Old Town, New Contexts

A landmark approach to historic preservation emerged from Poland's postwar reconstruction, led by Jan Zachwatowicz, General Conservator from 1945 to 1957. His strategy prioritized the conservation of buildings in their existing state, a principle that guided the rebuilding of devastated old towns like Warsaw, Gniezno, and Poznan. However, exceptions were made for buildings deemed significant to Poland's national identity, particularly after Poland regained independence post-World War I. This chapter explores Zachwatowicz's influential lecture at the first postwar congress of Polish art historians in 1945, which formalized these principles, balancing preservation with national significance.

Thum, G. (2011). Old Town, New Contexts (T. Lampert, A. Brown, W. Martin, & J. Tilbury, Trans.). Uprooted. https://doi.org/10.23943/princeton/9780691140247.003.0012