Trip to Poland: September 21, 1937 - Letter From Warsaw to Truskawiec Zdroj

(Text Copyright (c) 2017 Cynthia Shenette)

The address on the envelope is:

Truskawiec Zdroj [Truskavets Spa] /
Dom Wypoczynkowy [Holiday House] /
Rodziny Urzedniczy [Family Employees] /
ul. Slowcsna [Sunny street] /
Wielmozna Pani [Madame] /
Helena Bulak

The return address is:

Warszawa ul. [street] Dzialdowska 8 /
F. Szerejko / 

Warsaw, September 21, 1937

Dear Mrs. Helena!

I'm happy that after your arrival there you get introduced with all local customs.  Getting up early morning is not that bad and will give you a chance to get to know town of Truskawiec Zdroj [Truskawiec Spa] and neighborhood area.  Morning air is also good and there is something to breathe in.  You learn that, Mrs. Helena, on your first day of staying there.  So take as much of this air as you can, in your lungs, in your packets, fold all of your dresses, suitcases and even in your hat.  This is a treasure.  The shot of this air may last for years.  The lodging house in not that expensive.  All kurtaksy [See * below.], doctors, etc. etc. are expensive though.  But compared to what I'm going to write about now it's nothing.  Last Tuesday I received a notice that a parcel which came to Warsaw.  On the other side of the notice was a comment; "The parcel cannot be released to you as an addressee because of the lack of permit issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade."  On Wednesday I went to post office to find out what is this all about.  It is a heavy procedure.  Clerk told me I will have to apply to the Ministry and then custom fee at the post Office.  I asked how much this will cost.  Custom fee about 110 zloty plus fee at the ministry for the total of about 150 zloty.  The clerk told me it not worth it to pay for that parcel and is better to send it back.  I agree with him.  Adolf will have to pay only for return postage. There is also another thing.  Adolf wrote a note if the parcel is not accepted by us for any different reasons the notice to be sent to aunt Julcia [Julia Bielska] and she will have to pay for all the fees if she wants to pick up that parcel.  If she would decide not to pick it up the parcel will  be sent back to America.  But I didn't stop there and I went to another clerk.  He explained to me if aunt Julcia would apply for proof of poverty the Ministry may release the parcel with that much fees but all the things inside must be used.  If the things inside are new she would have to pay not matter what.  I have to go to visit aunt Julcia and explain her everything so she would know what is going on.  Also I will be waiting for your opinion about it.  In my opinion we should send back this parcel. The only cost involved would be postage fees. To pay all the fees is a lot of money. For this money a lot of things could be bought. This parcel weigh 4 kilograms [approximately 8.81 pounds]. That is all about the parcel. 

 For the past three days I'm home alone. My lady [Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko] went to Zakopane with Celina [Gzell] and son-in-law [Roman Gzell]. They have a vacation now and it just happened Orbis arranged three day trip so they decided to use this opportunity and they persuaded my lady to go with them. They are coming back Monday morning. 

The weather in Warsaw is cloudy. I haven't received second letter from America yet. 

Today, on Saturday, I'm going to aunt Julcia to talk to her about about the notice she is going to receive about the parcel. 

I'm ending my letter now and wish you Mrs. Helena nice and healthy time. 

How do you like "Naftusia?" Is it 45 degrees? In Warsaw you didn't even try to have one drink of naftusia and there you have to drink a lot. When they found out in America about this they will be wondering what's happened with Mrs. Helena. In the morning "Naftusia' and in the evening "Barbarka." 

 Adolf and Antosia will think she found some Barbarka and maybe that Barbarka is wearing pants but you Mrs. Helena will explain them everything when you return to America. When we meet at the train station I will probably receive slap in the face for writing things like that. There is nothing I can do. I'm rested, I'm writing this letter in the morning. I'm healthy, I have a good sense of humor and I'm home alone. The pen is writing itself, I don't have to use inkwell and if I wouldn't have to leave now I would continue to write. 

Everything has it's ending. 

I kiss your hands and waiting for reply. 

Benevolent 

Feliks

The last entry in my Aunt Helen Bulak's travel diary is for August 16-30, 1937.  The fact that Feliks Szerejko wrote to her at Truskawiec Zdroj on September 21, indicates that Aunt Helen was in Truskawiec for a good long time.  According to her diary she arrived on August 15 and may have been there until mid September.  The letter was written and date stamped by the postal service on September 21. You have to figure it also probably took at least a couple of days for the letter to travel to it's destination.

