SENTYMENTALNO-KRYTYCZNE SPOJRZENIE NA WARSZAWSKIE POMNIKI

Apresentation of the fate of several Warsaw historical monuments from the time of their origin to the present day. The second world war, which altered the configuration of political forces in Europe, made it necessary to change the conservation principles devised during the 1930s (the Athens and Rome conferences). The obligatory nature of those principles – predominantly non-reconstruction applied in relation towards considerably damaged monuments – created a moral barrier for decision-makers involved in postwar reconstruction. A sentimental approach towards devastated monuments, which urged the production of copies, proved stronger than the prohibitions expressed in the Charter of Rome. The resultant consequence assumed the form of the so-called Polish school of conservation. Unfortunately, a practical reevaluation of those principles did not lead to a theoretical development of the socially accepted phenomenon. A reluctancy towards copying works of art emerged parallel within the context of the artists’ striving towards originality and uniqueness, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. The need to inform all interested persons (not merely tourists) that not every historical monument is original, appears to be obvious. A suitable documentation and information system provides an opportunity for presenting the copies in a much more favourable light.