Bełżeccy Family Archive

Zbigniew Bełżecki (1914–2009) worked by day as a chemist in the research department of the Cracow Pharmaceutical Plant “Polfa”. His film archive consists of records of trips with his wife Jadwiga and daughter Marzena, as well as motorcycle trips around Europe. 

The trips were always preceded by long preparations, and after their completion Zbigniew wrote down the recorded audio diaries and created books from them on his own. He was also passionate about nature and photography. 

Part 1

Christmas in 1974. Genre scenes from the Bełżecki family’s apartment in Cracow. Marzena paints colorful flowers on the tiles in the bathroom. Her parents join her. Although they were painted with ordinary tempera paints, the drawings survived for about 30 years. The family was very careful not to put water on them or damage them. Marzena’s photo session among her drawings and paintings. Marzena poses for photos dressed in black and wearing a hat. Jacek, her future husband, is next to her.

Part 2

A winter trip near Cracow to a holiday resort. The family stayed in a summer house, which had to be heated with an electric heater, because these buildings were not adapted to winter conditions. During the trip, Marzena trained skiing, looked over by her father. Zbigniew Bełżecki practiced many sports: he was an excellent skier, he also had a sea sailing licence. In the background, the Kalatówki shelter. Genre scenes from a recreational trip to the mountains are interspersed with shots of nature: trees, mountain streams, etc. 

Part 3

Genre scenes from family recreational trips: spring, trees with flowers. Marzena and her mother, Jadwiga Bełżecka, relax by the river, sit on the grass and talk. Cracow – Corpus Christi procession. Marzena in a white outfit and a red headscarf poses for photos taken by her future husband, Jacek. The photo session begins. It was Zbigniew Bełżecki’s idea. He invited Marzena and Jacek to recreate an ancient myth. Later, Marzena again poses for photos with Jacek. Genre scenes are interspersed with shots of nature, flowing water, flowering trees.

Part 4

A film from a trip near Cracow, recorded around 1974. These are probably shots from Kasinka Mała and Myślenice and from Ćwilin – the second highest peak of the Beskid Wyspowy Mountains. Shots of vegetation, flowering trees. 

Part 5

May 1974. Wildflowers, including dandelions, so liked by Zbigniew Bełżecki, and bees among them. 

Part 6

June 1974. Genre scenes from a recreational trip. Marzena and her mother, Jadwiga, go for a walk. The whole family together with Zbigniew Bełżecki, who films them, bathe in the river. Marzena sketches in a country yard. A meal on the porch. All scenes are interspersed with shots depicting mountain landscapes and nature, in particular, the wildflowers.

Part 7

July 1974. An account of a summer trip near Cracow with friends. Genre scenes. Jadwiga Bełżecka talks to a nun. Zbigniew Bełżecki makes a “film” bonfire, into which he deliberately throws wet leaves to get spectacular amounts of smoke. A trip on a mountain trail in the heat. Rest on the porch of the house. Scenes of burning grass and another, spectacularly smoking bonfire.

Part 8

A winter trip near Cracow to the Polfa resort. Everything is covered with a thick layer of snow. Marzena takes home a bucket of water from a stream. Scouts and winter sports. The Bełżecki family descend from the hill in a large, enamel bowl. Marzena and her father ski. 

Part 9

Spring, near Cracow, recreational trip. Nature in bloom: flower buds, shrubs and trees covered with inflorescences. A lot of yellow flowers, which are very liked by Zbigniew Bełżecki. This time, these are the family’s shots that provide the background for the shots of nature.

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