The conundrum regarding the package that was sent from America is an interesting one.  My aunt's travel diary has a printed travel information section that lists foreign currency exchange rates. According to the diary, the rate given for the zloty at the time was 18.80, approximate value in U.S. cents. I did a bit of calculating and figured the cost to retrieve the package at the custom fee of first 110, then 150 zloties would come out to $20.68 and $28.20 respectively.  Figuring inflation, the cost of retrieving the package would be $356.63 at the $20.68 and $486.31 at $28.20 in 2017 dollars.  I would have sent the package back, too.  

*The word kurtaksy is an interesting one.  I looked for it in my Polish dictionary without luck.  I also popped it into Google Translate, and nothing.  I did a Google search, and it came up in the Dictionary of Polish  edited by Witold Doroszewski, or Slownik W. Doroszewskiego, which was published in ten volumes between 1954 and 1969. According to Wikipedia, Doroszewski's dictionary was the most comprehensive dictionary of the Polish language at the time it was published.  You can read more about the dictionary here.  Kurtaksa is an obsolete term for a fee for a stay at a place of treatment, maybe at someplace like a spa. Given kurtaksy is an obsolete term, that probably explains why I wasn't able to find it in the places I usually look.

Naftusia and Barbara, or the diminutive Barbarka, are different types of waters at Truskawiec Zdroj.  You can read more about them in a previous post here.

Major thanks to my cousin Marek for his translation from the Polish.

Trip to Poland: August 2, 1937 - Warsaw

[Travel Diary Entry]

Aug 2. 1937 /
Warsaw /
Monday /

Breakfast 9.30. Dinner at 3.30 / @ 4.30 Mrs. Szerejko [Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko] and myself [Helen Bulak] / went to movies Stylowy [Stylish] / "Nieznosna Dziewczyna [Unbearable Girl?]" / @ 7.45 took bus for Konstancin.

(Image and Text, Copyright (c) 2017 Cynthia Shenette)

Trip to Poland: August 1, 1937 - Warsaw

[Travel Diary Entry]

Aug. 1. 1937 Sunday [Warsaw] /

Went to Church Sw. Krzyza [Church of the Holy Cross] / Krakowskie Przedmeszcie / after dinner Janek [Jan Szerejko] Oles' [Aleksander Szerejko] Mrs. [Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko] / and myself [Helen Bulak] went to Theatre Malickiej / Matinee. Swit Dzien, i Noc [Dawn Day, and Night] / at 7 P.M. met Mr. [Feliks] Szerejko and / went to the Movies Roma / Lawrence Phibbets "Pod Tajemm Urokiem [Under the Mystery?]

(Image and Text Copyright (c) 2017 Cynthia Shenette)

Trip to Poland: July 31, 1937 - Warsaw

WARSZAWA Teatr Wielki
Le Grand Theatre
[Teatr Narodowny, National Theatre] 

[Travel Diary Entry]

July 31 - 1937 / 
Saturday Warsaw /

At 12.05 took bus to Warsaw / hair dressed. bought pastry / and went for dinner to Szerejko / In the evening met Mr. Sz. [Szerejko] / Oles [Aleksander Szerejko] Mrs. [Leokadia (Symanska) Szerejko] + myself [Helen Bulak] went to  / the Theatre Narodowny [National Theatre]" / playing "Maz z Grzecznosci [Husband with Politeness]"  / home. supper and bed.  

(Postcard in the Collection of Cynthia Shenette; Text Copyright (c) 2017 Cynthia Shenette)

Trip to Poland: July 4, 1937 - Warsaw

Left to Right: Helen Bulak, Feliks Szerejko, Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko
Lazienki Park

Left to Right: Aleksander Szerejko, Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko,
Feliks Szerejko, Lazienki Park

Left to Right: Helen Bulak, Feliks Szerejko, Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko
In Front of Monument to Jan Sobieski III, Lazienski Park

Left to Right: Feliks Szerejko, Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko, Aleksander Szerejko
In Front of South Facade of Lazienki Palace

Left to Right: Leokadia (Szymansak) Szerejko, Helen Bulak
In Front of Monument to Chopin, Lazienki Palace

Lazienki Palace, North Facade

Julia Bielska

[Travel Diary Entry]

