Izaak Mieses (born in 1802 in Lviv), passed away on 3rd February 1883 in Toruń. For many years he was linked with Cracow (from 1830’s until 1863, when Mieses left to Toruń).  Associated with  progressive circles, a prominent expert on the history of Kabbalah, European philosophy, a supporter of Haskalah. Following Alicja Maślak-Maciejewska’s monograph regarding Cracow’s progressive circles, in 1861, it was necessary to employ a permanent preacher, when the construction of a progressive synagogue was at the finishing line. Most importantly however, it was crucial to invite someone to give the innauguration sermon. Even though Izaak Mieses dealt with trade and wasn’t a professional preacher, he was the one who was chosen. He did have letters of recommendation from Solomon Judah Löb HaKohen Rapoport, known as Shir, yet Mieses had no previous…

1st February marks the birth date of Adolf Siódmiak. Born in 1879, in Cracow, Siódmiak was an architect who graduated from the Vienna Technical University in the Faculty of Architecture. His most notable projects include: the orphanage building for Jewish children at Kołłątaja 13 in Tarnów, „Dom Wenecki” (”The Vienna House”) on the Main Market Square 11, a residential house for the staff of the Jewish cemetery at Jerozolimska 14, a funeral parlour at the Jewish cemetery at Jerozolimska 14, mansions at Chłopickiego 16, 3, Misiołka 3, Litewska 13 and Kościelna 5, A Jewish Dormitory for the Association of the Jagiellonian University Students ”Ognisko” at Przemysłowa 3 (designed together with Tobiasz Wexner), tenement houses at Krasińskiego 10 and Morawskiego 10 (designed together with Henryk Ritterman), the buildings of  „Składnica Piwa…

Wiktor Rudolf Ormicki (Nussbaum), the son of Fryderyk Wilhelm, a lawyer and a rail official and Salomea, neé Amenis – a Geography lecturer at the Jagiellonian University, was born on 1st February 1898 in Staroniwa, one of Rzeszów’s discticts. After graduating from grammar school and completing military service in the Austrian army, Nussbaum started studying at the Law Department of the Jagiellonian University.  In  the face of the Polish – Soviet  war, he ceased his education and joined the Polish Army. After coming back from the army in 1922, Nusbaum resumed his education, this time studying Geography in the Department of Philosophy at the Jagiellonian University.  The surname-change decision that he made in 1924 was a huge milestone in his life. He was no longer Nussbaum. He became Wiktor Rudolf…