Dream of a painting

1894

Rotunda Dynasy’s history starts with a dream of a painting. In 1894 Henryk Lgocki, a lover of Tatra Mountains, envisioned painting an enormous panorama of the mountains. He introduced his vision to two artists – Włodzimierz Tetmajer and Wincenty Wodzinowski. Fascinated by the idea, the artists climbed daily with a group of painters, for two summer seasons, preparing sketches of the monumental piece.

1896

In 1894 the dream became reality. The finished „Panorama of the Tatra Mountains” measured as much as 115 m in length and 16 m in height. Before the piece was presented in Warsaw, a building that would hold the largest painting the history of Polish art. Had to have been erected. That is how the Rotunda in Dynasy was created, with its project attributed to Karol Kozłowski.

1913

The Rotunda in Dynasy has undergone many metamorphoses over the last one-hundred years. In 1913 the Jewish Theatre was opened here, where, among others, Ida Kamińska had her debut, the first Oscar-nominated Polish actress.

1913

1937

In 1937 the building was taken over by Chevrolet, adapting it to a modern garage with the famous ramp drive, auto body shops, and a gas station. Due to Warsaw’s tragic history during the Second World War, the building suffered significantly, however its lower part’s walls stand to this day.