AGATA SZMITKOWSKA

The law on the facilities for new erected buildings enacted in March 1933 played a key role in increasing the Wedel family’s investment activity in the field of housing architecture. In a short period of time this act was nicknamed “Lex E. Wedel”. This fact alone was a distinct proof of the industrialists’ unusual skill of making the most of opportunities contained in the provisions of this act.
Because of the Wedel family, the architectural landscape of Warsaw was enriched with many luxurious tenement houses and new façades of existing buildings that were modernized. In general, building works were conducted in two city districts – Mokotów, between streets: Puławska, Madalińskiego, Sandomierska and Narbutta and in the city centre near the Wedel family house at 8, Szpitalna St.. The factory’s management was directly linked to many social investments that consisted, among others, of building of a holiday facility for employees as well as of workers’ housing estates that were localized in Praga near the industrial plant.
The authors of the architectural designs commissioned by the Wedel family orders were the leading Polish architects of the time (Z. Mączeński, L. Korngold, J. Żórawski). The family put their special trust in the first of them creators entrusting to him a large part of the design works commissioned between 1928 and 1939.