Aleksandra Ćwik POLISHING THE PEARL: REGIONAL SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BENEFITS OF THE REVITALIZATION OF THE POTOCKI PALACE IN RADZYŃ PODLASKI, POLAND MA Thesis in Cultural Heritage Studies: Academic Research, Policy, Management. Central European University Budapest May 2018 CEU eTD Collection POLISHING THE PEARL: REGIONAL SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BENEFITS OF THE REVITALIZATION OF THE POTOCKI PALACE IN RADZYŃ PODLASKI, POLAND by Aleksandra Ćwik (Poland) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts degree in Cultural Heritage Studies: Academic Research, Policy, Management. Accepted in conformance with the standards of the CEU. ____________________________________________ Chair, Examination Committee ____________________________________________ Thesis Supervisor ____________________________________________ Examiner ____________________________________________ CEU eTD Collection Examiner Budapest May 2018 POLISHING THE PEARL: REGIONAL SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BENEFITS OF THE REVITALIZATION OF THE POTOCKI PALACE IN RADZYŃ PODLASKI, POLAND by Aleksandra Ćwik (Poland) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts degree in Cultural Heritage Studies: Academic Research, Policy, Management. Accepted in conformance with the standards of the CEU. ____________________________________________ External Reader Budapest May 2018 CEU eTD Collection POLISHING THE PEARL: REGIONAL SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BENEFITS OF THE REVITALIZATION OF THE POTOCKI PALACE IN RADZYŃ PODLASKI, POLAND by Aleksandra Ćwik (Poland) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts degree in Cultural Heritage Studies: Academic Research, Policy, Management. Accepted in conformance with the standards of the CEU. ____________________________________________ External Supervisor CEU eTD Collection Budapest May 2018 I, the undersigned, Aleksandra Ćwik, candidate for the MA degree in Cultural Heritage Studies: Academic Research, Policy, Management declare herewith that the present thesis is exclusively my own work, based on my research and only such external information as properly credited in notes and bibliography. I declare that no unidentified and illegitimate use was made of the work of others, and no part of the thesis infringes on any person’s or institution’s copyright. I also declare that no part of the thesis has been submitted in this form to any other institution of higher education for an academic degree. Budapest, 28 May 2018 _____________________ _____ Signature CEU eTD Collection Abstract In July 2015, City Hall of Radzyń Podlaski, a town located in Radzyń district in Lublin Voivodeship in eastern Poland, became an official owner of the town’s most prominent monument – the historic Potocki Palace complex. Throughout decades of various adaptations, only the structure of the Rococo residence remained close to the original; the interiors and gardens, however, were devastated. City Hall decided to begin an urban revitalization process and transform the palace and its vicinities into a modern cultural hub to serve the community of Radzyń district. In 2018, a management plan of the Potocki palace was prepared and some stages of the façade renovation completed. The challenge remains in obtaining funds sufficient to finalize the project. In this work, I assess the sustainability of the revitalization project and place it in the context of urban revitalization trends in Poland and worldwide. My research included interviews with decision-makers and cooperation with the local community, as well as analysis of the Polish monument protection system and recent investment projects in Radzyń district. A study of global tendencies and current needs of the Radzyń district shows that the heritage-based revitalization can enhance the development of human capital in the area, which will directly lead to the desired economic progress. The study concludes with recommendations of creative tools to promote the district’s cultural heritage further and advance the current management plan of the Potocki Palace. CEU eTD Collection i Acknowledgments I would like to thank my supervisors, Professor Tamás Fejérdy and Professor József Laszlovszky, for their constant support, fresh and helpful remarks which taught me maturity in research and ability to read my text from different perspectives, as well as for their patience towards my never- ending flow of new ideas. Further, this work would not be complete without priceless insight to the case which I owe to the representatives of Radzyń Podlaski City Hall, Radzyń District Governance Office, as well as two truly warm and helpful promoters of the “Radzyń the Land of Warmth” brand. Finally, I would like to express my endless gratitude to my grandparents, Zofia and Czesław, who are residents of Radzyń Podlaski, who inspired me and guided throughout the entire process, and who were the continuous source of support and good mood during my field work. And because the list of sincerely valuable people who contributed to this research and its final product is much longer, with my pillar of support Gautam on the top, I will not hesitate to thank all of them in person. CEU eTD Collection ii Table of contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 General Introduction to the site ....................................................................................... 1 The purpose of this study ................................................................................................ 7 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 9 Qualitative Research Methods .................................................................................... 9 Theoretical Background ............................................................................................ 11 Chapter 1 - The Cultural Heritage of Radzyń District ...................................................... 13 1.1 A district full of pearls ........................................................................................ 14 1.1.1 Seven rustic mansions ................................................................................... 15 1.1.2 Palazzo in Fortezza in Czemierniki ............................................................... 16 1.1.3 Romantic Bełcząc and the literary trail ......................................................... 18 1.1.4 Digital Knowledge Village II in Borki.......................................................... 19 1.1.5 Sobole Foundation ........................................................................................ 21 1.2 The history of Radzyń Podlaski and its palace ................................................... 23 1.2.1 Artistic value of the Potocki Palace .............................................................. 28 1.3 "Radzyń the Land of Warmth" as a strategical tourism brand ............................ 32 Chapter 2 – Management Plan .......................................................................................... 34 2.1 The Concept of the Potocki Palace’s Adaptation to Serve Cultural and Social Needs ................................................................................................................................................... 34 2.2 Potocki Palace in city hall’s strategical documents ................................................ 36 2.3 Comparative analysis of the management plan ...................................................... 40 Chapter 3 – Relevant aspects of the monument protection system in Poland .................. 44 CEU eTD Collection 3.1 A brief introduction to the Polish monument protection system ............................ 44 3.2 Monument protection funding in Poland ................................................................ 47 3.3 The Revitalization of the Potocki Palace in Radzyń Podlaski: funding opportunities ............................................................................................................................. 51 3.4 Aligning with global tendencies ............................................................................. 54 iii Chapter 4 – Radzyń as an innovation-friendly creative hub ............................................. 57 4.1 The Creative Class .................................................................................................. 58 4.2 The power of temporary clusters ............................................................................ 59 4.3 Potocki Palace as the creative class atelier ............................................................. 61 4.4 Making towns as smart as cities .............................................................................. 62 Recommendations and Conclusion ................................................................................... 65 5. 1 Key attributes of a successful revitalization .......................................................... 65 5.2 Virtual 3D exhibition and Geographic Information System ................................... 67 5.3 Mobile application and physical infrastructure around the Aristocratic and Magnate Residencies Trail ......................................................................................................................