Helena Modjeska and Leopold Kronenberg - Passion and determination
Joanna Kościelniak
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The 19th century is one of the most tragic periods in the history of Poland. Political nonexistence, nation torn apart by the three occupying powers, two uprisings: November Uprising (1830) and January Uprising (1863), brutally crushed, ended in failure. It was a period of repression and harassment by the occupying powers. Attitudes of polish patriots were polarized, differing ideas and visions of what free Poland should be like were clashing. One part of society was ascribing to the romantic view that only a military effort could restore independence of the country and was opposed to any kind of collaboration with occupiers. Another fraction feared further failures of possible upraising and resulting even harsher repressions. It promoted idea of “building from the foundations” based on positivism. It assumed that more self-conscious, better educated, stronger economically nation, during this period of the raise of capitalism would have better possibilities and more power to execute different educational, cultural, and patriotic activities strengthening national consciousness. In other words it would constitute a real power to be reckoned with which step by step could acquire more autonomy, more freedom and in the final effect even … independence.
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In this difficult and turbulent time of the 19th century many of our great compatriots were active. Prominent place among them belongs to Helena Modjeska and Leopold Kronenberg – two giants that surpassed their own age.
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Helena Modjeska (1840–1909) – great actress, adored during her lifetime on both shores of the Atlantic Ocean, brilliant performer in Shakespearean roles, recognized as one of greatest dramatic actresses in the world, great patriot and philanthropist.
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Leopold Kronenberg (1812–1878) – industrialist involved with various industries (tobacco, sugar, steel works, mining), banker, founder of Bank Handlowy (Commercial Bank) and Szkoła Handlowa (School of Commerce), builder of Warszawa-Terespol railway line, owner and publisher of “Gazeta Polska” (Polish Newspaper) (of which editor-in-chief was Józef Ignacy Kraszewski), exemplary manager of landed estates.
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Modjeska i Kronenberg – two outstanding figures, great personalities of the 19th century. What is it that is common to both of them? After all they represent two different worlds – one incredibly concrete, real, rational; the other one spiritual, filled with emotions, exultations, feelings. World of business and world of art. Yet … .This is not about field of activity, but about personal qualities, about realizing plans, undertakings, dreams… Passion and determination – were what was common to both of them.
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Although Helena Modjeska met on the artistic field with one Józefina Reszke, who was an outstanding singer and latter became Kronenberg’s daughter in law (and wife of Leopold Julian, co-founder of Warsaw Philharmonic), and Modjeska’s husband Karol Chłapowski worked for a while in Kronenberg’s bank, but their personal relations were rather superficial. However, there was much they had in common. First of all, constant drive to ceaselessly develop, be active, their almost heroic diligence, philanthropy and patriotism. Passionate words of Helena Modjeska “(…) gather all the powers of the soul and go further and always higher” fit very well with Leopolda Kronenberg’s modus vivendi.
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It seems that for both of them their work was essence of what life is about.
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Modjeska perfected her performing skills throughout her entire life, which enabled her to play ever more difficult roles of world (Shakespeare, Schiller) and domestic (Słowacki, Wyspiański) classic repertoire. Since her early youth with perseverance worthy of Demostenes, she worked on her diction and vocal emission. She was caring a great deal about historical accuracy and emotional truthfulness of characters she played. She studied books concerning age when the play takes place, she checked costumes, at the beginning of her career she often sew them by herself.
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After departure to America actress, nearing forty, with a great determination perfected her English (learning of which she started still in Warsaw), thanks to this she could reveal her great theatrical talent to local public and gain a stunning success. She made in total 26 tours visiting American cities, the last one of those when she was 67. A couple of times she performed in England, and visited her homeland multiple times, including Warsaw, Cracow, Poznan, Lodz and Lvov, sharing her talent with her compatriots. After ending her career, and till the very end of her life she played in performances for philanthropic causes. There were in total over 260 roles in her repertoire! At the end of her life she wrote memoirs, which were published in English after her death under the title Memories and impressions of Helena Modjeska.
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Kronenberg was a wheel horse, a man of inexhaustible power, incredibly active. Tirelessly he occupied his mind with new concepts and ideas. He took new challenges and strived to fulfill them. Open minded regarding opinions of others, (although all key decisions he made on his own), as reflected by his words in the letter to his son: “(…) I myself always listen to advices concerning important business matters, since I am afraid of erroneous impressions, therefore I always discuss with many.”
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Attribute they had in common is generosity and approach to philanthropy. Helping and sharing with others they treated as a duty of those more fortunate and not as a self-promotion or a marketing trick.
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Artist often and readily took part in philanthropic events. She supported talented polish artists, among others, she sponsored musical studies in Vienna for Ignacy Paderewski – who later became a great pianist and composer, and one of founders and first prime minister of independent Poland. In 1883 in Zakopane lacing school was opened, financed by Modjeska.
