Restytucja Zamku Królewskiego w Warszawie : kronika wydarzeń

• Authors: Lewicka Hanna

Title variants

EN

THE RESTITUTION OF THE ROYAL CASTLE IN WARSAW. THE CHRONICLE OF EVENTS

• Languages of publication: PL EN

Abstracts

EN

1915 • The invasion of Warsaw by the Germans, occupation of the Castle fo r governor’s offices. The in itia tio n of the work of the Society fo r the Protection of Relics of the Past — undertaking of inventory works, headed by Kazimierz Skorewicz, architect. 1915-1918 • The continuation of measurements, studies on the oldest part of the Castle known as the Greater Manor, uncovery of the Gothic facade, d ra wing o f the photographic documenta tio n o f interiors and the mass of the Castle, repair works in the hall in the o u tbu ilding near the Grodzka Gate and repair of the floors in some of the rooms and in the Royal Chapel. 1918 • Placing the Castle at a disposal o f the minister of military affairs. 1919 19.02 — inclusion of the Castle, Belweder, Łazienki Park and Wawel Castle into representative buildings of People's Poland, the establishment of the State Administration o f Representative Buildings with K. Skorewicz as its president. 1919-1923 • Conservation works in cellars and in the ground flo o r of the Gothic wing — revealing of the stairs leading onto a sentry porch in a Renaissance Two P illa r Room, works in the Saxon wing — hanging of restored portraits of kings in the Conference Room, renovation of J. B. Plersch’s wall p a in tings, p lacing of the portraits of kings in the M arb le Room after removing Russian tapestries, completion of an iron construction relieving the celing in the Ball Room. 1923 • Closing down the State A dm in istration of Representative Buildings. 1924 • Entrusting the protection of the Castle to the Committee of Works in Representative Buildings, with K. Skorewicz as chairman. 1924-1928 • The period of intensive conservation works, architectonic, excavation and archival studies, restoring Castle facades (west, south, part of the east) their architectonic form from before 1825, exchange of roof constructions for reinforced concrete one, p a n tile roofing. 1928 • The recalling of K. Skorewicz from the post of the head of castle works and appointing J. Seredyński and then A. Szyszko-Bohusz (both a rchitects) to this function, continuation of conservation works, recovery of valuable elements of the interior o u tfit. 1930 • 17.04 — the establishment of State Committees fo r the Renewal of the Warsaw Royal Castle and the Wawel Castle. • 07 — discussions on a d ra ft plan of A. Szyszko-Bohusz for the development of the land on the Vistula, decision to exchange castle roofings from tiles into copper sheet. 1931 • The renewal of the south facade, restoring the appearance from the t i me of Sigismund III, complex restoration of the Grodzka Tower — removal of an ogival cupola and the introduction of a viewing terrace. 1932 • The administration of the Castle is taken over by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 1933 • Construction and conservation works in the upper floor of the north wing, in the Batory Room and in a gallery with tapestries. 1935 • The restoration of the ground floor in the south wing and its earmarking for premises of the Military and Civic Chancellery of the President of People's Poland. 1939 • 6.09 — the President of People’s Poland and officers of the Military and Civic Chancellery leave the Castle. • 8.09 — transfer of a cinerary urn with the heart of Tadeusz Kościuszko and a prayer book of Queen Bona from the Royal Chapel to St John’s Cathedral. • 17.09 — ’’The Black Sunday" — bombardment of the Castle, fire covered attics and cupolas of the Sigismund and Vladislaus Towers. Fire brigades, military men, workers of the Castle including its custodian Kazimierz Broki as well as other municipal services and workers of the National Museum including its director Stanisław Lorentz participated in putting out the fire in the Castle and the Cathedral, in saving and protecting the structure and its collections. K. Brokl, custodian, died at the post. 1939-1940 • 11.01 — Wehrmacht's sappers p repare the Castle for blowing up; p lu n dering and devastation go on. A t the same time Polish services continue to rescue elements of the Castle's equipment. 