Tadeusz Faliszewski -- Marzenie [Dreaming], Tango z rewii "Złote szaleństwo" (H.Wars /A.Włast) [Tango from Morskie Oko revue "The Golden Folly"], Syrena-Electro 1930 (Polish)

NOTE: This photoshow is devoted to old Polish manor houses: the pre-1939 residences of Polish gentry (not the aristocracy) -- the social class of land owners and non-urban intelligentsia - which was completely destroyed after 1939, when the "united forces of evil" - the German and the Soviet armies invaded Poland prom East and West without declaring war. The main purpose for the invaders was not femolishion of the Polish state, Polish cities and villages or Polish economy, but -- most of all - annihilation of what's been considered in history as the "Polish identity". Ofcourse, Polish intelligentsia and Polish nobility -- as elitary carriers of the best of the Polish historical heritage -- had become the main goal in that honorable task. During the time of war, in the genocide massacres both by the Soviets and the Germans, about 80% of Polish intelligentsia and nobility was either "physically eliminated" or forced to leave the country and live in exile, and their properties were either destroyed or "nationalised" (according to the post-war decree of the "nationalisation" of the land-owners' property). Therefore, while in 1939 Poland had about 16 ooo manor house residencies scattered across its terrirory, so at present, there's no more that 110 which has been returned to the inheritors of their prewar owners and are now being put back to life.

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Old Polish manor houses were one of the most characteristic features of historical landscape of Poland and their owners played crucial role in the life of the nation through ages. In the 18th century Polish-Lithuanian Union had the largest percentage of the nobility in Europe: about 10 percent of the nation, including Lithuanians, who in the pass of time were completely polonized. (Compared with a European average of 3-4%). Generous privileges of kings and parliaments were granted to the chivalry, especially in earlier centuries, when something had to compensate for their defense of the king and the country. In the 17-18th centuries the chivalry turneed into less military formation of the landowners, in Polish called "ziemianie" (an accurate English translation of that specific Polish word is: terrestrials) who formed a dominant social class in Polish political life until the World War II. That's how the typical Polish country manor house was born: the noble family's prestigeous headquarters, that testified to their social status, therefore - built in the large park or on the hill, and surrounded by ancient trees. Typical Polish manor houses were the single-storey residences, smaller than castles and palaces, and were centres of agricultural management, aristocratic culture, national tradition and -- especially during the 19th century partition of Poland between Russia, Prussia and Austria -- of the brave patriotic spirit and centrre of conspiracy and struggle for indepemdence. Buildings were much larger than ordinary peasants' huts, with more rooms. Initially, the courts also included storage room, but gradually, since the seventeenth century, became independent, singled buildings. However -- thanks to the strong affiliation with the countryside life, as well as , usually, the strong catholic faith of the Polish gentry (-- fact, which to some extent, put together the life of the court, and that of the village people) distinguished the Polish manor house from similar European residences, by its simpleness and modest countenance. Modesty, hospitality and friendly straightforward attitudes were the most valued virtues of the inhabitants of the "old Polish country manor"... alas...

All that is gone now.

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When remastering the recording of this beautiful melancholic tango by Henryk Wars, I suddenly had the "vision"of so many beautiful photographs of the old Polish manor houses, which I have either seen somewhere, or I keep them in my archives. So, I decided to make this film a sort of my little pirivate tribute to the historical phenomenon of the Old Polish Manor Houses -- the miserable remnants of which are sometimes seen here or there, in the forgotten villages of today's Poland.

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