Rotunda Culture Centre
Kraków Artists: Music
A student club at Oleandry Street 1, one of the longest-operating cultural institutions in Kraków. It is housed in the modernist building of the Ignacy Mościcki Second Student Residence, called Żaczek by the students, built in 1924-1936 to a design by Wacław Krzyżanowski. The "Rotunda" Student Club opened here on 19 January 1953, and leading Polish and foreign jazz musicians played in it; on 14 March 1958 the pianist Dave Brubeck performed. In 1974 the Rotunda Culture Centre was inaugurated, hosting the competition auditions of the Student Song Festival and, from 1976, the Jazz Juniors festival.
History
The Rotunda Cultural Centre was located at Oleandry Street 1, in the corner section of a modernist student hall of residence that students call Żaczek. The building was put up in stages between 1924 and 1936, and the Centre occupied a converted two-storey ballroom. The "Rotunda" Student Club at the Jagiellonian University opened on 19 January 1953. As early as 14 March 1958 the pianist Dave Brubeck played there. After an eight-year renovation that began in 1966, the Rotunda Cultural Centre was inaugurated in 1974; in its best years it employed around thirty people.
Rotunda was one of the most important venues of jazz in Kraków. In 1976 the first Jazz Juniors was held here, one of the oldest Polish jazz festivals; its prizewinners included Leszek Możdżer. In 1984, at the initiative of Andrzej "Kuba" Florek, the first edition of Solo Duo Trio took place, devoted to small jazz ensembles - among those who performed was the duo of Tomasz Stańko and Tomasz Szukalski. Maryla Rodowicz, Marek Grechuta, Jacek Kaczmarski, Grzegorz Turnau and Renata Przemyk were among those who began their careers on this stage.
During martial law, when clubs were closed, Rotunda, thanks to the Jagiellonian University's vice-rector Jan Błoński, was the only student club to resume activity as early as March 1982. Tadeusz Kantor showed his performances here at that time. The film discussion club gave rise in 1994 to the "Etiuda" International Film Festival. In the autumn of 2016 the club was closed because of the poor technical condition of the building, and the Jagiellonian University earmarked it for a major renovation, after which Rotunda is to return to its former activities.
Did you know?
From the martial law period comes the story of a doorman, a wrestler nicknamed "Fazi". Riot police officers liked to drop into the club for mulled wine, until one day he blocked their way in and asked to see their student cards - apparently the officers left.