Złoty Medal Europejskiej Nagrody za Konserwację Zabytków dla Zamku Królewskiego w Warszawie

The subject-matter of the report is the European Award for the Conservation of Monuments, the Gold Medal of which was granted on October 30, 1981 to the Royal Castle in Warsaw. The aim of the Award, established in 1973 by the Hamburg F.V.S. Foundation and J. W. Goethe Foundation, is to commemorate unusual actions of individuals or social organizations that preserve Europe’s architectural heritage. The Conferment Certificate says, i.a., that it is granted in the recognition of outstanding achievements in the reconstruction of this symbol of the Polish nation which, damaged during war operations, was recreated in 1971—1981 thanks to voluntary contributions. It was also thanks to these efforts that the historic centre of Warsaw, the town so heavily experienced, stayed in its old place with its original walls preserved, the last and most important feature that was missing in the town complex. When evaluating these attainments one should point out full contribution of historians, archaeologists and architects who created foundations of rebuilding as well as fine work of all craftsmen. Thanks to their skill it was possible to reuse numerous elements of old stonework, details of architectural decor of the interiors and part of highly valuable amenities. If that reconstruction has got a unanimously high opinion this was the result of the fact that we have to do here not wih a perfect adaptation of methods and attitudes unapplied anywhere else but with the execution of original Polish conservation concept, i.e. reconstruction of the original spatial relation between preserved original relics.