1944 • Blowing up of the walls in December by Wehrmacht’s sappers. 1945 • 6.06 — the establishment of the Workshop of the Reconstruction of the Castle within the framework of the Department of Historic Arch ite c tu re in the Office fo r the Reconstruction of the Capital (BOS), headed by Jan Zachwatowicz, arch ite c t; compiling of archival, iconographie materials, development plans fo r castle buildings, drawing plans for the reconstruction. 1947 • Removing the rubble from the ca stle site, cataloguing — as instructed by Professor J. Zachwatowicz, Conservator General — of rescued details, assemblying of the o rigina l p o rtal of the Grodzka Gate. The Conservator of Monuments of the City of Warsaw (Piotr Biegański, architect) entrusts Jan Dąbrowski, architect, with the task to prepare a plan fo r the reconstruction of the castle (J. D ą browski was then inspector of Sta n islaus monuments in the Conservation Office). 1948 • Further works at rubble clearing, protecting and cataloguing of the preserved parts of walls and stonework (window framings, sculptures, mouldings, cantilevers et.c.). 1949 • 1.05 — Memorial on placing the Museum of Polish Culture in the reconstructed Royal Castle in Warsaw, elaborated by the W—Z Workshop • 2.07 — unanimous adoption and passing the law on the reconstruction of the Castle presented a t a session of the Parliament by Prime M inister Jozef Cyrankiewicz; starting the reconstruction of the castle elevation from the side of the W -Z route. 1950 • 30.07 — the establishment of the State Enterprise referred to as „th e (Management fo r the Reconstruction of the Royal Castle” with a view to carry o u t execution works, prepare technical and equipment documentation, carry out research work and studies, control the councils and to establish the Council /of the Social Surveillance. • 21.09 — the establishment of the Committee fo r the Reconstruction of the Royal Castle with Prime Minister Jozef Cyrankiewicz as its president. • the continuation of rubble cleat/ing, carrying out archaeological and architectonic studies. 1951 • 01 — presentation o f a d ra ft plan fo r the reconstruction, app ointin g the Enterprise for Monument Architectural Stoneworks to perform the works and arch. Aleksander Krol, architect, as surveillance inspector; holding up the works due to, i.a., passing ■'the law on the reconstruction of the Old Town. • The transfer of the Castle Workshop to the State Ateliers for the Conservation of Cultural Property (PKZ) 1952 • The creation of the Interim Management of the Reconstruction of the Royal Castle headed by A. Krol; initiation of preparatory works, continuation of archaeological and architectonic studies. 1953 • The continuation of research and archaeological works on the site of the Castle headed by Aleksandra Swiechowska and Zdzisław Tomaszewski. 1954 • Opening of the competition for "Architectonic and Town-Planning Solution of the Zamkowy (Castle) Square and the Adjoining Area of the Old and New Town in Warsaw” — 9 teams took part in it. 1955 • 19.02 — Decision of the jury: 1st prize was not awarded; two 2nd prizes were awarded to the teams headed by architects Jan Bogusławski and Romuald Gutt. 1956 • The decision on the implementation of the plan by J. Bogusławski, made at a spring session of the Warsaw Team of the State Commission for Economic Planning, attached to the Praesidium of the Council of Ministers; opening of the Zamek (Castle) Architectonic Workshop, headed by J. Bogusławski, within the PP PKZ; the continuation of cataloguing the preserved elements, preparation of plans for the reconstruction of the Castle. 1957 • 4.07 — the creation of a consultive team for the reconstruction of the Castle, known as "the Commission for the Reconstruction of the Royal Castle in Warsaw" with Professor Jan Zachwatowicz as its president; working out a detailed programme for the adaptation of the Castle to the needs of the Museum of Polish Culture as well as some of the rooms to the needs of Polonia. 1958 • 14.02 — The Resolution of the Municipal National Council on the intensification of preparatory works associated with the reconstruction of the Castle and the creation in the Castle of the National Museum of the Millennium of Polish Culture. 