In less than seven days (24, 25 April), Gdynia will become the centre of debates on the preservation of cultural heritage. The two-day conference held at the Emigration Museum will be attended by outstanding specialists and practitioners involved in the preservation, management and promotion of historic buildings. "Gdynia and its modernist architecture are symbols of the success of the Polish reconstruction after the partitions. This is one of the things we want to talk about during this year's International Day for Monuments and Sites" – said Bartosz Skaldawski, director of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage.
A detailed programme of national celebrations of the event was presented at a press conference in "Kino Kultura" in Warsaw on 18 April. It is hosted and co-organised by Gdynia. This occasion, established in 1983, is an opportunity to discuss cultural heritage and introduce local communities to the problems of its preservation.
- We place great importance on the preservation of cultural heritage. But it is not only the preservation of monuments or the possibility of communing with the material expressions of the past. It is also equally important to build mindsets and educate society. We have been trying to do this for years in a very modern way. Gdynia is famous for its unique sense of self-identity. And the residents themselves take great pride in their architectural heritage and love to show it to visitors. This is due to the strong belief that the past is of great importance in building the future — emphasised Katarzyna Gruszecka-Spychała, Deputy Mayor of Gdynia for Economy.
In Gdynia, the International Day for Monuments and Sites will be marked by debates, workshops and the awarding of conservation awards and decorations. All this on 24 and 25 April in the historic building of the Marine Station, which is currently the seat of the Emigration Museum.
- By entrusting us with the organization of this event, the National Institute of Cultural Heritage appreciated our commitment and organisational achievements in preparing, for example, the international conference "Modernism in Europe - Modernism in Gdynia" – said Marek Stępa, head of the Heritage Protection Department of the Gdynia City Hall. - The city and the institute share a common goal. This is the ennoblement of Gdynia's monuments, i.e. young, 20th-century monuments of modernism. This shows that they are as important to our national culture as even centuries-old objects.
Conservation and ministerial awards and distinctions
The International Day for Monuments and Sites is a good occasion to highlight the contribution of conservators and owners of historic buildings in working to preserve them for future generations. These include the "Zabytek Zadbany" ("Well-groomed Monument") competition of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage and the General Conservator of Monuments.
This unique distinction is aimed at rewarding exemplary Polish cases of proper maintenance and development of historic buildings. The winners in six categories will be announced on the first day of the conference, during the gala at the Emigration Museum.
However, this is not all. During the gala, the competition „Kochamy gdyńskie zabytki” ("We love Gdynia monuments") for the most attractive trip along the historic route of Gdynia will also be resolved. The awards of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage will be presented, as well as the most interesting projects submitted to the „Wspólnie dla dziedzictwa” ("Together for Heritage") programme.
It is worth mentioning that the building of the Emigration Museum in 2016 was awarded the title of "Zabytek Zadbany" in the "Adaptation of historic buildings" category.
“Gdynia and its modernist architecture are symbols of the success of the Polish reconstruction after the partitions. This is one of the things we want to talk about during this year's International Day for Monuments and Sites”
– said Bartosz Skaldawski, director of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, photo Jan Ziarnicki
A detailed programme of national celebrations of the event was presented at a press conference in "Kino Kultura" in Warsaw on 18 April. It is hosted and co-organised by Gdynia. This occasion, established in 1983, is an opportunity to discuss cultural heritage and introduce local communities to the problems of its preservation.
Conference programme
The conference at the Emigration Museum has a rich programme filled with debates and workshops with renowned experts in the field of conservation and preservation of monuments. The events are divided into two modules. The first day will include debates, the second - workshops. A detailed schedule is presented below.
Day 1 (24 April)
How to create a cultural heritage management strategy?
12:15 - 13:45, screening room
The long-term strategy of using cultural heritage as a resource for local development is the key to success in managing these unique goods that are owned by the city and municipality. What features should a good heritage management strategy have, where to start creating it and how to make it effective? Experts and practitioners will try to answer these questions together.
Moderator: Bartosz Skaldawski, Director of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage
Experts: Łukasz Galusek, Programme Director, International Cultural Centre in Krakow, Robert Hirsch, Municipal Conservator of Monuments in Gdynia, Monika Murzyn-Kupisz, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Rafał Wiśniewski, Director of the National Centre for Culture Poland in Warsaw.
