Born on 4 September 1881 in Drogobych as Izrael Baruch Schulz. According to Jerzy Ficowski, he started using the name Izydor after his graduation in 1900. In turn, Bohdan Łazorak claims that the name change was associated with his baptism after 1905. He was called Lulu by his family.
In 1905 he obtained an engineering degree at the Department of Highways and Bridges at the Lviv Polytechnic. After graduating, he was in charge of the construction of reservoirs in Borysław, meant for storing oil, and then he oversaw the construction of a gas pipeline from Borysław to the refinery facilities in Drogobych.
Around 1906 he showed his younger brother a book – “Have a look at it, I borrowed it for you, but I need to return it tonight” – which influenced the nearly four-year old Bruno’s imagination greatly. It was a collection of fables by Morris Rosenfeld, titled Lieder des Ghetto, illustrated by Efraim Mojżesz Lilien. For Schulz the contact with Lilien’s artwork proved a sudden revelation, “an inner breakthrough”, which resulted in the birth of an artist: “Lilien was the first spring of my sensitivity, my mystic marriage with art” – a marriage, which bound Schulz for life to such art. An image of a resplendent book, with a reminiscence of an artistic initiation, will become a nodal motif for his work, co-creating his “iron capital of the spirit”, determining the borders of his oeuvre. In this respect, Izydor resembles Rudolf from “Spring”: an oblivious messenger, bringing Józef a stamp album – which only before his eyes transforms into a luminous book.
Bruno’s imagination was influenced by other business ventures of Izydor’s: the Urania cinema in Drogobych (1912), the Urania film rental in Cracow (1919) as well as two Warsaw cinemas – Corso at 7 Wierzbowa St and Nirwana at 73 Mokotowska St. According to Jerzy Ficowski, Schulz’s visits at Urania became the inspiration for some of the passages in “A Night in July”.
In 1909–1914 Izydor Schulz worked as a town engineer in the Drogobych town hall. At that time the mayor was Rajmund Jarosz, and Izydor’s superior, the engineer Franciszek Jelonek. In 1913 thanks to Izydor a recreational pond was built at the square in Drogobych. At that time he lived at 1 Świętego Bartłomieja St., flat 6.
From 30 May 1915 to 13 October 1915 he was a commander of a unit of civilians from the 7 Austro-Hungarian Army, building fortifications in Kosmach (Western Ukraine). After the end of his service, he lived with his family in Vienna. He returned to Drogobych only in August 1919. After the war, as a lieutenant he was a reserve officer in the Engineer and Sapper Corps (1st Sapper Regiment). In 1930 he was reassigned to the 6th Sapper Regiment (1st Sapper Battalion), and a year later to 4th battalion in the same unit. On 31 December 1931 due to his age he was reassigned by the minister of military affairs to levy in mass (4th Sapper Battalion).
After returning from Vienna, he was employed at a Drogobych company, Wiśniewski i Spółka (Wiśniewski & Co.), which was soon transformed into Spółka Akcyjna Nafta (Paraffin Joint Stock Company), first based in Cracow, then in Warsaw. In 1921 he became Director of a Warsaw branch of Galicja SA: Galicja Warszawa. During the next five years he represented the company in the capital. He probably lived at Grzybowski Sq. 7.
In 1926 he moved with his family to Lviv, where he became director of a national headquarters of Galicyjskie Towarzystwo Naftowe Galicja SA (Galician Petroleum Inc.). According to Ficowski, during his visits to Lviv Bruno painted family portraits – mainly children – which decorated Schulz’s apartment. Sources give different addresses: 8 Matejki St and 9 Bogusławskiego St..
During his professional career, Izydor Schulz held other important functions: he was a member of the Department of the National Petroleum Association, an advisor of the Industry and Trade Chamber in Lviv, a member of the Polish Mineral Oils Producers and Refiners Union Council, a member of the supervisory boards of the Polish Petroleum Export and Trade Petroleum Industry Association, and a board member of SA Pionier.
He was providing financial support to his family. In 1933 he helped his brother in his literary career, co-financing the publication of The Cinnamon Shops. He supported his family in Drogobych – mother Henrietta (until her death in 1931), sister Hania Hoffman and nephew Zygmunt Hoffman, both of whom lived together with Bruno in the house at 10 Floriańska St. – as well as his own family in Lviv. He married Regina (née Liebesman) in 1908 or 1909 (she died in 1926), and three children: Wilhelm, Ella and Jakub.
He died on 20 January 1935 in Lviv, right after returning from Warsaw, where he attended a series of meetings and conferences. The direct cause of death was heart attack. The day before his sudden death he saw his brother, who mentions it in a letter to Zenon Waśniewski from 28 January: “He was an outstanding man, loved by every person who met him, of an almost evangelical kindness, young, elegant, successful and at the top of a great career – he was one of the main figures of the Polish petroleum industry”.
His sudden death shocked the whole Schulz family as well as the people associated with the petroleum industry, in whom Izydor Schulz inspired respect. Engaged in social matters, he was a recognisable and respected figure also in the Jewish community – in 1925 he joined the Humanitarian Association “Braterstwo”, which was a Warsaw branch of an international organisation B’nai B’rith; he belonged to the “Dar Narodowy” Committee, formed to commemorate Dr. Leon Reich (December 1929), during a Jewish economic conference in Lviv (3 February 1930) he was elected to the Executive Committee, which was to protect the interests of the Jewish community, he was known as a generous donor, making financial contributions to the defence of Palestine and a homeless shelter, among other things.
On 22 January 1935 Izydor’s body was taken from Lviv to Stanisławów (“accompanied by our whole petroleum world”), where Regina Schulz’s grave was located. The funeral took place on 23 January in Stanisławów “with the participation of a large group of friends and acquaintances of the Deceased”. Instead of a coffin spray, many people and organisations donated to charities.
After Izydor’s death Bruno partly assumed the duties as head of the family, taking responsibility for supporting the family home in Drogobych, where his sister, nephew and cousin lived. (ts) (transl. ms)
