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Historyczne centrum Warszawy (1980)

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POPŁAWSKA-BUKAŁO E.

Ochrona Zabytków

2017

issue Dodatek Specjalny. Dziedzictwo w Polsce.

88-94

The Historic Centre of Warsaw is a unique example of a urban complex reconstruction of a deliberately destroyed in 1944 by German Nazi occupier. The physical rebuilding of the destroyed city was only possible thanks to the determination and great strength of spirit of the whole nation which led to the reconstruction of national heritage on a scale unprecedented in the history of the world. Besides, the case of Warsaw also had its impact on the principles and practice of monument protection. The reconstruction project included the functional requirements of a present-day residential settlement with public functions. The project itself was based, in its turn, on the assumption that any extant, undamaged structures built between the 14th and 18th centuries, together with the late-medieval network of streets, squares, and the main market square, as well as the city walls should be used in the process. It included a complex reconstruction of the urban layout, together with the main market square of the Old Town, burghers’ tenement houses, important ecclesiastical buildings, defensive walls, and later also the Royal Castle. The Archive of the Warsaw Reconstruction Office, comprising documentation of both the post-war damage and the reconstruction projects, was inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2011. Criteria: (ii), (vi) The reconstruction of the Old Town in Warsaw The Old Town in Warsaw, which had been totally destroyed during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, was reconstructed in 1945-1963 following a decision by the state authorities and became a symbol of the capital city rising from the rubble. The reconstruction has been accompanied by discussions on the form and method of operation which have lasted until this day and that have aroused emotions ranging from positive to extremely negative. Current views on conservation that are critical of falsifying history, alongside economic and ideological reasons, provided the main arguments against the reconstruction of the historic housing. The intention to maintain the identity of the location and the historical continuity of the city formed the basis for the decision made by architects who favoured the reconstruction process and worked at a purposefully named institution – the Monumental Architecture Department of the Warsaw Reconstruction Office. Professor Jan Zachwatowicz, then General Monuments Inspector and the creator of the programme and principles of historical heritage reconstruction and conservation in Poland, claimed that the decision on the reconstruction of the historical centre of the city was “the only possible way forward”. He stressed: “The sense of responsibility before future generations calls for the reconstruction of what was destroyed, a complete reconstruction that is aware of the tragedy of the conservation falsification thus committed [...] our concern must be the best implementation of postulates, the greatest reverence for the monuments, the best reconstruction of forms”. The above theses were accepted by the general public, although numerous representatives of the Polish and European conservation community did not try to conceal their critical stance. Answers to the question of Warsaw’s future appearance had been sought since the first air raids on the capital city in 1939. Urban planning and architecture studies of the whole city were carried out by a number of specialist teams, with reconstruction plans being prepared not only in Poland but also abroad. They reflected a different and customised approach to the issue with an ideological foundation. Opinions promoting the vision of a modernist metropolis erected “anew” on the basis of pre-war and occupation-time blueprints appeared in the urban planning community. Differences of opinion also appeared in the communities of architects, art historians and intellectuals. The reconstruction effort had its supporters, but also strong opponents who wanted to preserve the destroyed historical heritage of the old town in the form of a permanent ruin, or preferred to reconstruct only selected elements of the historic architecture, adequately integrated in the new developments. In theory, the scale of the destruction made it possible to choose any option. The finally approved plan for the reconstruction of the oldest part of the city in its historical form assumed that a housing estate would be built within the historic complex. Two government decrees – on the reconstruction of the Capital City of Warsaw and on the communalisation of land within its area, both issued in 1945 – paved the way for architectural and urban-planning work under this overall framework. The reconstruction was carried out in several stages. The design stage used comprehensive scientific-historical and architectural-archaeological research as well as preserved resource materials, e.g. the invaluable measurement documentation from the collections of the Department of Polish Architecture of Warsaw University of Technology, prepared before the war by architecture students. Historical iconographic materials, including panoramas of the city and landscapes by Bernard Bellotto, also called Canaletto, also proved invaluable. Inventorytaking work carried out after clearing rubble from the area played an important role in the reconstruction process. They revealed a number of surviving authentic fragments of buildings, their details and elements of interior decoration from various historical periods. Most of them were subsequently preserved and displayed. The reconstruction restored the Old Town’s appearance from its glory days of the mid-18th century, based on the well-preserved medieval layout. The buildings regained their 15th to 18th century arrangements and architectural appearance. The restorers followed the principle of returning to their oldest documented versions. The surviving vaulted ground floor layouts were left unchanged, while the characteristic staircases with a roof lantern were restored. The interiors were adapted to modern housing standards. At the same time, 19th century annexes to houses on the market square and by the city walls were removed, which opened up large courtyards. The reconstruction of the old City Hall, which used to be situated in the market square, was abandoned in the course of the works. One of Warsaw’s most beautiful churches – the completely destroyed St. John’s Metropolitan Cathedral, where kings were crowned and the 3rd May Constitution was sworn in – was reconstructed in a different architectural shape than before the war. The medieval defensive walls with the moat in the bailey and the Barbican were uncovered and reconstructed, and former streets running next to the walls were restored. Many houses – whose architecture did not draw on their past forms but was only generally adapted to the entire built-up area – were constructed on the outskirts in the final stage of the reconstruction. The whole work was crowned by bringing the Royal Castle back into the panorama of Old Warsaw. Its reconstruction in the forms preceding the wartime destruction was started soon after the liberation of the city but for various reasons was not completed. Grass grew on the castle’s secured cellars for years. The castle was finally reconstructed in 1971-1984. The reconstruction of the Old Town in Warsaw was a huge undertaking that brought together an interdisciplinary team of experts: architects, conservators, constructors, historians and art historians, artists and craftsmen. Warsaw residents, who removed rubble from this district as part of a community initiative, made a huge contribution to the reconstruction effort. The funds for the reconstruction came from various sources, including contributions made by the Polish society and people from abroad. Today, the Old Town historical complex performs housing, commercial, cultural and tourist functions. Among other institutions, it is home to the Museum of Warsaw, the Adam Mickiewicz Museum of Literature and the Heritage Interpretation Centre, which is located in authentic late-Gothic interiors and is part of the so-called Cultural Trail of the Old Town Cellars. The complex also includes churches and monasteries which, in a similar manner to other reconstructed buildings, are a symbol of Polish culture and national identity.

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1 Ochrona Zabytków

1 POPŁAWSKA-BUKAŁO E.

1 2017

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Historyczne centrum Warszawy (1980)