Jerzy Sosnkowski was born on 23 October 1894 inWarsaw[1] from Zofia (née Drabińska) (1858–1938) and Józef Bogdan Sosnkowski (1832–1896), a wealthy nobleman and owner of several villages.[2]
Gentry traditions and Polish patriotism were deeply honored in the family. Sosnkowski had three sisters and two brothers, in addition to five other half-siblings from his father's first marriage.[3]
He attended thegymnasium on Złota Street in Warsaw. He then went to the private PolishArtur Jeżewski's School of Commerce (Szkoła Handlowa A. Jeżewskiego), where he passed hismatura in June 1913.[3] With his diploma, he left forLviv to study architecture atLviv Polytechnic which his brother Kazimierz was already attending.[4]
On 2 October 1914, during theFirst World War, he enlisted as a corporal in the1st Uhlan Regiment. He took part in the operations of theAustrian Army on the Russian front in theLublin region and inVolhynia. In November 1915, he was temporarily released due to serious illness: he stayed inSandomierz on the estate of his sister Wanda Chołocińska.[4]
In March 1916, he transferred to Warsaw, in order to resume his studies at the Faculty of Architecture of theWarsaw University of Technology (Wydział Architektury Politechniki Warszawskiej), under the supervision of architect Czesław Przybylski. In September 1918, he passed the semi-graduate exam.[5]
AfterPoland regained independence, Sosnkowski joined the 2nd RokitnianChevau-léger regiment as a volunteer, taking part in the winter campaign on the Volhynian front. From June to September 1919, he took a course at the Officer Cadet School in Warsaw and was accordingly promoted to second lieutenant; he was sent posted to the Staff of the Ministry of Military Affairs. He eventually ended his military service in September 1921.[3]
Sosnkowski was rewarded theCross of Independence on 12 May 1931, for "work in the effort to regain Independence".[6]
In 1934, as an ancient mobilized officer, he was listed in the records of the3rd Recruitment District Command of Warsaw, a military body responsible in particular for the administration of reserves. As such, Sosnkowski was assigned to the Reserve Officers' District Nr I, with the rank oflieutenant, "intended to be called back in wartime".[7]
Advertising leaflet of the company "DECOR", 1921Sosnkowski smoking (facing the camera) at the Artistic and technical committee of the Maritime and River League, 1930
In 1917, Sosnkowski co-submitted several stamp designs, in the framework of the competition for the postal marks of the Kingdom of Poland.[8]
Around 1921, together with Franciszek Biske (1895–1938), also a student of the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology, he founded the company "DECOR", which performed all types of works within the scope of applied artistic graphics and interior decoration.[9]
In Warsaw, Sosnkowski was actively involved in many artistic fields, staying several months for a course at theÉcole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. At the time, he had been already identified by Józef Gawlikowski, aWarsaw Publishing House editor, as (...) "a successful architect, a theatre painter and interior decorator, an illustrator and a draftsman, appreciated in England."[9]
He graduated on 31 June 1929, obtaining a diploma from the Department of Monumental Design, under the supervision of Czesław Przybylski.[11]Right after (1930), he designed together withJuliusz Żórawski his first project, theAtlantic movie theater in Warsaw.[11]
He became also a member of theAssociation of Polish Architects.[10] Thanks to his brother's connections, Jerzy received military commissions from theMilitary Quartering Fund (Fundusz Kwaterunku Wojskowego, FKW) which resulted in the construction of several military residential houses, according to his designs (1929–1937).[9] He created as well designs for furniture.[11]
Together with Czesław Piaskowski, a Polish set designer and decorator, he created thescenography for the movieRycerze mroku (Knights of Darkness), directed by Bruno Bredschneider and Stefan Szwarc in 1932.[13]In this period, he also designed theatre sets (operettas)[1] and interiors. Namely, the interior of theŻywiec restaurant[14] in Warsaw was distinctive with its streamlined shapes, used in both architectural elements and furniture.[1]
Thanks to his knowledge of foreign languages (French, German, Russian) and his artistic capabilities, Sonskowski travelled at length and published a number of articles inTygodnik Illustrowany (The Illustrated Weekly), often with his own illustrations: Lviv (1922),Borysław oil basin (1925), Lublin (1927),Hutsulshchyna (1928), theFrench Riviera (1925),Czechoslovakia (1925),Denmark (1926),Amsterdam (1928),Venice (1932).[15]
Sosnkowski survived the war in occupied Warsaw. His activity during the conflict was very low: the only known works are illustrations for Józef Krysiński's thrillerMieszkanie przy ul. Wielka, published in Warsaw in 1941. He was arrested by theGestapo on charges of commanding a combat action inRadom and then released in 1944.[9] In spring, the same year, his wife left toLisbon.[3]
Released in October from aKraków prison, he fled the advancingRed Army towards Germany in early 1945. He was arrested inNuremberg by the 3rd American Army, identified and evacuated by plane on 27 May to Paris. Living in camps between France and England, Sosnkowski decided in the middle of 1947 to emigrate to Argentina, where he arrived on 20 July 1947, inCampaña, nearBuenos Aires. In parallel, his brother, Kazimierz, had left Poland for Canada.
