The Milusin manor house in Sulejówek of Józef and Aleksandra Piłsudski was built in 1923 according to the design of architect Kazimierz Skórewicz in the fashionable manor house style. The Piłsudski family lived here for three years when the Marshal withdrew from state affairs. “They moved in the spring of 1923 and stayed until June 1926. Then Piłsudski returned to politics, and the whole family moved to Belweder. Milusin’s house then became a summer residence, where Aleksandra often came with her two daughters Wanda and Jadwiga,” he told PAP .PL historian Małgorzata Basaj.

He recalled that in January 1921, Aleksandra Szczerbińska, who was not yet Józef Piłsudski’s wife, bought two plots of land in Sulejówek called “Willa Otradno” and “Willa Milusin”. On one of them stands Drewniak – a summer house, built in the popular Świdermajer style.

“The area surrounded by forest turned out to be an ideal resting place for the marshal and his family. Two years later, the Piłsudski family moved into the manor house – a gift from the soldiers to their commander,” he said. Most of the park is occupied by forest, but there is also a vegetable garden, an apiary and an orchard. Aleksandra Piłsudska wrote in her memoirs that the years spent in Dworek Milusin were the happiest times for the family. Perhaps because Józef Piłsudski withdrew from political life and had more time for his family, although he continued to work, but in a different capacity. ” – he noted and added that the Piłsudski family really valued the forest around the manor house and did not allow any encroachment on its space.

During World War II, the manor house remained intact and all its furnishings were preserved.

“However, in 1948, by order of the then state authorities, all the items from the palace were packed up, taken away, and no trace of them was found. Only about a dozen of the most valuable items were found and they were all inside the living room at Milusin. “Including a sofa set, painting, candle holder or amphora,” he said.

One of Piłsudski’s neighbors in Sulejówek was the Moraczewski family.

It was here that one of Piłsudski’s most important works, the book “1920”, was written and here he and his wife worked on this book. It was Aleksandra who wrote this book, which Józef dictated. They work at night, because Józef likes to work at night and sleep longer in the morning.- he said.

“Józef Piłsudski and Jędrzej Moraczewski, the first prime ministers of the Second Polish Republic, liked to discuss with each other. Initially, they conducted these discussions through the fence. Over time, Piłsudski decided to build a bench near the fence so that Prime Minister Moraczewski could sit on it. Day here, you can find this bench in the park ” – he noted and added that small gates leading to the neighbors were also built to shorten the road to them.

There was also a library in the manor house with about 1.5 thousand missing books.

It was here that one of Piłsudski’s most important works, the book “1920”, was written and here he and his wife worked on this book. It was Aleksandra who wrote this book, which Józef dictated. They work at night, because Józef likes to work at night and sleep longer in the morning.- he said.

According to historians in Sulejówek, the Piłsudski family, along with their housekeeper Adelcia, lived simply because “Piłsudski gave up his salary and supported the family with what he earned from his writing work.”

“The figure of Józef Piłsudski, one of the most important figures in Polish history, is reason enough to come to Milusin” – concluded Basaj.(PAP)

Video material available at PAP.PL https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/historyczka-w-dworku-milusin-w-sulejowku-rodzina-pilsudskich-spedzila-najszczesliwsze

Author: Agnieszka Gorczyca

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