Selected works by Professor Jan Zachwatowicz published just recently dispose one to reflections on an ever actual problem: to preserve or to restore? This subject was disccused in Poland in the first years a fter the 2nd World War. As their main argument the advocates of the restoration, and even of reconstruction, put forward a tragic condition of the Polish culture, destroyed deliberately by the Nazists. Followers of the preservation agreed with the principle of the above argument; still, they had doubts with regard to both the ex tent of the works and at the same time they warned, for future purposes, against the situation when the total society would come to the false convinction that the proper and just conservation of monuments meant their reconstruction. This provided the base for disputes whether protection is to cover only a form or, speaking in other words, ’’appearance” of a historic building or to include also its authentic mater Lad structure. The method of restoration and reconstruction has been recognized as proper in a specific situation of the ruined country as ”a method of procedure in specific dramatic circumstances”, refraining from any conservation doctrine. Defenders of this approach realized clearly that such measures had an emergency nature and were fu lly aware of ’’the tragedy of committed conservation deceit”. For many years this exceptional situation has been observed to drag on into infinity, suspending precise recommendations of the doctrine. This ground is conducive to mass neurosis involving not only the population but also the authorities and even conservators and architects themselves — where ’’the creation of monuments reproduction” is identified with typical duties of conservation services, though there is less and less association with a genuine object.” We have more and more monuments and an ever smaller number of original products.” This comment made by Professor Ksawery Piwocki in 1946 has not unfortunately become outdated. It is the highest time to call off ’’special circumstances” and to come back to ’’the conservation doctrine”.
The author presents ample reflections which came to his mind while reading "Guide-Lines for the Elaboration of Problems of the Protection of Cultural Values in Plans for Land Development” drawn in October 1981 by the Group of Experts of the Interbranch Commission for the Renewal of Towns and Old-Town Complexes. In the first place he points out that the dominating thought in the text of "Guide-Lines” as well as in the entire conservation and town planning is that the town is mere a set of houses, streets and communal amenities, while a socio-cultural sphere is left out totally. Monuments protection in Poland (and perhaps not only here) covers mainly a sphere of organised campaigns. All operations take place on the followig lines: a specialist — decident — investor — excutor, while the first and at the same time the last link, namely the user and consumer of culture, is forgotten. It is disquieting to think that the phrase in ’’Guide-Lines” ensuring that all districts are ”a social space” is only a courtesy, without any meaning in practice. Some reservations arise also with regard to the content of conservation programmes for urban historic complexes, and in the first place the problem of the zones of conservation practice. It seems improper to consider zone lines separately from conservation programmes. The conservation zone should be regarded as a result of conservation programme and not a main element of administrative decision. The last question to which the author brings attention is the problem of historic and town-planning studies, which should not be an urbanistic instrument but a comprehensive compendium of information on the town history, elaborated according to methods of historic investigation.
Rawa Mazowiecka is a typical Polish town with a rich historic past; its successive stages o f spatial development have got accumulated in layers and have been largely preserved to the present day. In the second half o f the 14th century the town was located on the grounds with rich settlers’ traditions, going back to the early days o f colonization. It was also at that time that church complexes were founded and the castle was built. In the 16th century the town flourished. In 1613 a Jesuits’complex, dominating now over the Market Place, was erected. In 1776 a Jewish settlement was established there. The present outline of the town is largely the outcome o f the town regulation undertaken in 1817, although a principal scheme of the streets dates back to its location time. It was also in the 19th century that the majority o f historic buildings, found mainly in the frontages of the Market Square, were built. During the 2nd World War Rawa was destroyed in 60 per cent; at present the town is being expanded both in respect o f housing and o f industry. The conservation programme envisages protective zones for the Old Town complex and for the remaining complexes as well as for historic structures. The Old Town complex should assum* the function o f a residential district with a servicing network о a specialized nature in the field of administration, culture, trade catering and handcraft. It is necessary to study the absorptiveness o f the areas o f historic merit in the centre of the town with regard to the size and programme of services. Transit traffic should be eliminated from the Old Town complex; the streets should be used for interior traffic and for pedestrians only. The existing old buildings and historic lines o f their outline must be preserved within the conservation zone. New projects should be bordering and their dimensions and character must be in line with the nistoric surroundings. It is also necessary to put plants in residential districts and to provide play-grounds for children. Still another task is to restore the original architectonic decor and shape o f oriffices in the elevations o f the houses according to the existing iconographie records. Of importance is also a maintaning o f ridge roofs, ceiled with sheet iron or tiled. The colouring o f plaster should be in line with the character o f the 19th-century buildings.
The author tries to answer the question whether old Norblin’s factory in Warsaw has to be preserved and treated as a monument. In the beginning, however, he describes the history of the building, which despite adversities of the fortune and two world wars has survived until our days in an almost unimpaired form. The old factory complex has still buildings from all phases of the history from 1780 to 1939. For some time it housed the Warsaawa Metail Rolling Mill. According to various opinions, the complex, situated in the centre of the town, is to be either pulled down or preserved as a monument of the past. A* conservation experts report worked out in the Monuments Conservation Workshop and based on the future programme for the use of the complex has revealed its usefulness as a branch of the Museum of Technics. The report postulates to use all historic objects to a maximum extent. Just as the discussion on the future of former Norblin’s factory has been going on for a few years, the author thinks it worthwhile to point out some theoretical and functional aspects of the problem of the protection of industrial architecture both on a townplanning, architectionic and functional scale. Quoting the opinion of Professor Jan Białostocki, one of the best known Polish art historians, the author states that to regard Norblin’s complex as ”a clumsy and unesthetical architectural product (as it is thought by some experts) is an erroneous assumption inadequate to contemporary criterions of the evaluation and appreciation of all man-made objects. In this context, this statement loses its justification. Former Norblin’s factory is a testimony of the past, and arguments frequently repeated in discussions that these buildings are technically worn-out and have no u tility value must be rejected in this light, because they constitute one of rare documents on the development of the industrial society. Despite appearances, the outwardly ugly and technically worn-out walls of Norblin’s factory conceal much information on the past epoch, to which the author provides the proofs.