Józef Kintzel was born in the late nineteenth century on the outskirts of Warsaw, the capital of Russian Poland. Józef’s father was a manufacturer, producing materials used in construction—a commodity in the rapidly growing city. Rather than following in his father’s footsteps, young Józef was drawn to music and theater. He trained as an opera singer and became involved in theater management. Eventually, Józef became a theater director and a member of the well-known Federation of Polish Stage Artists.
Józef married a talented woman, also a musician, named Władysława Balwierz. The couple lived briefly in Bydgoszcz, in northern Poland, before moving to the town of Zamość, in the southeast. They had three children: Krystyna, Tadeusz, and Danuta (Diana).