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I don’t know whether my great-grandfather built that house in Lagiewniki or bought it. What I do know is I was born there, but I was 5 years old when we moved away from there. But maybe he did build it, because that house was wisely designed, and the outbuildings were in a square. The house fronted onto the street – like so. A very decent house, stone.
When you went in off the street, first there was this porch – we didn’t call it a hallway, we didn’t call it a hall. Straight in front of you was a shop. Not an inn, so much, but an off-license, you couldn’t drink in the shop. It sold beer and wine, that I remember – I remember these barrels and kegs standing there, probably for a wedding somewhere or something. Maybe they sold vodka there too. I think some man worked there. Perhaps an assistant hired by Grandfather. Next to the entrance to the shop was a pantry where there was a big cupboard.
From the porch, off to the right you went into a huge dining room. The dining room window looked out onto the street. Right beyond that was Grandfather’s room, there he had his cashbox, his desk – today we’d call it an office. It was a nice room, furnished – masculine; Grandfather slept there. Then there was the parlor. That was a beautiful, very big room, several windows onto both sides – the front and the yard. And in that room, in the parlor, Grandma slept, she had her own door out into the yard.
From the parlor there was a passage to my parents’ room, and then there was another, smaller room, Aunt Ela’s. I lived [slept] in with Aunt Ela, and my brother Jehuda with my parents. And there was also this glassed-in verandah, that was where we played when my cousins came. The Wieners, for instance, from Cracow. The verandah gave out onto the yard. Yes, we played there in the winter, and if the weather was bad in the summer, we didn’t play outside, but on the verandah.
In front of the house, from the street side, was a large summerhouse. Yes. And parallel to the house was a stable. We called it a stable, but there weren’t any horses there, just a trap, because my father’s sisters used to ride to town, to Podgorze to school. Next to that was the drying house where the hides were dried. And at right angles was this outhouse. Further on was the wash house, and in it a bath and everything needed for the washing. A barrel stood underneath the guttering to collect rainwater for the washing. The washerwoman came once a week. There was a cellar too, where there was an ice-house – part of the cellars were clad in ice. In the winter ice would be brought from the Wilga so they could keep it cool in the summer. The Jews eat kosher meat, and so when they killed a calf they had to have ice to keep the meat fresh.
When you went in off the street, first there was this porch – we didn’t call it a hallway, we didn’t call it a hall. Straight in front of you was a shop. Not an inn, so much, but an off-license, you couldn’t drink in the shop. It sold beer and wine, that I remember – I remember these barrels and kegs standing there, probably for a wedding somewhere or something. Maybe they sold vodka there too. I think some man worked there. Perhaps an assistant hired by Grandfather. Next to the entrance to the shop was a pantry where there was a big cupboard.
From the porch, off to the right you went into a huge dining room. The dining room window looked out onto the street. Right beyond that was Grandfather’s room, there he had his cashbox, his desk – today we’d call it an office. It was a nice room, furnished – masculine; Grandfather slept there. Then there was the parlor. That was a beautiful, very big room, several windows onto both sides – the front and the yard. And in that room, in the parlor, Grandma slept, she had her own door out into the yard.
From the parlor there was a passage to my parents’ room, and then there was another, smaller room, Aunt Ela’s. I lived [slept] in with Aunt Ela, and my brother Jehuda with my parents. And there was also this glassed-in verandah, that was where we played when my cousins came. The Wieners, for instance, from Cracow. The verandah gave out onto the yard. Yes, we played there in the winter, and if the weather was bad in the summer, we didn’t play outside, but on the verandah.
In front of the house, from the street side, was a large summerhouse. Yes. And parallel to the house was a stable. We called it a stable, but there weren’t any horses there, just a trap, because my father’s sisters used to ride to town, to Podgorze to school. Next to that was the drying house where the hides were dried. And at right angles was this outhouse. Further on was the wash house, and in it a bath and everything needed for the washing. A barrel stood underneath the guttering to collect rainwater for the washing. The washerwoman came once a week. There was a cellar too, where there was an ice-house – part of the cellars were clad in ice. In the winter ice would be brought from the Wilga so they could keep it cool in the summer. The Jews eat kosher meat, and so when they killed a calf they had to have ice to keep the meat fresh.
Period
Interview
Emilia Leibel