
The stylishly arranged interiors were harmonized with the stylish architecture.
The furniture, tile stoves, cornices, curtains, picture frames and even door
knobs were all in Zakopane Style. Until the erection in 1897 of the 'Pod
jedlami' (Under the Firs) house, Koliba was considered the most representative
building in Zakopane Style. In 1901 Gnatowski had a new wing added in the west,
which, though likewise designed in Zakopane Style, upset Witkiewicz's original
artistic intent.
After Zygmunt Gnatowski's death in 1906, the Koliba changed owners several
times. Not renovated for years, it was falling into disrepair. In 1935 it was
sold by auction to an organization of railwaymen. The new owner planned to
organize a rest-house here. The historic substance of the building was not
preserved during the repairs: the original facing was altered, and the new
decorative elements in interiors included those characteristic of the new
regionalism, Art Dco.
After World War II the Koliba suffered further devastation, used at first as a
resto-house and then as an orphange. After many vicissitudes the Tatra Museum
took charge of the building and had it repaired in 1984-1993 with a view to
restoring it to the original condition of 1901. After the completion of the
repairs-cum-conservation, the Stanisław Witkiewicz Museum was organized in the
Koliba.
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| Willa "Koliba" -- wnętrze salonu.
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| Willa "Koliba" -- izba "góralska".
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Zbigniew Ładygin ysladyg@cyf-kr.edu.pl
Last update 2 June 2002