Project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Operational Programme Innovative Economy THE GUIDEBOOK A CONDITION OF POLISH MONUMENTS PROTECTION AND MAINTENANCE INDUSTRY YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2012 onuments conservation and protection are fields in which MPoland – in spite of historical conditions, or maybe thanks to them – has been excelling other countries. Long lasting period of lack of sovereignty and threat of losing the national identity made Polish scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, as well as people from outside the aforementioned branch of industry, to focus on saving historical buildings and masterpieces of art for future generations. A combination of unfavorable occurrences, paradoxically, created the necessity to prepare ways and methods of conservation, which - as it turned out later – were crucial for development of the monu- ments protection industry in other countries as well. Reconstruc- tion of historical settlements, carried out on a great, unprecedent- ed scale, made the Polish conservation-related concepts, as well as their executors well known in all places in the world, where the outcomes of natural disasters or human activities has created ne- cessity to revitalize damaged objects. In many cases, training new craftsmen in teams of conservators translated to education of top class professionals, who become extremely wanted experts very quickly and were members of teams saving numerous monuments from destruction all over the world, including those, which are registered on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Rich experiences from archeological missions, combined with innovative approach, based on direct cooperation of professional from various fields, re- sulted in development of interdisciplinary approach to cultural her- itage protection – which is nowadays considered rather obvious. 5 Photo by: POLYCHROME PAINTING AND SCULPTURES CONSERVATION INSTITUTE The UMK Fine Arts DepartmentTorun, in Poland 6 7 Department, and the Technology and Techniques of Monuments Department. In the case of Torunian UMK, the Conservation and Monuments-related Sciences Institute was created within the scope of the Fine Arts Department. One can obtain professional knowledge about conservation and restoration of polychrome sculptures and paintings, paper and leather, stone sculptures and architectonic elements. What is more, few years earlier, the Master of Arts level of education was created on the speciali- EDUCATION zation of the Cultural Heritage Protection, within the scope of which, the conservation specialization (theoretical and manage- he first education centers in Poland, focused on teaching pro- rial) has been proposed, as well as museum-related studies and Tfessionals specialized in monuments protection and main- historical and monuments-related studies in the field of art of tenance were established in 1945. The 70 years of tradition, the Orient. The educational offer of the Institute, supervised by when it comes to surveys and education in the field of conserva- PhD Elżbieta Basiul includes also Monuments-related studies and tion and restoration of art masterpieces, is the European-scale Conservation of Architectural Heritage Postgraduate Studies. achievement. The Polish education system training conserva- tors and restaurateurs has been the paradigm in many coun- ince December 1999, the Intercollegiate Conservation and tries. It is not an accident, though, that there is a positive term SRestoration Institute of Art Masterpieces of the Academy relating to the “Polish school of monuments conservation”. of Fine Arts in Cracow and Warsaw has been operating, on the basis of which – except direct cooperation between im- owadays, professionals from the monuments protection portant education centers located in two Polish capital cit- Nand maintenance are trained at three universities: The Fine ies, few international research programs have been organized: Arts Academy in Warsaw, Nicolaus Copernicus University in To- run, and the Fine Arts Academy in Cracow. In the case of the • COST G7 Action “Design of laser technology to renovate mod- university located in the capital city, the Monuments Conserva- ern works of art.” tion and Restoration Department is responsible for that. The • E! 3483 LASCAN “Advanced laser renovation of antique paint- dean of the department is professor Jerzy Nowosielski. Stu- ings, paper, parchment, and metal objects” EULASNET LAS- dents can choose one of four specializations: Conservation and CAN, no. 120/E-410/SPB/EUREKA/KG/DWM 97/2005-2007 – Restoration of Polychrome Wooden Paintings and Sculptures; coordinator of the Diagnostics Work Package Conservation and Restoration of Books, Graphics and Antique Leathers; Restoration and Conservation of Stone Sculptures and • Culture 