1959 • The protection of parts of the walls of the south projection, reconstruction of cellars, conservation works at the Grodzka Tower. 1960 • A new concept of the reconstruction of the Castle, i.e. erection of three wings (south, west and north) earmarked fo r the Youth Touristic Centre, Registrar’s Office and the Information Centre of the National M unicipal Council; approval by the Commission of the plan of the p rotection of castle Gothic cellars. 1961 • 12 — the decision not to reconstruct the Castle in the nearest five years; suspending the activities of the Zamek Architectonic Workshop, holding up designing works, transfer of the documentation to the N a tio nal Museum. 1960-1962 • Architectonic studies on ce lla r walls in the Royal Castle by Antoni Kąsinowski. 1962-1964 • The decision of the Praesidium of the National M unicipal Council to set in order the castle site; the works done included levelling of the preserved castle walls to the equal height, except fo r the preserving of p a rt of the projection of the Saxon wing with the so-called Żeromski window in its fu ll heig h t; paving the Great Courtyard with stone plates; putting up of bricked walls up to 1 m in height to encircle the outline of the walls of castle wings. • Further voluntary works on documentation carried out by the workers of the Former Zamek Architectonic Workshop; meeting of the Section of Warsaw History attached to the Society of Warsaw Lovers, in which the Institute of History of the Polish A ca demy of Sciences also took part — it was postulated to engage social means in the campaign of reconstructing the Castle. 1966 • Conservation and construction works, carried out by the PP PKZ in the former Deputies’ Room (the so- called Two Pillar Room), Gothic ce llars, Kubicki’s Arcades, Freemansons’ Box, Grodzka Tower; completion o f the works in the Stanislaus Library and in Bacciarelli Room (afte r the design by Jan Bogusławski and Irena Oborska). 1969 — Conservation and construction works carried out by the PP PKZ, the restoration of Royal Kitchens and the revealing and protection of parts of Gothic walls in the Small Manor. 1970 — The establishment o f the Commission for the Studies "on the Royal Castle with Professor S. Lorentz as its president, attached to the Institute of History; the programme of the a c tivities of the Commission included compiling documents on the history of the Castle, publishing monographies and p opular and research works and source materials, completing in formation on the preserved parts of the Castle, making bibliographies of the structure, organization of scientific symposia. 1971 • 20.01 — a meeting of the representatives of creative circles with the 1st Secretary of the Central Committee of the PZPR, Edward Gierek; p ro c la iming of the decision on the in itia tion of the reconstruction of the Castle. • 26.01 — inauguration meeting of the Civic Committee for the Reconstruction of the Royal Castle in W a rsaw (OKOZK), with Jozef Kępa as its president. • 27.01 — opening of the Office of the Civic Committee fo r the Reconstruction of the Royal Castle, seated in a building at 10, Zamkowy square. • The creation of specialized commissions attached to the OKOZK: the Scientific Historic Commission — president S. Lorentz, the Architectonic and Conservation Commission — President J. Zachwatowicz, — the Archaeologic Commission — president A. Gieysztor, the Propaganda Commission — president L. Wysznacki, the Commission fo r the Castle Fund — president W. Lubiński, the Commission for Social Actions — president A. Boredzki, the Polonia Commission — president F. Skibiński. The PP PKZ (the State Ateliers for the Conservation of Cultural Property) were appointed general executor of the reconstruction. On January 29, 1971 the Zamek Architectonic Workshop attached to the Warsaw Office of the PKZ was reinstituted, with Professor J. Bogusławski as general designer. • The Architectonic and Conservation Commission (КАК) was empowered with making decisions pertaining to the restitution of the Royal Castle in Warsaw; the Management fo r the Town Development (Warsaw — East) was appointed as sobstitute investor. • 23.03 — second plenary meeting of the OKOZK, preliminary presentation of the plan fo r the development of the Castle. • 15.04 — the Zamek Workshop, headed by W. Samojło, began its a c tivities. • 3.05 — undertaking of archaeologic and architectonic studies on the castle site, carried out by Aleksandra Świechowska and Antoni Kqsinowski. • 09 — the first delivery of bricks to the Castle from a brick-kiln at Kraśnik Lubelski. • 30.09 — the Architectonic and Conservation Commission approved a preliminary plan for the reconstruction of the Castle (branch design offices pa rticipating in it included, i.a., the instalprojekt Industrial Research and Design Office (Warsaw), the Design Office of General Building (Warsaw), the Radio- and Tele-Communication Research and Design Office (Warsaw), the Main Refrigerating Centre (Cracow), the Meramont Automotion Design Office (Poznań), "M o s to s ta l” (Zabrze). 1972 • 1.01 - a branch office of the PP PKZ referred to as " th e Management of the Reconstruction of the Royal Castle in Warsaw” began its a c tiv ities aimed at complex works ranging from designs to execution and coordination. Z. Drankowski, architect, was appointed its director. • 09 — a glass case put a t Zamkowy square, with the model of the Royal Castle. • 09 — the Stanislaus Library — a display of selected works of art, rescued a t the Castle and kept at the National Museum. • Intensive executianal works are under way — removing rubble from the cellars; mass partic ip a tio n of the society in castle works; protection of the foundations; revealing a Gothic arched cellar in the Gothic wing at the Two Pillar Room and of an o riginal arch in the foundation of the Grodzka Tower; uncovery of the second internal wall made from Gothic brick during the lining of foundation walls in the tower; protection of a Gothic cellar under Zamkowy square a t the wesf wing; protection and making- up of old walls, lining of the foundations of the Saxon, Gothic, south, west and north wings; erection of new cellar walls, walls of the ground flo o r of the Gothic and south wings; arranging the roofing over the ground floor in the west part; erection of the walls of the 2nd flo o r in the Gothic wing. 1973 • The first wisp over the Royal Castle; raising the walls up to the roof in the Gothic, south and west wings; putting up provisional door and win dow woodwork; assemblying a steel roofing construction over the Grodzka Tower, insulation and damp-proof works on the roofs, timbering and reinforcement of the celings in ce llars and over ground floors in the Gothic, Saxon, north and south wings, arrangement and segregation of preserved sculptures and gypsum models, stone works on the elevations of the Gothic and south wings; putting up of crowning mouldings and of cordon belt under the crowning moulding, of elements of original mouldings and window bands. • The formation of the Custodian Office which comprised: Stanisław Lorentz (president), Jan Zachwatowicz, Aleksander Gieysztor and, ex officio, representatives of the PP PKZ, i.e. architects Mieczysław Samborski and Irena Oborska, custodians of the National Museum including dr Andrzej Rottermund, director of the Committee Office and Jerzy Baranowski, Wojciech Lipiński, heads of those sections of the National Museum which had collections associated with the Castle, Bożena Maszkowska i Krystyna Sroczyńska, and fin a lly Jacek Cydzik, architect, on behalt of the Ministry of Culture and Arts. 1974 • 02 — putting up and walling up of the coat of arms of Vazas a t the Sigismund Tower; putting of p re fa b ricated plates on the roofing of the north and south wings; completion of finishing works of sills and of the cordon belt in the 2nd flo o r; putting damp-proof insulation on the roofing from the side of the Great Courtyard. • 04 — first works on the assemblying of the cupolas from the side o f Zamkowy square and the Great Courtyard; putting ceramic tiles on the roofing. • 06 — putting up of cloak disks a t the Sigismund Tower; liftin g and positioning of cupolas on corner turrets in the west — north and west and south wings. • 3.07 — completion of "th e clock opera tio n ” , installing the clock-works and bells. • 6.07 — placing the cupola on the Sigismund Tower. • 19.07, 11.15 hrs — putting the clock on the Sigismund Tower into operation. • 22.07 — a meeting of the OKOZK; ceremony of handing over the moss of the Castle in a raw state. 