Drodzy Czytelnicy,

It is with pleasure that we present to you the recent issue of “Ochrona Zabytków” magazine. It differs from previous editions as it is entirely devoted to conservation of historic gardens. Here, in Poland, this field has truly impressive achievements as we are one of the few European countries to hold a considerable collection of garden documents (records), and to develop – in the post-war period – research methods as well as following methodology taught in a plethora of academic centres. Furthermore, it may seem that applicable legal acts and international recommendations are sufficient tools to protect this particular type of heritage. Nevertheless, as a consequence of failing to grasp the phenomena of a garden – with its essence and artistic value – and due to the necessity to adopt measures other than for historic architecture, decisions regarding gardens often raise much controversy. We are observing occurrences that prove disturbing especially in the context of the increasing resources allocated to conservation and restoration of historic gardens. As a result, we are witnessing a process which would be unthinkable a few decades ago, when the majority of works was carried out within the inner management of the historic site. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the notion of recreating historical garden compositions, which should be an aftermath of a far-reaching process and not a one-time act. This process involves conservators struggling to make various substantive decisions, and as there is no one universal path to follow, all options and conditions must be taken into account. In 2014, the celebration of the 10th anniversary of inscribing the Polish-German Mużakowski Park on the UNESCO World Heritage List proved to be a unique opportunity to call to mind the principles of conduct towards historic gardens, in particular, the doctrine for conservation in relation to this type of heritage, and to discuss current issues and tendencies. Inscribing Mużakowski Park, whose eastern part is managed by the National Heritage Board of Poland on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, on the UNESCO World Heritage List is one of the key points of park’s revitalisation process which started at the beginning of 1990s and was initiated by predecessors of the Board in cooperation with the manager of German part of the site. The inscription emphasised the efforts of Polish manager that went into rescuing the park – without it, this precious site would go down only in the history of landscape gardening. The wide range of conservation works carried out by both managers is unprecedented in Europe and constitutes an example of good practices in the field of historic garden conservation. The National Heritage Board of Poland – an organiser of the “Historic gardens as objects of maintenance, conservation and restoration” conference which was held from 11 to 13 September 2014 in the Żagań Palace and outdoors in the Mużakowski Park to commemorate the inscription – has committed to remind us that historic gardens must be treated in a different manner than other types of heritage due to special characteristics of their material, longevity and value of composition. Moreover, the conference was to present European views on standards of conduct and to discuss on a spectrum of possibilities related to selecting the right path prior to deciding on measures to be adopted. Most papers read by speakers from Poland and abroad have been adapted to the requirements set out for academic writing, and subsequently collected in a volume that is presented to you. We strongly believe that our Readers will learn more on the subject of historic gardens which so far has rarely been raised in “Ochrona Zabytków” magazine. A garden is a type of historic site that requires continuous care, in particular constant and professional maintenance. Understanding its complexity is the foundation of any revitalisation process and a guarantee for maintaining its inherent value. Without it, our conservation efforts will result in passing to future generations our mere representations of historic garden achievements that will have nothing to do with the real thing. dr inż. Renata Stachańczyk The Manager of the Revitalisation Project of Mużakowski Park, Head of the Team for expert opinions and analysis of historic landscape The National Heritage Board of Poland