Harmonisation of procedures and standardisation of preservation activities
12:15 - 13:45, multimedia room
The 100th anniversary of conservation services prompts reflection on the need to update or develop principles and guidelines for activities involving historic buildings. Why should standardization be used and to what extent should it be carried out in order to prevent the loss of diversity of the resource? What should the guidelines be about and who should they be the addressed to? Participants in the debate will try to work out a common answer to these questions.
Moderator: Mariusz Czuba, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage
Experts: Mirosław Jonakowski, Director of the Nicolaus Copernicus Museum in Frombork, Prof. Andrzej Koss, Director of the Inter-Academy Institute of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art in Warsaw, Marek Rubnikowicz, Director of the Regional Museum in Toruń, Prof. Maria Jolanta Sołtysik, Faculty of Architecture, Gdańsk University of Technology.
How to encourage local governments and NGOs to engage in local cultural heritage?
14:00 - 15:30, screening room
The entities most suitable for managing the local cultural heritage and releasing its development potential are local governments and non-governmental organizations. In practice, however, this area of activity is still poorly recognized. The joint debate will be an opportunity to exchange experiences and develop solutions to the problems encountered by current and potential managers of local heritage.
Moderator: Bartosz Skaldawski, Director of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage
Experts: Dr. Monika Herkt, Deputy Director of the Porta Posnania, Dr. Paulina Legutko-Kobus, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Barbara Kazior, President of the Foundation of Active Places and People in Krakow, Marek Stępa, Head of Heritage Protection Department of the Gdynia City Hall.
Meeting of the nominees in the "Zabytek Zadbany" competition
14:00 - 15:30, multimedia room
Meeting of the nominees in the "Zabytek Zadbany" competition with the jury and discussion of the conditions and effects of conservation works on the buildings assessed in this year's edition.
Host: Dr. Iwona Liżewska, National Institute of Cultural Heritage
Gala
19:00, main hall
In the program: awarding the decorations of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, the final of the competition of the General Conservator of Monuments "Zabytek Zadbany", presentation of the most interesting project under the "Wspólnie dla dziedzictwa" programme and the results of the "Kochamy gdyńskie zabytki" competition for the most attractive trip on the www.zabytek.pl website.
Day 2 (25 April)
Holy Mass for Polish conservators
9:00, Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Gdynia at 46 Armii Krajowej Str.
Heritage – an idea for success
10:15 - 12:00, screening room
Participants will design a tourist offer "Weekend in...", using various resources, created in cooperation with local entities. The starting point will be to identify these resources and the conservator's contribution to the planning stage of the local strategy. The aim of such cooperation is, among others, to create a tourist offer based on respect for the authenticity of heritage and striving to preserve it for future generations. The development of the community is based on a synergistic approach to various areas of the municipality’s/city’s/region's life and the activation of the potential of heritage resources. Participants will learn how to identify and activate this potential and how to design cultural tourism offers.
The workshop will be conducted by: Aleksandra Chabiera, National Institute of Cultural Heritage
Local development through monuments and intangible heritage (economic, social and cultural potential)
10:15 - 12:00, multimedia room
In addition to monuments, works of art and collections of valuable exhibits, a very valuable part of the broadly understood heritage are tradition, living, intangible phenomena, rites or socio-cultural practices inherited from ancestors and passed down from generation to generation. Both tangible and intangible heritage are extremely important in the process of shaping the identity of both the individual and the social group. During the workshop, participants will receive knowledge about the essence of heritage in the context of local development, its role in the integration of the local community and the potential it brings. We will also talk about the dangers that too much interference with this heritage can cause, as well as how we can counteract or avoid them.
The workshop will be conducted by: Katarzyna Sadowska-Mazur and Agata Mucha, National Institute of Cultural Heritage
Co-organizers of the conference are: National Institute of Cultural Heritage and Gdynia. The event is held under the honorary patronage of Prof. Magdalena Gawin, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, General Conservator of Monuments. The partner of the event is the Museum of Emigration in Gdynia.
The International Day for Monuments and Sites was established by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and entered by UNESCO into the register of cultural events of global importance. Worldwide, this day is celebrated on 18 April. In previous years, national celebrations of the International Day for Monuments and Sites were held, among others, in Zamość, Bydgoszcz or Zakopane.