1975 The formation of the Management of the Royal Castle, an executive body of the OKOZK to replace the fo r mer Office fo r the Reconstruction, with R. Lipiński as director; arrangement of exhibitions and meetings in the Castle and of the so-called Sunddays on the Castle (making castle premises open to the public) • The continuation of executional works; putting installation equipment, stone elements on the elevations; commencement of stucco works inside the Castle: in the Canaletto Room, Officers’ Room, the Mirowska Room, the Audience Room, the Royal Sleeping Room and museum rooms in the 2nd flo o r; drawing the documentation fo r swimming pools and fo u n tains situated at an upper terrace from the side of the Vistula. 1976 • Finishing works in the interiors of the Gothic and south wings, stucco works, erection of the racks for wainscotting, putting of ceramic and marble floors, exchange of provisional window and door woodwork, gilding works (decorative elements), placing reconstructed sculptures in the south and north wing as well as statues crowning the tympana in the Saxon wing from the east side. • 08 — a subsequent meeting of the Architectonic and Conservation Commission, decision on external colours o f the plasters on castle elevations. • 26.01 — The Audience Room — meeting of the Civic Committee for - th e Reconstruction of the Royal Castle; handing over of rooms and castle premises of the Gothic wing and p a rtia lly of the Saxon and south wings (the first stage of finishing works). • Implementation works, placing of stone sculptures on the roofs of the Saxon elevation (from the Vistula’s side), completion of reconstructional works on the bas-reliefs of the left tympanum of the Saxon wing. 1978 • 11.05 - the Senate Room, a plenary session of the Civic Committee fo r the Reconstruction o f th e Royal Castle. • 22.0/ — completion or plastering works on elavations, paving Zamkowy square, the Great and Triangular Courtyards with permanent surface dressing; completion of stucco works in the Senator's Room. • 16.10 - a building o f the Cadet O ffice r College (the so-called Podchorqiawka), a display "The Reconstruction of the Royal Castle in W a rsaw in 1971-1978” — information on the events that took place in those years, display of some gifts, museum objects and drawing concerning ca stle interiors. 1979 • 1.11 — the inclusion of the Section of the PP PKZ ’’the Mamagement of the Reconstruction of the Royal Castle in Warsaw” into the Branch Office PP PKZ Warsaw. • 5.11 — meeting of the Praesidium of the Government, decree on the establishment of a state organization referred to as ’’th e Royal Castle in Warsaw — the Monument of History and National Culture", and on the formation of the Management of the Castle. • Implementation works, completion of plastering works inside the castle, flooring, putting into operation of the technical installation placed underground and in the attics, the co n tinuation of g ild in g works on details, decorative architectonic elements in castle interiors, placing marble portals in the Marble Room, reconstruction of stuccos in the framings of the portraits of renowned Poles, stoneworks, putting up of a stone ballustrade over the arcades of the Saxon wing, completion of putting marble floors in all halls of the ground floor as well as in bathrooms in gest apartments in the 2nd floor. • Finishing works in the interiors of the 1st floor of the Gothic wing — the aisle before the Chapel, Canaletto Room, Audience Room, the Royal Sleeping Room, the Study and the Royal Dressing Room; of the Saxon wing — the Yellow Room, Batory Room, Council Room, Concert Room, Throne Room, Conference Room, M arble Room, a Vladislaus staircase, the Knights, Room; of the north wing — the Matejko Rooms; of the west wing — a Sigismund staricase; of the south wing — Officers’ Room, the Gallery ot me to u r Seasons ot tne Year. 1980 • 14.07 — the Prime Ministe/ a p p o ints Professor dr Aleksander Gieyszto r to the