KIEPURA Jan - Poznań - Bilażewski atelier. Photo of the artist in front of the Bazaar surrounded by greeters (with E. Kujaciński on the left); 1938 or 1939; on verso stamp Film Photo-News. Owner W. Bilażewski. Poznan No. 12 Ogrodowa St. and 9/11 Dabrowskiego St. II p; photo p.b., condition bdb.; dimensions 170x110 mm. Price: 150 zloty
Edward Kujacinski began working at Bazar in 1915. Mobilized to the Reichswehr that year, he returned to work in 1919. He was appointed director of the Bazar in 1922, and a year later elected by the shareholders as a member of the board of directors. Thanks to him, the Bazar maintained its reputation in the Second Republic. It stood higher in the ranking of hotels than the Europejski Hotel in Warsaw.
Jan Kiepura (1902-1966) visited Bazar for the first time in 1927. A personal intimacy developed between the excellent singer and E. Kujacinski. Somewhat self-interested on the part of J. Kiepura, because he wanted to base his plans for the construction of his own hotel - Patria - on the experience of Bazar. In interviews with the Poznań press, he emphasized that he enjoyed coming to Poznań, even when he wasn't giving concerts, because he had many devoted friends there. Kujacinski traveled to Krynica at the invitation of J. Kiepura. At that time they lived in the spa town of Lwigródek. Kujacinski advised on the selection of the plot of land, created a cost estimate for the building, determined the functions of the future hotel, and suggested the choice of companies furnishing Patria. Of course, Wielkopolska ones. He had an offer from Kiepura to abandon the Bazaar and take over the Patria. Kiepura struggled with the contractors' untimeliness as a result of poor supervision. This translated into a 100% increase in the cost of the investment - from 1 million to 2 million zlotys. Pre-war, of course. Either way the amount is dizzying.