During his stay in exile, he first participated in Polish community life before stepping out of it. Sosnkowski lived in an unfinished house in the district ofAguila Blanca in Merlo near the capital city, financially supported by friendly neighbors. During this period, he intensively created lead drawings and watercolours on architectural themes from cities of pre-war Poland. These works are now exhibited at thePolish Library in Buenos Aires.
He died in the district ofMerlo[3] on 10 December 1954.[16]
His achievements, architectural, design and artistic projects were presented in a multimedia exhibition organized in theDom Polski-Casa Polaca (Polish house), in Buenos Aires in October 2023.[16]
In 1931, he co-founded the magazineWnętrze (Interior)[11] and led it as theeditor-in-chief till 1934. The aim of the publication was to promote modern, avant-garde forms, as well as to promote the best architects and designers, and to advertise professional construction companies and various manufacturers related to this field.[17]Some of his articles on architecture[18]and urban space[19] appeared in the dailyKurier Warszawski.Wnętrze's last issue was published in 1936.
Sosnkowski created illustrations, cartoons and articles (more than 180)[3] for theTygodnik Illustrowany and forNaokoło Świata, a series of travel literature published by the State Publishing House "Iskra".[11]
In addition, he gaveserial story lectures broadcast on the radio, such asUrządzanie wnętrz mieszkaniowych (Home interior design) in 1927[20] orUroda miast portowych (The beauty of port cities) in 1929.[21]
Sosnkowski also wrote novels, short stories or illustrated[22] other authors books. This activity mainly happened before his architectural graduation (1929).
In his books, Sosnkowski tackled fantasy themes, writing about still undiscovered territories, or in the case of a series of short storiesŻywe powietrze, about monsters, threats from space beings in space and creatures resembling characters fromH.P. Lovecraft novels.[23]In addition, his works ridiculed satiricallyJanusz Meissner's style.[23]
Czerwone wyłogi: szkice i obrazki (Red Lapels: Sketches and Pictures) (1917) – a collection of short stories from his battle experiences duringWorld War I
Jednodniówka akademicka (One-Day Academic) (1918)
Dom filozofów (Philosophers' House) – short stories (1923)[24]
Auto, ty i ja (The Car, You and Me) – short stories (1925)
Bosman Finta (Boatswain Finta) – dedicated to his brother Kazimierz;[25] short stories (1926)
Żywe powietrze (Living Air) – novel (1926)
Radjomiłość (Radio Love) – novel (1927)
Żywy sen (Living Dream),Latający dywan (Flying Carpet),Na ognistym wozie (On a Fiery Cart),W kuchni wieloryba (In the Whale's Kitchen),Białe Orlę (White Eagle) andKrew ziemi (The Blood of the Earth) (1928) – didactic patriotic readings included in an anthology for school youth, commissioned by the Książnica-Atlas publishing house[26]
His wife, Zofia Janicka, remained in Paris after 1945, where she worked as amilliner. In 1951, she received a visa for permanent residence inRio de Janeiro and lived there unil the beginning of the 1960s. She then moved toNew York City, where died in 1965. She regularly collaborated with theJózef Piłsudski Institute of America in New York City.[4]
^abcKozina, Irma (2015).Polski Design [Polish Design] (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo SBM. pp. 68–69.ISBN9788378458968.
