Lata dwudzieste, lata trzydzieste…

The interwar period is a short time in the history of Poland, which made an extremely colourful appearance. The young state and the newly reunited society were seething with various manifestations of social, political and cultural life. But are we so different from those who lived 100 years ago? Since it's the '20s again, we decided to reach for pre-war Polish hits and look for a mirror image of today's times!

The lyrics of the songs were inspired by countless anecdotes, bon mots, funny adventures and memorable events that took place during this colourful period. Adolf Dymsza, the most popular actor at the time, when asked what he would like to do in another life, replied: "He would sell cold but very cold soda water and ice cream in the Sahara. First-class business!". When it comes to songs and dance events, the reports from marathons, which were very popular all over Poland, in which the couple who stayed on the dance floor the longest, often spending many hours without a break, sound like a fantasy!

It was not only the world of culture that inspired poems and song lyrics. In 1926, during the deliberations of the budget committee in the Polish Parliament, there were discussions about protection for female artists ("Supporting art is one thing, supporting actresses another") and too short skirts of Polish students. On the other hand, at the local government level, more practical topics for discussion were selected. In 1933, the City Council of Łódź discussed the expenses of the magistrate. It has been established beyond a reasonable doubt that the tax department uses ten kilograms of sugar per kilogram of tea, and sixteen kilograms per kilogram of tea at the social services department. Record holders consumed forty!

As you can see, you could easily find a cold scoundrel, arrange a nine o'clock, arouse a discussion with sex appeal or hide an excess of sweets! * We invite you to get to know this extremely colourful reality, depicted in the most popular hits of the past. Although… sometimes it seems to us that they reflect the world of not only 100 years ago, but also the one contemporary to us!


* The writer Remigiusz Piotrowski researches the absurdities and curiosities of pre-war Poland. Those interested in the subject, we refer to the author's books.