New Music Library Planned – Warsaw

The historic Krasiński Estates Library and Museum in Warsaw, which was heavily damaged by the Germans during World War II, has been given to the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music to house a Media Library of Polish Music.

The building was originally built in 1912 by Edward Krasiński for the library run by his influential family. During the war, the occupying German forces moved some of the most valuable library collections from all over the city to the building.

However, after the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, Hitler instructed his forces to raze Warsaw. By January 1945, between 85% and 90% of the buildings had been completely destroyed.

Along with intentionally destroying most of what buildings remained in the city following five years of war, the Germans set fire to the priceless collections of manuscripts, maps, sheet music, engravings and more than two thousand incunabula in the Krasiński Library. Approximately 62% of the library’s collection was lost, with the surviving materials transferred after the war to the National Library.

The building itself survived and was renovated after the war. However, by the 1980s it had fallen into disuse, and until recently was embroiled in litigation as the Krasińksi heirs attempted to regain ownership of the property. The litigation was discontinued in August 2023, allowing the city to donate the building to the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music.

“Our university has been striving for the possibility to occupy this dilapidated building since the 1960s,” Klaudiusz Baran, the university’s rector, told Gazeta Wyborcza. “We want to create a space where we can make our sound archive’s rich collections available to Varsovians, tourists and music lovers worldwide. We want to share our heritage and bring this extraordinary building back to life.”

For more info, go to the Notes from Poland article online or pdf…