enczsksiplhudeitsvhrespt
/ enMain menu 
Navigation:  Theatre Database
EN | PL

Polski Theatre - Chamber Stage

alias Towarzystwo Społeczno-Kulturalne Żydów (Social and Cultural Society of Jews, 1955-1968), Theater der Zeit, Cinema Kammer-Lichtspiele, Dolnośląski Teatr Żydowski (Lower Silesia Jewish Theatre, 1946-1955)
history of the theatresupplementtechnical dataHistoric equipment

Important events

(detail)2.4.1949 | opening the building afer reconstruction

(detail)1990 | The Polski Theatre receives the building

(detail)2002 | modernisation
replacement of floors, replacement of seats in the auditorium, electrical works

People

Emil Kaliski |architect

History

The Kammer-Lichtspiele Cinema was built at 31 Schweidnitzerstrasse (now 28 Świdnicka Street) in 1912. It was renamed Theater der Zeit in 1943, as primarily war newsreels were played there every hour. In 1945, during the fights over Festung Breslau, the cinema building was completely destroyed.

After the war, resurging Jewish theatre companies were deprived of permanent headquarters. At the congress of Jewish actors in 1946, the existing companies united to establish two theatres, one in Łódź and the other in Wrocław. As for Wrocław, it was decided to rebuild the destroyed cinema building, which was accomplished as a result of a widespread social action, with the participation of people of various trades and professions. The funds were collected among private donors and through contributions from sponsors. Anyone who was not able to support the initiative financially, participated by donating his own work.

As a result, the stage and the auditorium of the Dolnośląski Żydowski Theatre were accomplished. The building housed 475 seats and was equipped with a balcony. The screen was replaced with an extensive room under the stage. The edifice was rebuilt to a design by architect Emil Kaliski.

The building was ceremonially opened on 2 April 1949. In January 1950, under a ruling by the Minister of Culture, Jewish theatres were nationalised. Consequently, one theatre with two artistic companies was established. The managing director of the theatre was Ida Kamińska, and the institution was renamed after her mother, Ester Ruth Kamińska.

As far as the Polish Theatre is concerned, it started using the stage of the Państwowy Żydowski Theatre (the State Jewish Theatre) as early as in 1949, due to renovations at its own theatre building. Officially, the new Chamber Stage was inaugurated with Germans by Leon Kruczkowski, directed by Maryna Broniewska, on 29 October 1949. However, Chopin’s Letters, a performance based on a script byKarol Stromenger and directed by Maria Wiercińska was premiered on the same stage earlier that year, on 24 September (on the hundredth anniversary of the composer’s death).
Once the building of the Polski Theatre was completed in December 1950, the company started to use two stages at the same time: one on Zapolska Street and the other on Świdnicka Street. In 1955, the Państwowy Żydowski Theatre moved to Warsaw for good, and the edifice on Świdnicka Street became a community centre and the headquarters of the Jewish Social-Cultural Association in Poland. After the events of March 1968, the Board of the Local National Council terminated the perpetual usufruct agreement with the Association, and that same year the Association left the Chamber Stage in favour of the city. For many years the building was the subject of legal proceedings and finally, in 1990, the Wrocław voivode made the decision to hand the building over to the Polish Theatre.

The building was renovated many times, but it did not undergo major repairs until 2001-2002. On that occasion, the floors were replaced and reinforced, the seats were replaced and necessary electrical work was carried out.

The Chamber Stage is located in the pedestrian zone, in the main commercial street leading to the market, opposite the Monopol Hotel, which has been famous since before the Second World War. Nowadays the theatre seats 262 people.   

Text sent from the Polski Theatre

 

Literature:

  1. Grzegorczyk B., Architektura i budownictwo teatralne we Wrocławiu od około 1770 roku do schyłku XIX wieku, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, Wrocław 2000.
  2. Hawałej A., Teatr Polski gra ..., Wydaw. Dolnoślaskie, Wrocław 1996.
  3. Majewski T., Teatry dramatyczne Wrocławia w okresie rządów narodowosocjalistycznych 1933-1944, Oficyna Wydawnicza ATUT Wrocławskie Wydawnictwo Oświatowe, Wrocław 2003.
  4. Rekonstrukcje, red. Jarosław Minałto, Piotr Rudzki, Marzena Sadocha, Teatr Polski, Wrocław 2010.
  5. Teatr Polski we Wrocławiu : 50 lat, oprac. red. Jan Stolarczyk ; oprac. dokumentacji Elżbieta Małecka, Wydaw. Dolnośląskie, Wrocław 1996.

 

SEE ALSO: The Polski Theatre - Main Stage of Jerzy Grzegorzewski, The Polski Theatre -Świebodzki Railway Station Stage

 

 

Author: Jarosław Minałto

Additional information

No information has yet been entered

Add information

Name: The name will be published

Email: The email will not be published

Information: Please enter information about this theatre, at least 10 characters

nineminusone=