Mężczyzna w wielkim mieście przełomu XIX i XX wieku na przykładzie Warszawy i Łodzi w świetle wspomnień

Abstract

The aim of the article is an analysis of personal relationship and experiences of men who lived at the turn of the 20th century and biggest cities of the Kingdom of Poland, Warsaw and Łódź. Fast rate of demographic development and changes in urban space at the time had an important impact on observers. According to this, author analyses memoirs of three chosen young members of intelligentsia, who became adult circa 1900: Ignacy Baliński, Józef Galewski, Aleksander Mogilnicki, Michał Sokolnicki and Kazimierz Wroczyński. Their relations has some similarities and differences. The most important of them is way of writing about urban space of Warsaw and Łódź. After the analysis it can be stated that men who lived at the turn of centuries could admire the city in a broad way, discover urban space and valuate it. They experienced some border and dangerous events like demonstrations or riots. Their relations are an evidence of 19th century moral norms, which allowed men to use urban space in much more opened way then women. At the same time strong emotional relationship with Warsaw and distant attitude to Łódź and its urban space can be noticed.