July 4 - 1937 Sunday / 
Warsaw, Feliks Home /

Up at 8 A.M. went to Mass for / 9 with Olesi [Alex / Alexander Szerejko] home for breakfast / Went to Lazienki Park / haen't seen anything so beautiful / Park received its name for the / Lazienki [Baths] make them.  The Palace / of Zygmont [Stanislaw?] 2 Poniatowski who / lived their not very large but / beautifull (sic). In the park are / beautiful Statues of the Great Music Composer Chopin also / Jan Sobieski fighting the Turks / the streets and alleys are something / unusual such tall trees and weeping / willows, blue spruce. The / Palace decorated with white petunias / and red geraniums the colors of / Poland. Took snapshots / Mr. + Mrs. [Szerejko] Oles and myself. / Orchestra Playing in the Park / surrounded by Garden of Tables / where lunch can be served. / Drove home through Aleje [Avenue] Uzazdowskie / had dinner rested a few minutes / and went visiting to Pani Julia / Bielska. found her a very / pleasant person and very lively / for 58 yrs of age.  Had lunch their / (sic) after 7 P.M. Mrs. Szerejko came / had lunch also. then we all / talked and made merry until / 9.30 left for home and bed / @ 11.30 P.M.

(Photographs and Text, Copyright (c) 2017 Cynthia Shenette)

Swan, Lazienki Park

Trip to Poland: June 28, 1937 - Warsaw

Left to Right: Helen Bulak, Jan Szerejko, Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko

Left to Right: Jan Szerejko, Helen Bulak, Aleksander Szerejko

Left to Right: Jan Szerejko, Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko,
Aleksander Szerejko

Warszawa. Wysadzony w sewietrze MOST KIERBEDZIA
[Kierbedzia Bridge]

WARSZAWA. Sadzawka w ogrodzie Saskim
L'etang du Jardin de Sax
[Saxon Gardens]

[Travel Diary Entry]

June 28 Monday /
Warsaw /
Feliks Szerejko /

Up at 8.30 Breakfast. talked at table / with family until 12.45 / Mr. Szerejko went to work. / Mrs. children and myself / had dinner. after dinner went to / center of Warsaw. / Visited Opera House. / Stare Miasto Stary Rynek. / Kosciol Sw. Maryji gdzie Celinka slwobowala / Zwiedzalismy sklepy hurtowne / na Nalewkach Zydowskie / Krakowskie Przedmiescie. Wila /  Most Kerbedzia. Boulivard / Met Feliks S. went to Saski / Ogrod sat until 9.30 P.M. came / home had supper went to bed / 12. P.M

June 28 Monday /
Warsaw /
Feliks Szerejko /

Up at 8.30 Breakfast. talked at table / with family until 12.45 / Mr. Szerejko went to work. / Mrs. children and myself / had dinner. after dinner went to / center of Warsaw. / Visited Opera House. / Old Town Old Market. / St. Mary's Church where Celinka [Celina Gzell] married / We visited shops wholesalers / on Nalewki [Street?] Jewish [district?] / Krakowskie Przedmiescie. River Vistula / Kerbedzia Bridge. Boulevard / Met Feliks S. went to Saxon / Garden sat until 9.30 P.M. came / home had supper went to bed / 12. P.M

(Postcards in the Collection of Cynthia Shenette; Images and Text Copyright (c) 2017 Cynthia Shenette)

Trip to Poland: June 26, 1937 - Warsaw

Feliks and Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko

[Travel Diary Entry]

June 26. 1937
Warsaw Saturday

Came to F. Szerejko at 8.15 P.M. / talked until 12 P.M. [a.m.] went to bed

(Original Image Privately Held by Cynthia Shenette; Text Copyright (c) 2017 Cynthia Shenette)

Photo Story: Auntie Helen's 1937 Trip to Poland

Left to Right: Feliks Szerejko, Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko, and their son Aleksander Szerejko

(Original Images and Text, Copyright (c) 2011 Cynthia Shenette)  My grandmother's sister Helen never married but became a successful business woman.  She ran a what began as a millinery shop in 1918 and retired, closing her shop Helen's on Milbury St. in Worcester, some 55 years later.

Even in the 1930s when times were tough Auntie Helen had enough money to take a two and a half month trip to Poland.  While she was there she toured the country and visited with my grandfather's family in Warsaw. She kept a travel diary during her visit.  Here is an excerpt from her diary. The diary is written in quick note form.  I've included slashes to indicate line breaks to make it more readable.  The spelling is a direct transcription.

