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SINCE GENERATIONS …
Market at the Pańska Street. The first headquarters of our company.
WARSAW
Street vending in pre-war Warsaw.
1926
Anna Sterkowska, photo from Kennkarte, WW2.
IN 1926, AFTER THE TRAGIC DEATH OF HER HUSBAND, ANNA STERKOWSKA WAS TRYING TO FEED HER 4 BABIES AND MOTHER, SO SHE COURAGEOUSLY DECIDED TO WORK AS A MILLINER. THIS DESPERATE AND HEROIC WOMAN COULD NOT EVEN DREAM THAT HER COMPANY WILL SURVIVE SO MANY YEARS AND THAT MANY GENERATIONS OF HER FAMILY WILL WORK AND DEVELOP IT. ANNA WORKED HARD, RAISED HER CHILDREN ALL BY HERSELF, AND TOOK CARE OF HER MOTHER.
Battle group of Warsaw insurgents.
Twarda Street to the east from Żelazna Street, Warsaw 1928.
1927 - 1945
Anna Sterkowska photo 1963.
DURING THIS PERIOD HER SON ZYGMUNT STARTED TO HELP HER LEAD THE COMPANY. HIS BRAVE AND VISIONARY DECISION RESULTED IN A GREAT DEVELOPMENT OF THE STERKOWSKI BRAND IN THE MILLINERY MARKET
Market of Icek Borowski between Twarda 1 and Pańska 22 Street.
Teatralny square, Blanka palace 3 April 1948.
Zygmunt Sterkowski
THE HARD TIMES OF WORLD WAR 2 AND THE GERMAN OCCUPATION CAME. THE OUTBREAK OF THE WARSAW UPRISING MADE ZYGMUNT STERKOWSKI A MEMBER OF THE MILITARY ENGINEERS GROUP WHICH STOPPED THE COMPANY'S ACTIVITY. AFtER THAT THE UPRISING Fell.
THE SURVIVOR ZYGMUNT WAS SENT TO GERMANY WHERE HE WAS APPOINTED TO FORCED LABOR. AT THE END OF MAY 1945 HE CAME BACK TO POLAND.
On the way to make business. From the right: Zygmunt Sterkowski, Julek Kozłowski (his associate) and Ela Kozłowska. Early ‘50s.
Membership card of the master hatter 8 December 1952.
Workshop at Bracka 20 Street.
1946 - 1978
Zygmunt Sterkowski
ZYGMUNT FOUND AN ASSOCIATE AND STARTED TO REBUILD THE COMPANY, ADDING READY-TO-WEAR CLOTHES TO THE PRODUCTION RANGE. IN JUST 2 YEARS THE STAFF INCREASED TO 50 EMPLOYEES.
FOR THE NEXT 44 YEARS OF COMMUNISM IN POLAND ZYGMUNT DID WHAT HE COULD FOR THE COMPANY TO SURVIVE. HE OVERCAME ALL THE OBSTACLES CREATED BY THE COMMUNIST AUTHORITIES TO WEAKEN PRIVATE ENTREPRENEURS. THE COMPANY LIMITED ITS PRODUCTION AND THE ASSOCIATE EMIGRATED TO FRANCE.
ZYGMUNT STERKOWSKI DID NOT GIVE UP BECAUSE HE WAS AS STUBBORN AND FULL OF FORTITUDE AS HIS MOTHER. HE BEGAN TO WORK ON A SMALLER SCALE, SEWING CAPS, HATS AND BERETS. HIS WORK STARTED TO BE APPRECIATED BY CLIENTS AND HE BEGAN TO TEACH THE CRAFTSMANSHIP TO THE NEXT GENERATION.
HE WORKED AT THE EXAMINATION COMMITTEE OF THE TECHNICAL PROGRESS CLUB AND TOOK PART IN THE LECTURES FOR CRAFTSMEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN RECOGNITION OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS HE WAS AWARDED THE MEDAL OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATION COMMISSION.
Zygmunt Sterkowski (second from right) with his colleagues. The Jan Kiliński award ceremony. Textile Craft Guild.
At the back of the store, Warsaw, Bracka 20 Street.
1979 - 2009
Marek Sterkowski
Jerzy Sterkowski
HE PASSED HIS COMMITMENT AND PASSION TO HIS SONS MAREK AND JERZY, WHO CONTINUED THE FAMILY TRADITION UNDER THE NAME: THE WORKSHOP OF CAPS AND HATS BY MAREK STERKOWSKI, AND THE WORKSHOP OF HATS BY JERZY STERKOWSKI.
ALONG WITH THEIR FATHER THEY INTRODUCED TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS AND WORKED ON STRENGTHENING THE STERKOWSKI BRAND.
IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS ALL 3 OF THEM WERE AWARDED THE JAN KILIŃSKI GOLDEN MEDALS.
2010
IN 2010 WE JOINED FORCES AND CREATED
KOMPANIA HANDLOWA IM. PIOTRA PIANO SP. Z O.O.
WE ARE THE 4TH GENERATION OF CRAFTSMEN IN THE STERKOWSKI FAMILY.
WHEN YOU VISIT OUR STORE YOU WILL FIND HEADGEARS MADE WITH PASSION, COMMITMENT, ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND IN THE SPIRIT OF TRADITION.
