The history of the carpentry shop
Bieniek furniture
In the spring of 1937,
Zygmunt Bieniek officially began to provide carpentry services in the village of Rozalin near Jadów.
About us
The story of Zygmunt Bieniek
In our family, carpentry was started by our grandfather, Zygmunt Bieniek, who was born in Rozalin near Jadów in 1918. He came from a farming family where farming was the main source of income. In those days, all everyday items were made in small home workshops or by yourself in the comfort of your own home.
Young Zygmunt made his first toys on his own as a child. I still remember how my grandfather taught us how to make bows from branches and string.
Grandpa's childhood was not as colorful as it is today. Zygmunt was the oldest son and from an early age, together with his siblings, he helped his father Stanisław in agricultural work. After finishing the 4th grade of primary school, he devoted all his time to working on the family farm under family pressure. Zygmunt had a hobby of carpentry. My father considered this passion as pointless because "you can't eat wood", as he used to say. Agriculture in those days was based mainly on human work, so every pair of hands was important.
Numerous offspring were a guarantee of prosperity in old age and a supply of labor on the farm.
About us
The story of Zygmunt Bieniek
In our family, carpentry was started by our grandfather, Zygmunt Bieniek, who was born in Rozalin near Jadów in 1918. He came from a farming family where farming was the main source of income. In those days, all everyday items were made in small home workshops or by yourself in the comfort of your own home.
Young Zygmunt made his first toys on his own as a child. I still remember how my grandfather taught us how to make bows from branches and string.
Grandpa's childhood was not as colorful as it is today. Zygmunt was the oldest son and from an early age, together with his siblings, he helped his father Stanisław in agricultural work. After finishing the 4th grade of primary school, he devoted all his time to working on the family farm under family pressure. Zygmunt had a hobby of carpentry. My father considered this passion as pointless because "you can't eat wood", as he used to say. Agriculture in those days was based mainly on human work, so every pair of hands was important.
Numerous offspring were a guarantee of prosperity in old age and a supply of labor on the farm.
About us
The story of Zygmunt Bieniek
In our family, carpentry was started by our grandfather, Zygmunt Bieniek, who was born in Rozalin near Jadów in 1918. He came from a farming family where farming was the main source of income. In those days, all everyday items were made in small home workshops or by yourself in the comfort of your own home.
Young Zygmunt made his first toys on his own as a child. I still remember how my grandfather taught us how to make bows from branches and string.
Grandpa's childhood was not as colorful as it is today. Zygmunt was the oldest son and from an early age, together with his siblings, he helped his father Stanisław in agricultural work. After finishing the 4th grade of primary school, he devoted all his time to working on the family farm under family pressure. Zygmunt had a hobby of carpentry. My father considered this passion as pointless because "you can't eat wood", as he used to say. Agriculture in those days was based mainly on human work, so every pair of hands was important.
Numerous offspring were a guarantee of prosperity in old age and a supply of labor on the farm.
Father problems
Great-grandfather Stanisław was against Zygmunt developing his carpentry talent. He was afraid that his firstborn son, having a profession in his hand, would run away into the world, leaving the family home. On Wednesdays, there were regular fairs where my great-grandfather sold his agricultural produce. This time was suitable for Zygmunt to develop his carpentry skills. The first major project completed was a handmade carpentry table, which was necessary for work.
At the age of 19 in 1937, Zygmunt, then an adult, began providing his services to the local community that needed his products for their everyday existence. My grandfather made ax handles, agricultural tools, brooms, fitted treadmills with wood and provided the necessary joinery for building houses. At that time, plastic was not available, so wood, thanks to its physical properties such as strength, flexibility, lightness and ease of processing, made wood an attractive material for the production of various types of objects.
In 1939, World War II broke out and my grandfather had to stop his activities because all specialists were at risk of being captured and sent to German labor camps. Zygmunt devoted the entire war period to agricultural activities on his parents' farm. Many friends have it
Zygmunt started a family
In 1946, he married Julianna Gawor and started building his own house and workshop next to his parents. The grandparents had three sons: Stanisław, Józef and the youngest, Jan. The post-war period was difficult for the young couple. The turmoil of World War II and the resulting destruction had an impact on the development of the carpentry shop.
Stanisław and Jan continued their father's passion and decided to learn the carpentry trade at Warsaw Vocational Schools with this profile.
Stanisław and Jan connect their lives with carpentry
My uncle Stanisław Bieniek worked all his life in the "Stolarka Wołomin" plant, which dealt with, among others, production of windows and doors.
Józef Bieniek took over the farm.
Jan Bieniek
During the times of the Polish People's Republic, Jan Bieniek (my father) worked at the Zaplecze Carpentry Works, and in the 1990s, together with his friend Andrzej, they opened their own carpentry shop at Oliwska Street in Warsaw's Bródno.
Carpentry runs in our blood in the Bieniek family
One of the few photos in which I am with my grandfather, Zygmunt, and my brother Arkadiusz, who also runs a carpentry workshop.