2000 “Gemeinschaftsprojekt zur Entwicklung und Elements of Architecture, and Restoration of Antique Fabrics. Verbreitungeines Stein-Informations-System” n Cracow, there is the Faculty of Monuments Conservation and • “Modern methods of the material-based engineering in diag- IRestoration, with the Conservation and Restoration of Wall Paint- nostics of works of art. after laser pulse radiation renovation ing Department, the Conservation and Restoration of Easel Paint- - Matlas” ings Department, Conservation and Restoration of Sculptures 8 9 oreover, innovative research programs have been in- THE POLISH SCHOOL Mitiated, basing on the newest diagnostic instru- ments (such as roentgen spectrometer with XRF en- OF CONSERVATION ergy dispersion, LIBS laser spectroscopy, and portable Raman laser). Professor Jerzy Koss is the director of the Institute. eveloped technological and laboratory facilities, combined Dwith small number of students that are matriculated every year makes it possible for new generations of professionals to obtain The biggestachievements from high quality of education, as well as access to the newest achieve- the historical point of view ments of the industry-related technique. Thanks to that, without underestimating the level of theoretical and creative classes, the graduates are entering the labor marker, being competitive for more experienced but less knowledgeable concerning newest I. Our achievements abroad techniques conservators, and for students of foreign universi- ties, accustomed to work on advanced, and excellent devices only. ozens of thousands of tourists visit one of the most promi- hile concerning the list of universities cooperating with Dnent monuments in Egypt every day – the Great Temple of the WPolish universities training professionals specialized in Ramses II in Aby Simbel. They find it hard to believe their eyes, conservation of monuments, following institutions should be in- seeing the name of a Pole on the pedestal of the monument of the dicated: Opificiodelle Pietre Durein Florence, Istituto Centrale di pharaoh, next to the signature of the UNESCO’s General Assembly Restauro in Rome, Institute of Art and Design EVTEK in Vantaa, Chairman and the Ministry of Culture of Egypt. The name is hard Technological Educational Institution in Athens, Universidad del to utter properly – Kazimierz Michałowski. The bust of the man Pais Vasco in Bilbao, Koninklijke Academievoor Schone Kunstenin could have been seen near to the entrance to the Egyptian Mu- Antwerp, Universidad Complutense in Madrid, the Malta Univer- seum in Cairo, next to the statue of Jean-Francois-Champollion, sity, Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Dresden, Hochschule für who was the first man in history that managed to decode Egyp- Angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunstin Hildesheim, Staatliche tian hieroglyphs. Such juxtaposition is not accidental, though. Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Stuttgart, Vysoka Skola Vy- In the very place: among the sands of the desert, a Polish school tvarnych Umenin Bratislava, Accademia di Belle Arti Aldo Gal- of archeology and conservation was established half a century liin Como, Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milano, The Fine ago. The achievements of the representatives of the school are Arts Academy in Lvov, Royal Fine Arts Academy in Copenhagen, so prominent, that no other nation has managed to be a match Conservation Department in Kiev, and Escuela Superior Autóno- for them. Its uniqueness is based on the interdisciplinary ap- ma de Bellas Artes Diego Quispe Titoin Peruvian city of Cuzco. proach to surveys, and close cooperation of archeologists, an- thropologists, architects, conservators, sculptors, and painters. Even though it seems pretty obvious nowadays, the very first in- terdisciplinary missions were launched by Poles. Their great pro- moter was professor Kazimierz Michałowski, the member of the 10 11 National Museum in Warsaw. They did not need to wait for long rious, richly decorated villas from the beginning of our era. They for such approach – harmonic combination of archeological work had also discovered a complex of public baths, with preserved with conservation and protection of monuments – to be suc- pools, heating systems, furnaces, and wide underground storag- cessful. Within few years, Polish archeologists and monuments es.Polish archeologists and conservators have still worked there. conservators have become the best Polish export commod- Works of professor Michałowski in Egypt are continued by his ity. It must be highlighted that the whole thing happened when students, such as Karol Myśliwiec, who is the director of the PAN the flow of commodities and serviced was severely restricted. Mediterranean Archeology Office, as well as Krzysztof Ciałowicz