The Book of Warsaw Palaces [antikvár]

This book, which we have the pleasure of presenting to the public, comprises concise information on fifty palaces and residences in Warsaw and its neighbourhood. Naturally, this does not include all palaces and residences which existed in Warsaw and its vicinity, only those which have preserved their artistic merits and were rebuilt from wartime destruction back to their originál aspect. On the other hand, the Royal Castle, the Lazienki Palace, and the Palace of Wilanów are not described here for the simple reason that many books have already been published on each of those splendid residences. Alongside of 17th and 18th century mansions, much attention has alsó been given to 19th century residences and villás which, until recently, were considered of small interest and consequently omitted from books of this kind. Incidentally not many books on Warsaw deal with the subject which interests us here. Aleksander Kraushar's Dawne palace Warszaws/ae (Warsaw's Old Palaces), published in 1925, contains descriptions of only four of Warsaw's residences. The little book by J,P. Zaj^czkowski, published in 1976, discusses thirty-eight residences, but the work is already out of date. The intention of Tadeusz Jaroszewski, the author of this book, was to provide as full and comprehensive a review of Warsaw's palatial architecture The Brühi Palace in 1918-39 as possible. He alsó hoped to give new life to old anecdotes and The Jablonowski Mansion (town hali) historical facts, thereby bringing the noble structures he describes, in 1918-39 and their former occupants, closer to the reader. Writing the history of those residences, Jaroszewski used information obtained through his own research, and that by other historians of art. He alsó made use of little volumes on various architectural monuments which form part of that excellent series entitled Warsaw's Historic Buildings published by the State Scientific Publishers, and papers by graduates of the History of Art lnstitute, Warsaw University, particularly those dealing with Warsaw's 19th century palatial architecture. The photographs in this book are by Edmund Kupiecki, who specializes in period architecture. They show the beauty of Warsaw's mansions which were painstakingly rebuilt after the Second World War. In order to give readers a complete picture of Warsaw's palatial architecture, and understanding of the vastness of wartime losses, illustrations alsó include photographs of the Brühl, Jablonowski, Kronenberg and Rzyszczewski mansions, and the Saxon Palace, which have not been rebuilt. 5 This volume, though not a guide to Warsaw's historic buildings, is ü TI MM