Lazienki Palace

Date  July 4, 1937 Sunday
Place  Warsaw, Feliks Home

Up at 8 A.M. went to Mass for / 9 with Oles' [Aleksander] home for breakfast / Went to Lazienki Park havent seen anything so beautifull / Park recieved its name from the / Lazienski make them. The Palace / of Zymont 2 Poniatowski who / lived their not very large but / beautifull.

Leokadia and Helen Bulak in front of the Chopin Statue 

In the park are beautifull Statues of the great / Music Composer Chopin also /

Helen, Feliks, and Leokadia in front of the Statue of Jan Sobieski

Jan Sobieski fighting Turks / The streets and alleys are something / unusual such tall trees and weeping / willows, blue spruce.  The / Palace decorated with white petunias / and red geraniums the colors of / Poland. Took snapshots / Mr. + Mrs Oles and myself. / Orchestra Playing in the Park / surrounded by Garden of Tables / where lunch can be served. /

My grandfather's aunt, Julia Bielska (Abt. 1879-Aft. 1947)

Drove home through Aleje Ujazdowskie / had dinner rested a few minutes / and went visiting to Pani Julia / Bielska. found her a very / pleasant person and very lively / for 58 yrs of age. Had lunch / their after 7. P.M. Mrs. Szerejko came / had lunch also. then we all / talked and made merry until / 9.30 left for home and bed / @ 11.30 P.M.


Other Posts You Might Like:

Chopin Rising
Where They Lived: Every Address Has a Story
Memories of the M/S Pilsudski? An Author Wants You!
Leokadia (Szymanska) and Feliks Szerejko - Wordless Wednesday

Photo Story: Three Brothers Stay in Poland (Part 1 of 3)

Leokadia, Celina, Aleksander, and Feliks in 1924 (Warsaw, Poland)

(Original Image and Text, Copyright (c) 2011 Cynthia Shenette)

Feliks Szerejko

My grandfather's older brother Feliks lived his life in Warsaw.  He is pictured above with his second wife, Leokadia (Szymanska), his daughter Celina (Gzell), and his son Aleksander.  My grandmother's sister Helen Bulak stayed with Feliks and his family during the summer of 1937 on her trip to Poland.  Celina and Aleksander survived World War II.  Feliks and Leokadia did not.


Other Posts You Might Like:

Wordless Wednesday: Warsaw Wedding
Szerejko - Szymanska Wedding Invitation - Amanuensis Monday
Leokadia (Szymanska) and Feliks Szerejko - Wordless Wednesday
Where They Lived: Every Address Tells a Story

Chopin Rising

Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko and Helen Bulak

(Original Image and Text, Copyright (c) 2011 Cynthia Shenette; Photograph of the Chopin Statue is in the public domain.) My grandmother's sister, Helen Bulak, visited Poland during the summer of 1937, two short years before the beginning of World War II. While she was there she spent several weeks in Warsaw visiting with my grandfather's brother Feliks Szerejko and his family.

The photo above was taken on Sunday July 4, 1937 in front of the statue of composer Frédéric Chopin in Lazienki Park. The art nouveau style statue was designed by Wacław Szymanowski and occupies a prominent spot in the largest park in Warsaw. Like much of current day Warsaw the statue in the contemporary photograph below is a replica.

The original statue was destroyed on May 31, 1940, blown up by the occupying German forces. The Germans salvaged the resulting scrap and transported it to a German steel mill to be melted and used for the war effort.  After the war a new statue was cast from the original mold and placed at the same site in Lazienki Park.

Like the statue of Chopin, Feliks and his wife Leokadia, were casualties of World War II. When I look at this photograph I can't help but think to myself, what if? What if life was different for Feliks and Leokadia and for the millions of other people just like them?

While a statue doesn't live or breath, it can serve as symbol for what was and is no more.  Bronze can be recast.  Chopin's statue was given a second chance at life, and like the phoenix it rises from the ashes to begin life anew. 


* Special thanks to Denise Levenick for posting a link to this post from her blog, the Family Curator, for the "Past is Present: Genealogy Photo Challenge for World Photography Day."


Other Posts You Might Like:

Where They Lived: Every Address Tells a Story
Szerejko - Szymanska Wedding Invitation - Amanuensis Monday
Meditation: The Strength of Ordinary Women
Leokadia (Szymanska) and Feliks Szerejko - Wordless Wednesday

Leokadia (Szymanska) and Feliks Szerejko - Wordless Wednesday

(Original Image and Text, Copyright (c) 2011 Cynthia Shenette) Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko and Feliks Szerejko sent this photo to my grandparents, Adolf Szerejko and Antonina (Bulak) Szerejko, from Warsaw, Poland in 1928.  Feliks was my grandfather's brother.  Both Leokadia and Feliks perished during World War II.


