At the end of the street, opposite Jan Sztaudynger’s house “Koszysta” (69 Piłsudskiego Street), you will come across a bench featuring the well-known and beloved epigrams (fraszki) of Jan Sztaudynger, who lived in this house.

He was a poet and epigram writer, considered a reviver of the modern Polish fraszka. He authored around five thousand published epigrams, which—from his first collection Feathers (Piórka, 1954)—were highly sought after by readers. Both his political and erotic epigrams shocked and scandalized cultural authorities during the Stalinist period.

During that time, Sztaudynger did not publish any books for seven years (1947–1953). His epigrams overshadowed other areas of his writing; he had debuted in 1925 with a volume of poetry titled My Home and went on to publish over a dozen collections of lyrical poetry, including works for children.

He also translated classics of German literature and authored memoirs, a book about marionette theatre, and nearly a hundred articles on puppet theatres in Poland and across Europe.

Sztaudynger sought to elevate the concept of the fraszka and restore its poetic importance. He referred to his epigrams as “feathers” — small lyrical droplets.
“To this day, he remains one of the classics of modern Polish epigram writing, which means he created a lasting and outstanding model of the genre.”*

Works whose fragments can be heard on the bench: