Turning “Polish Boxes into German Houses”: On the Transformations of Architecture in Poland during the Second World War as Exemplified by the Changing Design of the Zajdensznir Tenement in Radom

Abstract

The issue of construction projects conducted by the Germans in occupied Poland is researched with increasing frequency by both historians and historians of architecture. One of the reasons for this is certainly the exceptional role of the works of architecture as historical documents that constitute a tangible reflection of the historical moment in which they were constructed. When viewed from this perspective, the case of one of Radom tenements acquires an almost symbolic significance. The Functionalist building was designed by the Lvov engineer Artur Haskler for Mr Hersz Zajdensznir and his wife, Róża; its construction began shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. It was intended to compete one quarter of the most prestigious sections of Radom’s city centre. The works were interrupted after the Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Both the architect and the owners of the tenement were Jews, which radically altered their position. The fate of Mr and Mrs Zajdensznir remains unknown. Haskler, who had been involved in the construction of the telecommunication network, which had begun in 1939 and was still unfinished, was allowed to stay outside the ghetto until the completion of the relevant works. In addition, he was ordered to alter the design of the Zajdensznir house, which was already under construction, so that it could be used as quarters for the staff of the German Postal Services East. The architect entirely changed the concept for his design. The original Functionalist form, representing a type of architecture not condoned by the Nazi authorities, was altered in keeping with the principles of Heimatschutzarchitektur; the building acquired a much more conservative form inspired by traditional architecture. The arrangement of the interiors was altered as well, attesting to the fact that Haskler had familiarised himself with the German norms regarding residential construction. The residence of the staff of the German Postal Services East, together with other edifices built in Radom by the Germans during the Second World War, as well as the very history of its construction, constitute a telling testimony to the history of the era. In the context of the urban design of Radom’s city centre, these edifices are valuable as historical monuments and they certainly enhance it as an original urban structure with successive morphogenetic units discernible with remarkable clarity.