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Kronenberg on the other hand generously supported hospitals, orphanages, shelters. He employed in his enterprises distinguished writers and unemployed clerks, oftentimes creating especially for them positions superfluous purely from economical point of view. He was founder and sponsor of numerous public institutions such as Industry and Agriculture Museum in Warsaw. Caring for educational level and development of economic awareness of society, he founded numerous schools including his “beloved child” - Szkoła Handlowa (School of Commerce) in Warsaw, which exists till today as Szkoła Główna Handlowa (Warsaw School of Economics).
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Patriotism of both of those figures is undeniable.
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Modjeska after her departure to America continually emphasized her polishes. During The World's Congress of Representative Women in Chicago in 1893 she delivered a passionate, patriotic speech, critical of powers occupying her homeland, gaining name of Polish Ambassador. Two years later as a result of this speech, her already scheduled performances in St. Petersburg and Moscow were canceled and she was denied right to enter on the territory of the Russian Empire.
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Since Polish affairs were close to his heart Kronenberg got involved with patriotic and political activities. After the unrest and demonstrations of 1861 he leads to creation of the Municipal Delegation with the goal of preventing bloodshed. Then he became a member of authorities of the "white” fraction and when January Upraising begun (1863) he contributed large sums to it and sought financial support for his fighting compatriots. He supported polish culture by among others co-financing first polish edition of the works of Nicolaus Copernicus.
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During her stay in Warsaw Modjeska lived next door from the great entrepreneur. Both lived at Królewska street, street indeed worthy its name. Here at the corner of Marszałkowska street on Thursdays poet and writer Jadwiga Łuszczewska (Deotyma) reigned in the salon of her apartment, receiving mainly her admirers from intellectual circles. Earlier at 2 pm crème de la crème rushed to number 3 on the same street, to sample delicacies served by the queen , or rather empress of the cuisine and housekeeping guru, famous Lucyna Ćwierczakiewicz author of the indispensible for every housewife and marriageable girl - 365 lunches for 5 zlotys.
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Also on the same Królewska street number 37 queen of the stage Helena Modjeska hosted her artistic salon. “Tuesdays at madam Helena” were frequented by writers, painters, journalists, theatre critics among them by Henryk Sienkiewicz, Józef Chełmoński, Stanisław Witkiewicz, Adam Chmielowski (future Saint Brother Albert).
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Since 1871 imposing, three storey, eclectic style palace of Leopold Kronenberg (called Kronenber’s House) faced the then Ewagielicki square. Within it there were apartments of the owner and his sons, and also state rooms and guest rooms. The building was lighted and heated in a modern way thanks to equipment placed in the basement.
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Unfortunately time and history had been hard on the palace. Today on its place there is Victoria hotel build in 1976 and the only remaining trace of this truly royal building is a granite column shaft, used for construction of Electio Viritim monument in Warsaw’s district of Wola.
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Both of those great people died in foreign lands, but are buried in Poland. Last will of Helena Modjeska was to be buried in her homeland, and so it happened. After burial in California, coffin with her remains was brought to Rakowicki Cementary in Cracow. Leopold Kronenberg who died in Nice is buried in Kronenberg family chapel at the Ewangelicko-Reformowany Cementary in Warsaw.
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There is no denying that passion and determination so characteristic for both Modjeska and Kronenberg are also attributes of Mrs. Maria Zielińska, curator and member of the educational department of the Wilanów Palace Museum (nota bene living at … Królewska street). Thanks to her creativity and diligence we have got another extraordinary contest of “Wilanów for Young Talents” program titled Helena Modjeska – Icon of Style. Participants should sew a replica of a private or stage outfit of the great actress or design and sew a dress inspired by her dresses. It is indeed a great challenge for those young people, who need to show painstaking diligence, patience and accuracy. Besides tailoring and artistic skills the contest also requires extensive knowledge of the 19th century fashion and also of the culture and arts of this period. It also requires arduous research on the properties and coloring of fabrics and subtle replication of ornamental details. In short it requires …passion and determination.
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One of the main sponsors of the contest is Kronenberg Foundation established in 1996 by Citi Handlowy bank. This distinguished institution links by its activities two, apparently differing and distant fields of business and economy and culture and in this way fulfills spiritual testament of its Patron. The Foundation generously supports and subsidizes numerous educational programs, giving special care to activities preserving national heritage, and awarding annually to those with merit in this field prof. Aleksander Gieysztor prize. In 1998 it transferred to National Museum in Warsaw, purchased by its own means collection of 19th century silverware and in 2010 to Royal Castle in Warsaw Odpoczynek w szałasie tatrzańskim (Rest in the chalet in Tatra mountains) painting by Wojciech Gerson which belonged to Leopold Kronenberg. In the 2006-2008 it contributed to discovery of the tomb of Nicolaus Copernicus in Frombork.
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On the exterior of one of his bank’s branches Leopold Kronenberg ordered a slogan to be placed: ”Poles, get rich”, encouraging his compatriots to better their material position, and consequently strengthen the nation. Helena Modjeska with her great talent, brilliant stage roles, high-end world and classical domestic repertoire raised standards high for the public as she would be calling: “Poles, get spiritually rich!”.
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