Traces. The Polish Presence in Switzerland

Polish Romantic poets and students developed cultural and political life here, while the General Committee for Aid to War Victims in Poland in Vevey supported Poles during World War I. Their work contributed to the development of Switzerland.

In architecture, context plays a crucial role. It refers to the environment in which a building is situated. It is through this relationship between the object and its surroundings that a space gains new values and functions. The exhibition brings to light the tangible traces of the Polish presence in Switzerland and their connections within the fields of architecture, engineering, and art. It presents the artistic achievements of Polish emigrants who created and worked in Switzerland during the 19th and 20th centuries. The narrative core of the exhibition is a collection of graphic materials related to selected Polish architectural and engineering structures of a utilitarian nature, as well as works of painting, sculpture, photography, and drawing.

From 1854 onward, he lived in Carouge near Geneva, where he worked at the local topographical office, contributing, among other projects, to the design of the Geneva–Versoix and Lausanne–Thörishaus railway lines. In 1858, he was appointed to the Department of Public Works in Geneva as the cantonal engineer of roads and bridges. Due to health reasons, he resigned in 1875. He earned the gratitude of the Council of the Canton of Geneva for his contribution to the development of the region’s infrastructure.

In 1855, he developed the project for the Lausanne–Bern railway line. As a federal inspector, he also supervised the correction of the Rhône River. In 1863, he built the barracks in Thun and the headquarters of the Swiss National Bank in Bern. In 1865, he moved to Bern, where he served as technical inspector of the newly established Department of Railways and Commerce, later working on tramway projects after his resignation. In 1850, he was awarded a gold medal by the King of Württemberg.

Later, in 1851, Patek began collaborating with Adrien Philippe, and the firm was renamed Patek Philippe & Co. It quickly became a symbol of excellence and precision in the art of watchmaking, revolutionizing the industry through innovative mechanisms and contributing to the development of Geneva’s artisanal tradition. Thanks to the passion and dedication of its founders, the Patek Philippe brand remains to this day a synonym of luxury and Swiss craftsmanship.

After 1870, he returned to Switzerland and, from late 1875, began working as an assistant to the cantonal architect of Bern, Friedrich Salvisberg. In 1881, Stempkowski succeeded him in this position after Salvisberg lost public support due to the controversial demolition of the Christoffel Tower. Stempkowski served as cantonal architect until 1902, earning a reputation as a respected expert throughout the canton. He died by suicide.

In 1947, after the end of the war, he divided his life between Poland and Switzerland. In 1953, he permanently emigrated to Switzerland, where he established his own architectural office, Uniplan AG. From the 1970s onward, in collaboration with the construction company Holzbau AG in Lungern, he began producing LuGa-type wooden houses.

Among his Swiss achievements are designs for the development of Belgrade, secondary school buildings, tram infrastructure (depots and waiting halls), telephone exchange buildings, wells, and shop interiors. He also designed furniture.

He specialized in decorative wall painting in both secular and sacred buildings and also produced reproductions of paintings. He had relationships with two women, with whom he had a total of fifteen children, some of whom continued their father’s artistic legacy. Herbert Libiszewski (1897–1985) became a well-known painter, photographer, and fashion designer, while Artur Libiszewski (b. 1883) and Anton Albert Libiszewski Jr. (b. 1883) also became painters.

In 1940, together with the 2nd Rifle Division, he was interned in Switzerland, where he continued his studies in Wetzikon and later at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich. From 1946 onward, he lived in Geneva, working as a stage and costume designer, primarily for Marcelle Moynier’s puppet theatre. In 1960, he won first prize in an international competition for the decoration of the Grand Théâtre auditorium in Geneva. His design featured an aluminium ceiling adorned with a thousand glass stars and a steel stage curtain.

In 1966 he won the competition for the decoration of the school building in Rickenbach. Between 1967 and 1968 he created a monument for the Polish Embassy in Bern, which was unveiled at the military cemetery in Leysin Lorrets in 1968. Also in 1967 he received first prize at the International Sculpture Competition in Zurich for his work “Growing Crystal.” In 1970 he organized an art forum at the Migros Klubschule and taught art history at the vocational school in Winterthur.