post of Director of the Royal Castle in Warsaw; completion of the activities of the Custodian Office headed by St. Lorentz. • Implementation works, continuation of g ild in g '“ works on decorative stucco elements encircling plafonds in historic rooms in the 1st floor of Saxon and Gothic wings; finishing works on the bed-moulding of the conches with caissons, coloured cornice with a belt of stucco imitating marble (the Ball Room), suspending of the bed-moulding, coating of the walls with coloured marble (the M arble Room), g ild in g works on the cornice and high bed-moulding (the Senate Room. 1981 • The continuation of finishing works in the rooms of the Saxon wing, p la cing of fine decorative elements on the cornices and bed-moulding, stucco- works on the cornice and bed- moulding crowning the level of the 2nd tie r of the Ball Room, p reparation of the ceiling and a small suspended bed-moulding fo r painting works on the plafond, a colourful composition in the Marble Room. 1982 • Implementation works, presenting individual castle rooms fo r the acceptance (by regions set out according to the agreed nomenclature). • 14.04 — reqion VI part II, i.a. rooms o f the Saxon and north wings. • 16.04 — region XIII part II, i.a. the Matejko Rooms which represent a link between the Saxon and west wings, interpreters’ booths and the Senate Room. • 21.05 — region XIII part I occupying the north part of the west wing. • 11.06 — presenting for the acceptance of further rooms of the guest part of the west wing as well as the south one. 1983 • Implementation works, presentation of costle rooms fo r the acceptance. • 24.02 — region VII part A, i.a., gallery of the 2nd floor, senators' staircase. • 30.05 — region VII part B, i.a., cellars and communication runs. • 10.03 — region VII part C, i.a., the Monarchs’ Gallery. • The continuation of gilding, conservation and finishing works, fixing or tne giiaea rosettes in winaow ana uoor reveais in tne Canaletto Room; acceptance ot the a lta r; painting of the wainscotting decoratea with elements of gilaed woodwork in the rooms of tne south wing. 1984 • Implementation works, handing over of historic rooms and other p remises. • 4.01 — region VIII part B. — the Green, Yellow, Royal and Dressing Rooms, Vladislaus Staircase (the Saxon wing). • 25.01 — region XV part В — rooms 144—147, Sigismund Staircase (the west wing). • 31.03 — region VIII part С — i.a. the Throne, the Conference Room, rooms 113, A and B, 115 A (the Saxon wing). • 30.04 — region VIII part D — the Audience Room, the Royal Sleeping Room, the Urodzka Staircase, rooms /24—127 A and 3 (the Gothic wing and partia lly the south wing). • 29.06 — region XVII — the Knights’ Room (the Saxon wing). • 30.6 — region X — elevations exc luding the north one, pa rt of the roofing, the Great Courtyard, in s ta llations of industrial TV, illumination, transportation hatch and drying duct. • 06.07 — region XVIII — the M arble Room (the Saxon wing). • 09.07 — region XV — the Deputies Room, rooms 138, 140, Sigismund Staircase, 1st floor. ≫ 17.07 — region VIII part E — rooms 27 A, E (the south wing). • 30.08 — region XI — east elevation without the ground floor, upper terrace, retaining wall, illuminations. • 21.10 — a solemn meeting of the OKOZK in the Royal Castle; handing over of castle rooms to the user, i.e. to the institution referred to as ’’the Royal Castle — the Monument of H istory and National Culture” , the creation of the Council of the Royal Castle. • 30.10 — the Royal Castle — a c e remony attended by the supreme state authorities, handing in and p la cing of a cinerary urn with the heart o f Tadeusz Kościuszko in the Royal Chapel. From 1985 • The continuation of reconstruction works in the Ball Room, works on the Saxon elevation with a terrace and in castle gardens.

Keywords

PL

kronika restytucji Zamku Królewskiego; Zamek Królewski w Warszawie; odbudowa Zamku; restytucja Zamku Królewskiego; chronologia wydarzeń

• Publisher: Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa
• Journal: Ochrona Zabytków
• Year: 1987
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 144-155

Dates

published

1987

Contributors

author

Lewicka Hanna

Identifiers

ISSN

0029-8247