Ornamental pedestal

A tall, wooden pedestal used to hold another decorative element, such as a sculpture or a vase, was part of the living space of Helena Kurcyusz (1914-1999), a Polish architect-urban planner, painter and cultural animator who made a lasting mark on the post-war history of Szczecin. As the chief urban planner of the Szczecin Province, she was among a small group of individuals who had a major impact on the urban design of the province's capital, as well as many other places in Western Pomerania. Szczecin residents know her as the author of unusual names for many squares, streets and parks, such as Jasne Błonia, Ku Słońcu, Wiatru od Morza or Bohaterów Warszawy. Kurcyuszowa also played a huge formative cultural role, actively contributing to the region's cultural and artistic life, and initiating, among other things, the creation of the "13 Muz" Club. She was also an active social activist, a member of the Shooting Sports Section of the "Ogniwo" Sports Club, the Association of Veterans and Former Concentration Camp Prisoners, as well as the Committee for Physical Education and Tourism. Furthermore, her talent as a painter is evident in her numerous watercolours on a wide range of subjects: from landscape views, greenery and architecture to portraits and miniatures. She was also the author of many poems and memoirs dating from the occupation period and her early years in Szczecin. Helena Kurcyusz, who died on 21 January 1999, was buried in her family tomb at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw. A few months later, thanks to the efforts of her friends, some of her memorabilia, including the antique pedestal, were donated to the collection of the National Museum in Szczecin. Anna Lew-Machniak