EN
The paper was presented at the conference Conservation of Historical Monuments on the Threshold o f the 21st Century, Cracow. October 1990. The protection of the cultural landscape, as a context of values comprising the identity of heritage and also as a conservation problem, is not a new ^ssue any more. In the beginning of the 20th century still, Polish theoreticians perceived the significance of the surroundings and environment of historical monuments as a factor determining their influence and formed the first postulates of landscape protection. In times contemporary to us, many authors have influenced the determination of the theoretical criteria of these problems, by using the concepts of „monumental spatial structures , „landscape architecture", „historical space" and others, outlining also the principles of reconstruction of the landscape, in its broad sense. Some scientific and conservation circles have also prepared documentation in this sphere, some of it still of an experimental nature. However, the case was worse with the implementation attempts, which was caused first of all by the insufficiency of the appropriate legal regulations and the incoherence of the potentially involved authorities and institutions. In spite of everything, evolution tried to keep up with the needs o f the times and in accordance w ith the up-to-dateness of views. The cultural landscape is a register of history in a concrete space. Its shape and identity features have been formed by primary factors originating from nature and secondary factors, being the result of man's activity. The similarity of cocreating factors has gradually determined the formation of common features, adequate for each region and country. It should also be added that important meaning for the development of identity features of the cultural landscape is in the spiritual culture factors, strongly influencing the crystallization of material features. Poland's cultural landscape was shaped in the orbit of Western culture, but with considerable features of a specific cultural junction — between the West and the East. The cultural landscape developed in a harmonious way, so long as the logical balance between the activity of man and the „effeciency of a concrete space was not disturbed. Currently, there are accelerated phenomena of degradation of the natural environment due to excessive utilization, devastation of historical spatial structures, disappearance of the historical substance and other negative phenomena. The disappearance of awareness conducive to the preservation of regional separateness is a dangerous thing, as is the rush towards incorrectly understood modernity and negligence in the field of „spiritual culture" stimulating protection and continuation of values of interest to us. The recent decades have brought damages in our country, in part irreversible, as a result of a consciously steered campaign of a doctrinal nature, aiming at obliteration of cultural separateness. As has already been said, Polish scientific and conservation circles have developed premises for counteraction, next to the attempts to expand intervention in accordance with the expansion of the concept of historical monument. An important experience here was, among others, the creation of landscape parks, which took into consideration the postulate of preserving the full context of values and the organization of multi-sphere institutional forms, implementing the desired integration of protection of all the elements comprising the cultural identity of the protected areas, including the cooperation of historical momument protection with the protection of nature, which had been neglected in the past. One of the important achievements was also development o f the methodology of multi-specialist investigations and inclusion of these results in the conclusions concerning the establishment of several-degree zones of conservation protection, introduced as an obligatory element in spatial engineering. Execution difficulties resulted from lack of necessary personnel and means for the broad implementation of these principles according to need. Today, Poland is going through a significant period of political and economic changes. These are also accompanied by changes in the sphere of the organization administration, including conservation authorities. In the face of these changes, new perspectives are emerging for cultural landscape protection in a contemporary view, which is no longer negated, but whose execution according to need is a vague metter. Hopefully, the coming years will being the desired results, and the currently reformed conservation services will be able to meet the awaiting challenges.