Zakopane. Villa “Na Antołówce”

The Witkiewicz family villa, built in 1903–1904, first known as “Na Antołówce”, and then “Witkiewiczówka”. Bruno Schulz visited Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz there during his stays in Zakopane.

The house was inhabited by Witkacy’s aunt and cousin, both of them with the same name: Maria – one called “Dziudzia”, the other “Beba” or “Aunt Mery” – and both were not very keen of Witkacy. Although the women ran a guesthouse in the villa, few of Witkacy’s friends stayed there, mainly due to the lack of water, electricity and of a regular toilet – “My aunt is not normal and she did not want these devices”1.

In July 1935, Schulz stayed at the “Pani” guesthouse on Słowackiego boulevards, in close proximity to Witkiewiczówka, where Witkacy rented a room (on the first floor). Even though it was the Witkiewicz family home, Witkacy paid rent to his aunt and cousin (PLN 5 a day).

See also: Zakopane, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, July 24, 1935, July 25, 1935, July 31, 1935, August 7, 1935, and August 14, 1935. (ts) (transl. mw) 

  • 1
    Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Listy II (vol. 2, part 1), edited and annotated by Janusz Degler, Stefan Okołowicz, Tomasz Pawlak, Warszawa 2017, p. 740. The toilet on Witkiewiczówka even has a lyrical commemoration. See Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Krytyka stosunków klozetowych na Antołówce w “wolnym” wierszu wyrażona, [in:] idem, Varia, edited by Janusz Degler, Warszawa 2019.