Józef Rosner (1892–1971): The master of portraits

Departure to Poland

When the Nazis seized power and pursued their race policies, Rosner was forced to leave for Poland in 1936. He settled in Kraków where he set up an art photography studio in the ul. Gertrudy 5 Street. He remained connected to the city for the rest of his life. The furnishing of this Kraków atelier was very modern because Rosner had brought a complete studio fitout with him to Poland. He is said to have been very courteous in his dealings with customers.

Prior to 1939, Rosner successfully took part in photography competitions in Warsaw , London, Paris and Rome. 

The Second World War and the period of occupation

After the Germans occupied Kraków, the Rosners had to leave the villa in Gertrudy Street and were allocated an apartment a few streets further on in ul. Starowiślna 60 Street. During this move, parts of the studio fitout, including a 35 mm camera with lenses, were lost or were stolen. The employment office arranged a job for Rosner in one of the German photographic studios in the city. During this period, he made contact with the underground and gave them copies of photos that German soldiers had taken at the front.

In 1942, Rosner was arrested and served a year in the Gestapo prison in Montelupich Street in Kraków. The many interrogations had a permanent impact on his health. After his release, he worked in a photographic studio again.

Post-war years

After the war, Rosner opened a new photographic studio in ul. Starowiślna 22 Street. On behalf of the Komisja Badania Zbrodni Hitlerowskich (Commission for Coming to Terms with NS Crimes), he produced portraits of prisoners from Ausschwitz concentration camp by enlarging the existing pictorial records. 

Rosner was also involved in the development of Polish photography. After resurrecting the Polskie Towarzystwo Fotograficzne (Polish Photographic Society), he was its President for a time. He passed on his knowledge in art photography courses and in lectures to amateur and professional photographers in Kraków and in other parts of Poland. His articles, such as “Świat Fotografii” (The world of photography) and “Fotografia” (Photography), were published in the photographic trade press. From 1950,  Rosner was a member of the Związek Polskich Artystów Fotografików (Association of Polish Art Photographers), which made him an honorary member in 1956. His works could also be seen in Leipzig and Dresden in that year. He also took part in numerous exhibitions both at home and abroad. 

In 1959, the City of Kraków awarded him its art prize for outstanding services to photography. Józef Rosner died in Kraków in 1971 after a serious illness and was buried in the Rakowicki cemetery.

Krzysztof Ruchniewicz, June 2018

Literature used:

Lech Grabowski, Wśród polskich mistrzów kamery (Among Polish masters of the camera), Warsaw 1964. 

Henryk Hermanowicz, Józef Rosner (1892-1971), in: Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Vol. XXXII, Wrocław-Warsaw-Kraków 1989-1991, p. 110-111.