Economic conditions as the source of Korczak's pedagogy? - This is the most important and most interesting area of ​​our inner life (in the Orphanage Dom Sierot).

The question mark at the end of the title, "Economic conditions as the source of Korczak's pedagogy?", reflects my deliberations on the matter. Undoubtedly, the severe economic situation in Poland at the time must have had bearings not only on the management of the orphanage, Dom Sierot, but also on the design and construction of both Dom Sierot and, later, Nasz Dom in the Bielany district of Warsaw.

Of course, it was all a balancing act. Large sleeping halls were far from optimal for the children, but Korczak understood it well and compensated by inventing many solutions that protected the privacy of his young charges and gave them some individual attention. Such best example is provided by the creation of "personal drawers" in the recreation hall where each child could keep his or her individual treasures. The clothing of the orphans is another example: varied outfits rather than uniforms served to help the children to mix rather than stand out on the street or in school.

Significantly, hiring of personnel and teachers was particularly economical; a minimum of salaried workers and compensation for others in the form of "room and board" ('Bursa") rather than money.

Finally, Korczak seemed to care about ensuring the economy and stability of the food supply. The Summer camp, "Rożyczka" ("Little Rose"), not only provided a welcome country experience for the city kids but also supplied the orphanage with healthy homegrown food. Vegetables from "Rożyczka" were transported and stored in the attic of Dom Sierot on 92 Krochmalna Street.

14 104 members of the society Pomoc dla Sierot (year 1914) were supporting the orphanage through membership fees and additional financial support.  

Significantly, the hiring of personnel and teachers was particularly economical; a minimum of salaried workers and compensation for others in the form of "room and board" ('Bursa") rather than money. Here in the book Jak kochac dzieci, Korczak writes about the very first year at 92 Krochmalna. Running the entire orphanage with 100 children, just with 4 paid persons.

The costs of electricity and coal in Dom Sierot during winter and summer, as published in the children's newspaper W Sloncu in 1912.

Korczak wrote in Pamiętnik Society "Pomoc dla Sierot" in 1914: 

    A caretaker, a cook, and a laundress are the entire staff of a two-story building with two schools. Transforming a hundred children into a hundred workers, each of whom, depending on age, strength, quality, and degree of talent and willingness, is obliged to cooperate in a common nest, an extremely difficult task, was successfully solved, thanks to the head teacher of the Orphanage, Miss Stefanja Wilczyńska. This is the most important and most interesting area of ​​our inner life.             

    The building was divided into four floors. Each floor has its own responsible floor supervisor with a whole staff of assistants. The difficulty of organizing the division of activities is measured by the fact that the ground floor supervisor manages, controls, and reports in daily reports on the work of thirty children. 

    At the end of each month, children submit applications to remain on their old shift or to be given a new shift. A new list for the following month is drawn up from these applications.

    The kitchen, laundry, and floor shifts are paid. The draft budget for 1915 provides 225 rubles for children's salaries.