Other Posts You Might Like:

Szerejko - Szymanska Wedding Invitation - Amanuensis Monday
Where They Lived: Every Address Tells A Story
Brothers in America - Wordless Wednesday
The Mystery Brides Return - Mystery Monday

Szerejko - Szymanska Wedding Invitation - Amanuensis Monday

(Original Image and Text, Copyright (c) 2011 Cynthia Shenette)

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Thanks to John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch for providing the idea for Amanuensis Monday.

This is an invitation to the wedding of my grandfather's brother, Feliks Szerejko and his soon to be wife Leokadia Szymanska.

NINIEJSZYM MAMY ZASZCZYT
ZAWIADOMIC W. P. O SLUBIE
NASZYM ODBYC SIE MAJACYM
W KOSCIELE SWIETEGO KRZY-
ZA DNIA 7 WRZESNIA ROKU
BIEZACEGO O GODZINIE 6 WIE-
CZOREM.

NARZECZENI:

LEOKADJA SZYMANSKA
FELIKS SZEREJKO

WARSZAWA                        ROK 1919.

I'd like to thank my cousin Marek for his translation:

We are pleased to announce, Ladies and Gentlemen, our wedding which is going to take place in the Church of Holy Cross on September 7th this year at six o'clock in the evening.

Engaged couple:

Leokadja Szymanksa
Feliks Szerejko

Warszaw      year of 1919.

Feliks and Leokadia were the father and step-mother of Celina (Szerejko) Gzell, who I mention in my posts here and here.  Almost 20 years to the day of their wedding, Feliks was killed in the bombing of Warsaw at the beginning of World War II.  My mother told me he was killed when the Germans bombed the railroad lines.  Apparently Feliks work for or near the railroad.  Leokadia was killed later in the war when the Germans shot everyone in their apartment building.  Unfortunately this is a wedding story with a very sad ending.


Other Posts You Might Like:

Where They Lived: Every Address Tells a Story
Post World War II "Care" Packages - Amanuensis Monday
Volcano of Wrath (Part 1 of 2) - Amanuensis Monday
Madness Monday: The Stuff We Throw Away, and...

Follow Friday: Walking Pictures, Ancestry, and Free Stuff

(Copyright (c) 2010 Cynthia Shenette) I love it when I learn something new. I also love it when I learn something new and it directly applies to solving a mystery within my own family history research. This week I learned about "walking pictures." I'd never heard of "walking pictures" before. I started following Brett Payne's blog Photo-Sleuth fairly recently, and his most recent post Spotlight Photos Ltd. - "Walking Pictures" in Derby is fascinating.

"Walking pictures" were a style of photography practiced by street photographers in which the photographer captured ordinary folks as they walked down a city street. Apparently the trend was especially popular from the 1920s through the 1950s. I have a couple of photos in my collection which I suspect are "walking photos." The photo of my mom's cousin, Celina Gzell, I used to illustrate my June article for the Carnival of Genealogy, Meditation: The Strength of Ordinary Women, may be a walking photo. Given that the photo was taken during World War II in occupied Warsaw I am a little skeptical, but it is a possibility. With the photo above I am less skeptical. The photo is a picture of Celina Gzell walking along a Warsaw street with her mother, Leokadia (Szymanska) Szerejko (Abt. 1895-Abt. 1944) in 1935. I love the photo--both ladies are walking along, arm in arm dressed in fashions typical of the time.

I also read Brett Payne's other posts regarding street photographers and walking photos, Sidewalk Photographers - the Other Side of the Coin and Sidewalk Photographers, Bournemouth & Great Yarmouth. Brett also referenced Sheri Fenley's (The Educated Genealogist) article Friday From the Collectors - Sidewalk Photographers in footnoteMaven's Shades of the Departed. Sheri's article was also very interesting.

This week I started following Ancestor's of Mine from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky & Beyond by Kim. I found her thinking in her post When Ancestry Owns the World very much in line with my own regarding Ancestry and Ancestry's acquisition of ProGenealogists.

I was also happy to get a heads-up on good things to come from Family Tree Magazine in DearMyrtle's post, FTM's 101 Best Free Websites 2010. I read Family Tree Magazine and many of the websites that are listed I already use, but I saw quite a few that were new to me.

TGIF. Enjoy the weekend everyone!