ADDRESS: 12 Piękna Street, since 1941 - 7 Mazowiecka Street
OPENING DATE: 1941
The café was founded by the team of the old “Café Bodo”, which in April 1940 moved from 17 Foksal to the abandoned Radziwiłł Palace at 12 Piusa (now 12 Piękna Street - the building of the Embassy of Switzerland). The place was transformed into a café by the painter Irena Pokrzywnicka. They had many clients and so they constantly engaged new colleague actors, the so-called selected ones.
The café was very popular among the inhabitants of Warsaw and the underground elites of the Home Army. At the beginning of 1943, Piękna Street was subsumed to the German district, so after a short while of being homeless, “U Aktorek” found its new home at Łubieńscy Palace at 5 Mazowiecka Street. There, the actresses opened a new restaurant and a summer garden. The café functioned until 15th August 1944. On that day, during the premiere of Kantata, a German explosive hit the place, after which the most popular Warsaw artistic café was closed.
WSPOMNIENIA
Idea
I thought that we could open our own café instead of working for somebody – says Mrs [Janina] Romanowna. Our own coffeehouse, set up with our own investments. We only lacked capital. However, it happened that my friend Irena Korytowska was looking for a place to deposit the rest of her money, which she managed to save. The café “U Aktorek” was launched with her financial help, it was her who made the investment and withdrew the funds only when the place was moved to Mazowiecka. Then we managed to get a loan to pay off Mrs Korytowska.
Alicja Okońska, Andrzej Grzybowski, Rozmowy z panią Miecią, Ludowa Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza, Warszawa 1976.
Mieczysław Fogg
Personally, I most enjoyed performing at “U Aktorek” in Piusa Street (the old name of Piękna Street).
Mieczysław Fogg, Zbigniew Karol Rogowski, Od palanta do belcanta, Wydawnictwo Iskry, Warszawa 1976.
The Tower of Babel
Friendship was an ideal element connecting all the temperaments, which in different times seemed elated, egocentric and intolerant. The actresses decided to get the most humble and tiring job, letting them however to stay with the audience, which liked and respected them, even if they were just waitresses.
Alceo Valcini, Golgota Warszawy, Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków 1973.
Routine
9th June 1944: the turnout was big. In the afternoon we had a Gestapo visit, the SD more precisely. A couple of men in uniforms and a few dressed as civilians came in. There was no stampede, neither some special “Hände hoch”. There were mainly SD officers. Strange. They were identifying the guests very politely. Personnel were not identified. I was doing my own job throughout the whole time. It did not impress me anymore.
Marian Wyrzykowski, Dzienniki 1938–1969, Instytut Sztuki PAN, Warszawa 1995.
About the place
Renting such an expensive and representative building was made possible only thanks to the support of Jerzy Dobrzyński personally, who as a lawyer and plenipotentiary of Radziwiłł family facilitated the transaction, and Mikołaj Dolanowski, President of the Krajowa Kasa Oszczędności [Pol. National Savings Treasury], who supported the initiative of the founding actresses with a decent loan.
Ryszard Wolański, Tola Mankiewiczówna. „Jak za dawnych lat”, Rebis, Poznań 2013.
Episodes
I remember this episode from my work at “U Aktorek”. Suddenly a few Gestapo officers came in to search the place. It took place right after the next attack on a Nazi, when the son of Juliusz Kadena-Bandrowski died. We all got very scared, but luckily there was not anybody in the conspiracy corner. And somehow everything ended well. We only got really scared, but back then we were used to stress.
Zdzisław Bieske, Ewa Bandrowska-Turska. Wspomnienia artystki, Czytelnik, Warszawa 1989.
Jazz!
7th December 1941: the jazz orchestra of George Scott played at the café today. It was overcrowded, people got crazy. They wanted to come in as if they were be going to church. It was a sad sight in our times and it was especially the youth. The band was so-so. Many of such you would hear before the war. The work was tough. It all ended at 2 pm.
Marian Wyrzykowski, Dzienniki 1938–1969, Instytut Sztuki PAN, Warszawa 1995.
DecorationS
[…] Irena Pokrzywnicka, who decorated the Radziwiłł Palace in an incredibly creative way and adjusted it to its functions as a café. One of the proofs of her intervention was the lining of stylish armchairs, which she decorated with bag fabrics, died in different colours matching the walls.
Alicja Okońska, Andrzej Grzybowski, Rozmowy z panią Miecią, Ludowa Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza, Warszawa 1976.
Secret sign
[Mieczysława] Ćwiklińska came up with it. It was her who almost always watched for our safety. It was mainly about observing the guests coming in and listening to them talking, especially the Germans, who took the tables in the “nur für Deutsche” sector. To get there, she decided to sell cigarettes apiece, distributing them around on a big silver tray. In case of any danger, the tray landed with noise on the floor. That was exactly that secret sign.
Ryszard Wolański, Tola Mankiewiczówna. „Jak za dawnych lat”, Rebis, Poznań 2013.
New headquarters
At the back, there was quite a big garden, which with time became a favourite summer meeting place for the city dwellers. It was bigger than the previous one, and we also ran a restaurant there. In the largest saloon, called the “concert room”, Witold Lutosławski and Andrzej Panufik would play two grand pianos every afternoon, but also Leopold Zieliński sometimes. Song competitions took place there too. Every day, similarly to events in Radziwiłł Palace, a new person would come to perform.
Alicja Okońska, Andrzej Grzybowski, Rozmowy z panią Miecią, Ludowa Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza, Warszawa 1976.
