A House Party at Grossówna’s
The concert “Will Love Forgive You Everything?” will take place on Tuesday, 24 February, at the Helena Grossówna House in Toruń.
The Kujawsko-Pomorskie Centre for Heritage invites audiences to another edition of “A House Party at Grossówna’s”—a series of meetings devoted to the music and culture of the interwar period, held in the house rebuilt from scratch where the star of early Polish cinema, Toruń native Helena Grossówna, once lived. This time, participants will be treated to a story about the emotional lives of pre-war Poland and the strong feelings that connected figures from the artistic world of the time—from actors to singers.
“Since ‘not every song is about tears, deep sorrow, and longing,’ let us be carried away by incurably romantic love with those who sang about it based on… their own lives. But did love really forgive them everything?” the organizers announce.
The musical host of the evening will be Jakub Gawrysiak, the originator of the entire series. A multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger, he is often described as a one-man orchestra nicknamed “Maestro.” For years, the artist has drawn inspiration from the sounds of the 1920s and 1930s, combining them with his own sensitivity and love of improvisation. A co-founder and lead pianist of the British group RetroSingers, he has performed in Poland and abroad, including in Italy and Germany. In 2019, he appeared at St. Pancras International station in London, where he gave a concert broadcast by Japan’s NHK television. He is also the composer of the bugle call of the town of Jabłonowo.
The concert will take place on Tuesday, 24 February at 5:00 p.m. The event is intimate in nature, so the number of seats is limited. Tickets priced at PLN 40 can be purchased at the Helena Grossówna House, ul. Wola Zamkowa (Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., and directly before the concert).
The historic Grossówna family home, built at the end of the 19th century, was originally slated for demolition. Thanks to the Kujawsko-Pomorskie regional government, it was saved. The timber-framed building was dismantled and moved piece by piece from PCK Street to Wola Zamkowa, where it was carefully reconstructed. It reopened to the public at its new location in April 2024.
The Toruń City Council has declared 2026 the Year of Helena Grossówna. One of the most popular Polish actresses of the pre-war era, she was born in 1904 in Toruń, where she spent her childhood and early youth. She began her artistic career as a dancer, graduating from the Toruń ballet school in 1926, and simultaneously made her debut on the stage of the Municipal Theatre. Her film career before World War II lasted only four years, but it was exceptionally prolific. She appeared in 17 productions, alongside such pre-war stars as Eugeniusz Bodo and Adolf Dymsza. “Piętro wyżej,” “Paweł i Gaweł,” “Zapomniana melodia,” “Serce matki,” and “Królowa przedmieścia” are just some of the films featuring her. These productions gave rise to songs still popular today, including “Ach, śpij kochanie,” “Już nie zapomnisz mnie,” and “Umówiłem się z nią na dziewiątą.” During the German occupation, she was actively involved in the resistance movement, serving in the Home Army (Armia Krajowa) under the pseudonym “Bystra.” She took part in the Warsaw Uprising, commanding the women’s battalion “Sokół.” After the war, she appeared only in minor roles. She died in 1994 in Warsaw.
Department of Promotion
10 February 2026