Franciszek Fiszer facts for kids
Franciszek Fiszer, often called Franc Fiszer, was a very interesting and well-known person in Warsaw, Poland. He lived from 1860 to 1937. He was known for enjoying life, loving good food, being very smart, and thinking deeply about things. He was friends with many famous writers and thinkers of his time in Warsaw. People remember him best for the many funny stories, jokes, and wise sayings he created or that were told about him. He became a bit of a legend in the city!
Who Was Franciszek Fiszer?
Early Life
Franciszek Józef Marian Fiszer was born in 1860. His family lived in a manor house called Ławy, near a town called Ostrołęka. His father, Józef Fiszer, came from a German noble family that had become Polish in the 1700s. His mother, Teresa, was from a Polish noble family and owned the manor.
Franc Fiszer was born when both of his parents were over 40 years old. He became an orphan relatively early in his life. Not much else is known about his childhood.
Life in Warsaw
In the 1880s, Fiszer moved to Warsaw. There, he spent most of his time in the city's cafes, restaurants, and popular clubs. Over time, he became a well-known part of Warsaw's social scene. He made friends with many Polish writers, poets, artists, and politicians of that era.
Fiszer was famous for his deep conversations and interesting stories. His favorite pastime was visiting restaurants. During the period between World War I and World War II, he became one of the most notable people in Warsaw's high society. He was often a guest at parties and balls, becoming a living legend.
A Unique Lifestyle
Even though his family's village and manor became neglected and had to be sold because of debts, Fiszer's lifestyle didn't suffer. He rarely had to pay for his meals. Restaurant owners saw him as a great advertisement for their places. Because of this, he was often a guest at famous restaurants like Udziałowa, Ziemiańska, IPS, Oaza, Astoria, or Blikle.
Friends and Legacy
Franc Fiszer had many close friends. Some of them were famous Polish figures. These included Bolesław Leśmian (Fiszer is even said to have helped create his pen-name), Stefan Żeromski, and Władysław Reymont. He was also friends with the Skamandrites poets Antoni Słonimski and Julian Tuwim, as well as Jan Lechoń, Miriam, the famous pianist Artur Rubinstein, and Antoni Lange.
Even though Fiszer never published any books himself, he is mentioned in almost every memoir written by Warsaw artists from that time. He is also unique because he is the only person who never published a book to be mentioned in two important Polish dictionaries: Stanisław Tatarkiewicz's Polish Biographical Dictionary and Leszek Kołakowski's Philosophy in Poland; Dictionary of Writers.
In 1985, many of the memories and stories about Franciszek Fiszer were gathered by Roman Loth into a book. The book was titled Na rogu świata i nieskończoności, which means At the Crossing of World and Infinity.
