A teenaged Mieczysław Weinberg settled in the centre of a Jewish northern district by 26 September 1931. The above date was recorded in an application submitted by his father Shmuel, in which he is asking for his 12-year-old son to be admitted into the secondary school of the Conservatory of Music in Warsaw. In this document, which has luckily survived to our times, the following address was entered: 4 Dzielna Street, apt. 40.

Mieczysław Weinberg’s memories of that period in his life revolve around work. At that time, his father Shmuel was frequently unemployed, so the young musician helped to support his family. In the mornings, he played traditional tunes at Jewish weddings or accompanied cantors. Later, he headed for class at the Conservatory, where he occupied himself with classical repertoire: Liszt, Bach, and Tchaikovsky. In the evenings, he worked in fashionable cafés, playing dance music such as popular foxtrots and waltzes. Sometimes, he did it all on the same day.