A drawer of antiques. Wrocław family crafts – a space for souvenirs and machines

The article examines the contemporary functioning of family-owned craft workshops in Wrocław founded between 1945 and 1948, focusing on workshop spaces, the objects accumulated in their backrooms, and the relationships between craftspeople and the material elements of their work. The point of departure is the post-war development of craft activity in Wrocław, shaped by the influx of people from various regions of Poland and by the necessity to rebuild economic life after wartime destruction. The article draws on in-depth interviews (IDI) and fieldwork, including observations
conducted in the workshops and photographic documentation. The author interprets the craft workshop as a space of cultural memory, referring to Jan Assmann’s concept. Objects – tools, machines, materials, as well as archival items and family keepsakes – become carriers of memory, enabling the reconstruction of craftsmen’s microhistories and the social transformations taking place in the city. The analysis reveals that the workshop combines the functions of a workplace and a family archive, and that the “old things” accumulated in it constitute both a practical and symbolic resource. The text highlights the significance of materiality in sustaining the continuity of craft traditions and in shaping professional and family identities. At the same time, it points to contemporary challenges faced by craftspeople – economic pressure, spatial gentrification, and changing conditions for running a business.