A Warsaw bourgeoisie household in the second half of the 19th century.

• Authors: Wiernicka A.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The article is based on the probate inventory of Herman Epstein, one of the most active and prosperous businessmen of the Kingdom of Poland in the mid 19th century. Addressing very briefly the issues of career and family ties, only to signal that probate inventories can be a very useful auxiliary source in studying such problems, the paper focuses on the picture of everyday life culture and the organization of household space. The text guides the reader through the Warsaw house of the Epstein family, describing the number, types and functions of the rooms, as well as their furnishings, which reflected both the fashion of the time and the owner's taste. We can find out which rooms were the scene of family life, and which were used only sporadically, how family life intersected with Epstein's professional activity and how many people, family members and others, lived in the house. A detailed analysis of an inventory, which is a very special type of source, can reveal interesting data beyond the sphere of material culture, e.g. it can shed light on family relations or individuals' interests. Therefore, in this case, Herman Epstein, of whose life we know only plain facts, or Eleonora Epstein, of whom we know next to nothing, become real people with emotions and pursuits. The article is intended as a case study and it does not generalize about the whole social class represented by the family in question. The lifestyle of the emerging bourgeoisie awaits more complex and deeper research.

Keywords

EN

HOUSEHOLD; INVENTORIES; WARSAW'S 19TH CENTURY BOURGEOISIE

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Kwartalnik Historii Kultury Materialnej
• Year: 2004
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 93-98
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Wiernicka A.

• A. Wiernicka, ul. Kochanowskiego 10, 05-510 Piaseczno, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

04PLAAAA0005135