Today marks the anniversary of the iconic Pod Picadorem café, which opened its doors on November 29, 1918, just 18 days after Poland regained its independence. Nestled at No. 57 Nowy Świat, this pioneering literary café not only symbolized the dawn of a new era for Polish culture but also laid the groundwork for Warsaw’s flourishing interwar literary scene.
Pod Picadorem: Revolutionizing Polish Poetry with Humor and Accessibility
The café was the brainchild of poet Tadeusz Raabe and founded by a group of young poets associated with the magazine Pro Arte et Studio: Jan Lechoń, Antoni Słonimski, and Julian Tuwim. Its bold mission was to revolutionize Polish poetry, shedding the lofty airs of the Young Poland movement and instead fostering an intimate connection between poets and the public. The founders embraced humour, satire, and everyday language, drawing inspiration from literary cafés emerging in Russia and beyond.
Decorated by artists Romuald Kamil Witkowski and Aleksander Świdwiński, Pod Picadorem was an avant-garde space that broke the mould. Entry was charged at 5 marks, and the café famously introduced a “menu” for artistic interactions, where audience members could pay for services such as explanations of poems, which cost 75 marks. This tongue-in-cheek commodification of poetry made the café both subversive and endearing.
A Literary Nexus: Pod Picadorem’s Dynamic Legacy and Bold Defiance
The café quickly became a hub for Warsaw’s literary elite. Regular contributors and visitors included luminaries such as Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, Kazimierz Wierzyński, Leopold Staff, Stefan Żeromski, and Bolesław Leśmian. The atmosphere was vibrant, with readings of poetry, satirical commentary on the fledgling Polish state, and performances that celebrated or lampooned the bourgeoisie.
In early 1919, Pod Picadorem merged with the Futurist Club and moved to the basement of the Hotel Europejski. Here, under names like the “Black Lantern Club” or the “Guild of Poets,” the café continued to push boundaries. However, its radical energy attracted scrutiny. A police raid in February 1919, based on false accusations of Bolshevik activity, underscored the tensions of the time. Despite this, the café’s community thrived, though the venue closed by April 1919, its cultural impact enduring long after.
The Catalyst for Warsaw’s Literary Renaissance
The café’s legacy is tightly intertwined with the rise of the Skamander literary group, whose members, including Tuwim and Lechoń, became dominant figures in Polish literature. Pod Picadorem’s short yet vibrant life marked the beginning of Warsaw’s transformation into the literary capital of an independent Poland, outshining pre-war cultural centres like Kraków and Lwów.