^abŁoza, Stanisław (1939).Czy wiesz kto to jest? Uzupełnienia i sprostowania [Do you know who this is? Additions and corrections] (in Polish). Warsaw: Drukarnia Wydawnicza Warszawa. p. 287. Retrieved17 January 2025.
^abcdBłaszczyk, Dariusz (2023).Brat generała. Jerzy Sosnkowski (1893–1954) [The general's brother. Jerzy Sosnkowski (1893–1954)] (in Polish). Warsaw: Fundacja Centrum Architektury.ISBN978-83-969081-3-1.
^"KRĄG-JERZY SOSNKOWSKI" [CIRCLE-JERZY SOSNKOWSKI].facebook.com (in Polish). Warsaw: Meta. 23 October 2020. Retrieved18 January 2025.
^abcd"arch. Jerzy Sosnkowski" [Architect Jerzy Sosnkowski].archimemory.pl (in Polish). Warsaw: Marek Perepeczo. 23 October 2020. Retrieved18 January 2025.
^"RYCERZE MROKU" [Knights of Darkness].filmpolski.pl (in Polish). Łódż: Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Filmowa, Telewizyjna i Teatralna im. Leona Schillera w Łodzi. 6 June 2024. Retrieved18 January 2025.
^"Restauracja Żywiec, 1932" [Żywiec restaurant, 1932].amused.github.io (in Polish). Warsaw: Nowe Ateny. 31 December 2013. Retrieved18 January 2025.
^Sosnkowski, Jerzy (1932).Tygodnik Illustrowany [Tygodnik Illustrowany] (in Polish). Warsaw: Gebethner i Wolff. Retrieved19 January 2025.
^Sosnkowski, Jerzy (14 May 1930).Bez pozwolenia. Kurjer Warszawski R.110, nr 130 [Without permission. Warsaw Courier R.110, nr 130] (in Polish). Warsaw: Feliks Mrozowski i Konrad Olchowicz. p. 8. Retrieved18 January 2025.
^Sosnkowski, Jerzy (7 February 1937).Ni to, no owo. Kurjer Warszawski R.117, nr 38 [Neither this nor that. Warsaw Courier R.117, nr 38] (in Polish). Warsaw: Feliks Mrozowski i Konrad Olchowicz. pp. 15–16. Retrieved18 January 2025.
^Krysiński, Józef (1941).Mieszkanie przy ul. Wielkiej [Apartment at Wielka Street] (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Polskie. Retrieved18 January 2025.
^abNevins, Jess (2020).Horror Fiction in the 20th Century: Exploring Literature's Most Chilling Genre. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. pp. 73–74.ISBN9781440862069.
^Grudnik, Krzysztof (2024)."Jerzy Sosnkowski "Dom filozofów"" [Jerzy Sosnkowski "Philosophers' house"].wydawnictwoix.pl (in Polish). Kraków: Wydawnictwo IX. Retrieved19 January 2025.
^Budrewicz, Zofia (2003).Czytanka literacka w gimnazjum międzywojennym: Geneza, struktura, funkcje [Literary reading in the interwar middle school: Genesis, structure, functions] (in Polish). Kraków: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Akademii Pedagogicznej. pp. 90, 92.ISBN83-7271-198-4.
^Mila, Leszek (2 May 2022)."Jerzy Sosnkowski".geni.com. Retrieved17 January 2025.
^Łabuz, Mateusz (2024)."Kazimierz Sosnkowski" [Kazimierz Sosnkowski].warhist.pl (in Polish). Warsaw: II WOJNA ŚWIATOWA. Retrieved19 January 2025.
Błaszczyk, Dariusz (2023).Brat generała. Jerzy Sosnkowski (1893–1954) [The general's brother. Jerzy Sosnkowski (1893–1954)] (in Polish). Warsaw: Fundacja Centrum Architektury.ISBN978-83-969081-3-1.
Łoza, Stanisław (1939).Czy wiesz kto to jest? Uzupełnienia i sprostowania [Do you know who this is? Additions and corrections] (in Polish). Warsaw: Drukarnia Wydawnicza Warszawa. p. 287. Retrieved19 January 2025.
