Międzynarodowy Rok Ochrony Zabytków - 1975

The current year was declared as the International Year of Historic Monument Protection 1975 with a particular emphasis on problems connected with protection of architectural objects and sites as well as on rehabilitation of ancient towns and their historic centres. As one of the chief subjects within the present campaign has been put forward that of harmonious co-existence of both historic and modern architecture, i.e. creation of such objects which in the future could be covered with protection. To participation in the above campaign were invited all European countries in which for a longer period of time are already existing their respective National Committees of the European Year of Historic Monument Protection. Among those leading is to be mentioned the problem of towns and ancient urban centres and a good deal of very important proposals has been advanced in this range as, for instance, those concerning rehabilitation, controlling of the new building on historic sites, removing of motorised traffic from their areas and the like. As a general outline for all actions and measures to be undertaken during the International Year has been adopted the idea of their later permanent conservation. In this country the International Year of Historic Monument Protection is just coinciding with the end of a thirty-year period of the post-war activities in the field of safeguarding of historic monuments. On the initiative of the ICOMOS Committee in Poland the Voluntary Committee of the International Year of Historie Monument Protection, 1975 has been called into being, headed by Professor Dr. Stanisław Lorentz and Dr. K. Pawłowski acting as its Secretary General. The range of activities of the above Committee will comprise the monuments other than architectural, too. Active are already tho Regional Committees in which much work is being carried out by the Voivodship Conservators and representatives of local authorities. Already in 1974 a series of international meetings took place in Poland. Within the programme of scientific research, conservator’s investigations and inventorying with tho Chief Conservator are co-opei’ating the Committee of Architecture and Townplanning, Polish Academy of Sciences and the Historical Monuments Documentation Centre, Warsaw. Numerous all-country and regional conferences will be held this year dealing with various aspects of historic monument protection and the role played by them in procoss of shaping of the social consciousness. It is planned that a number of the Chief Conservator’s prizes will bo awarded to students in the field of monument protection and conservation for tho best diploma works covoring theso subjects. It is expectod that a highly valuable role will also be played in many actions and projects by the Union of the Polish Scout-Boys and Scout-Girls and that equally fruitful will prove the co-operation between the Association of Historians of Art and the youth organizations. An extensive programme of activities has been adopted by the Polish Touring Society within which special Committee for Protection of Cultural Heritage is activo for many years. No less important within tho rango of the planned activities will be tho voluntary actions and services for tho sake of cultural heritage rendered by the Polish handicraftsmen. As another field of activities is to be quoted hero tho popularization of problems of historic monument protection among tho widest circles of Polish community. It is planned that in 1975 a number of tho so-called model realizations will be carried out and among them tho adaptation of an ancient castle at Niedzica which has to bo tinned into a home for tho creatively working art historians, the protection of the landscapo and urban complex at Kazimierz on Vistula, tho rehabilitation of the Old Town districts in Cracow and Zamość as well as that of castles at Krasiczyn and Wiśnicz. The complete programme of the International Year of Historic Monument Protection will be presented in a special publication.