November 1918 Calendar of Warsaw Theatres: The Breakthrough Days

Tomasz Mościcki

Abstract

This article presents events of the exceptionally stormy month in the capital of Poland at the time the country was regaining independence. Warsaw was the arena and focal point of the most significant political events: the return of Józef Piłsudski after his release from the Magdeburg prison, the formation of the new Polish government, the excitement of the people of Warsaw that mixed with their uncertainty about the future, about security in the streets and economic difficulties—and all these were accompanied with equally turbulent events in the theatres and around them.

November 1918 gave rise to some legends, which, perpetuated in memoirs, misshape the truth about the events of that period. While citing such accounts, the author attempts to establish the true turn of events based on contemporary press publications that were very thorough in reporting the events. The author quotes these press reports or their excerpts. They often reappear for the first time since their publication, and taken together, they make up a fascinating, albeit fragmentary, mosaic showing what the November 1918 theatre in Warsaw was like. Though the fast pace of events does indeed bring to mind a kaleidoscope rather than a simple mosaic.