Relikty archeologiczne Wielkiej Wojny. Znikające dziedzictwo, poza nawiasem nauki i konserwatorstwa

Poland is one of the several states which became a theatre of military activities of World War I. The long-lasting trench warfare remained underground relics in the territory of our country, which are an element of tangible heritage. However, a proper conservator’s strategy to protect them effectively has not been developed yet. One of the methods of research of military conflicts is the so-called archaeology of battlefields, which is a novelty, also in Poland. The article points out an urgent need to develop effective methods of protection of material relics of World War I, which have sill survived in the field as relics of field fortifications constructed of non-durable materials, underground remains of military engineering, as well as the objects deposited in the original context or traces documenting the course of fighting. Archaeology is specified as a method for documenting them and drawing research conclusions, impossible to obtain in other research disciplines. A fundamental issue which makes it impossible to employ the conservator’s protection typical for the archaeological heritage is a scale of fights and their great range. For that reason, an effective protection method for such places should be developed, which would have to be based on a valorization of all historical resources. The article draws one’s attention to the hazards for the archaeological heritage of the Great War and points out its persistent marginalization by both researchers and historical monument protection services. It also refers to the problems connected with applying effective provisions of law to the protection of battlefields.