Warszawa wielu kultur

Swiss
The Swiss have always been
regarded as well-organized
Nation, and the ethnic Swiss
in Warsaw were no exception.
They were a small group, rather
hermetic; and as a consequence they
did not integrate into Polish society as
other ethnic groups managed to. They
preferred to live in their own enclaves.
Religiously they were of the Evangelical
faith: both Lutheran and Calvin, but
rarely were they Roman Catholic. They
had high social standing and preferred
living in areas popular by the aristocracy
or plutocracy. Because they were
multilingual, they were much traveled
in Europe, and were highly educated.
The local population admired them,
probably for snobbish reasons.
The fi rst Swiss of note made his career
in Poland during the reign of Stanislaus
II. Marc Reverdil (1734-90) was a doctor
in two areas of law, who had a good
command of fi ve languages. He came to
Warsaw in 1766 and was employed at
the Royal Court as the archivist to the
King Stanisław, August Poniatowski. For
23 years he was also the Royal librarian,
and edited the King’s journals. Years
later they were worked on by the renowned
Polish-Jewish author and social
activist Aleksaner Kraushar. Reverdil
died in Warsaw and was buried at the
Evangelic Cemetery at Leszno, where he
was later exhumed and re-buried at the
Cemetery at Młynarska.
Jan Andrzej Mini (died 1794), was
the son of Swiss confectioners. He
owned the fi rst cake shop in Warsaw, at
Freta St. He was also an eminent member
of the Masonic lodge. Some half a
century later further Swiss confectioners
arrived in Warsaw such as the Lourses,
Lardellis, Semadenis, and Zambonis.
Representatives from other professions
followed; the Junods, owners of a Kino
Theatres, which were very popular at
the turn of the 19th Century. The Wettlers
were founders of a company that
produced Bathroom Fittings and Central
Heating Systems; Central Heating was
very innovative product at the time.
Swiss patisseries are world-renowned
and it was Lourse and Semadeni
who opened one in the Europejski
Hotel, full of elegant fi ttings, mirrors
and glass tops in metal frames. The
Zambini Brothers bought into the company.
The brothers were owners of the
„Villa Klara” on Ujazdowskie Avenue.
The Swiss also entered the fi eld of Confectionary
production, such as at Polna
Street, which belonged to G.G. Lardelli.
Finally one should not forget the chain
of cake-shops owned by the Lardelli’s,
at 25-27 Nowy Świat St., at 5 Boduena
St. and at the Bagatala.
Kawiarnia Lourse w hotelu Europejskim.
Ze zbiorów Tadeusza W. Świątka.
Lourse café at Europejski hotel.
From Tadeusz W. Świątek’s collection.
Fabryka Lardellego – szwajcarskiego cukiernika.
Ze zbiorów Tadeusza W. Świątka.
Lardelli’s factory – Swiss master of confectionery.
From Tadeusz W. Świątek’s collection.
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