Marszałkowska 119

Towards the end of World War II, a legendary singer decided to open a café in a ruined building in the centre of town.

Mieczysław Fogg is one of the most revered Polish singers with a career spanning a number of decades throughout the 20th century. But he did more than just entertain audiences across, the globe, however.

In 1945, Warsaw lay in ruins, as was testified by a group of Swedish radio journalists visiting the city later that year.

[EMBED SWEDISH JOURNALISTS ARCHIVE RECORDING?]

Meanwhile, Mieczysław Fogg opened Café Fogg, a family-run establishment, in a destroyed building facing Marszałkowska Street. Apart from coffee and cake – rare luxuries for those times – the café also provided a meeting place for people looking for loved ones after the atrocities of war.

Further reading:

Mieczysław Fogg Biography on Culture.pl
https://culture.pl/en/artist/mieczyslaw-fogg

Polish Tangos: The Unique Inter-War Soundtrack to Poland’s Independence
https://culture.pl/en/article/polish-tangos-the-unique-inter-war-soundtrack-to-polands-independence

With thanks to:

Michał Fogg, the great-grandson of Mieczysław Fogg, for recalling his family history and story of Café Fogg.

The Polish National Digital Archive, for providing the archival recording of the Swedish radio journalists from December 1945 (Ref: 33-P-173)

Alicja Baczyńska, your audio guide, for help with acoustic mapping throughout the Unseen project.