Laudacja doktora Wojciecha Fijałkowskiego - Ryszard Brykowski, s. 93-95
Zbigniew Kobyliński
Archeologia jako służba dziedzictwu archeologicznemu, s. 96-99
Archaeology in the Service of the Archaeological Heritage
The author - Deputy Conservator General of Historical Monuments - writes about the
protection of the archaeological heritage, described in a pertinent European convention as
a "source of collective memory".
The archaeological heritage possesses a special rank among other categories of the
cultural heritage. It is usually concealed from society and remains particularly sensitive
to all human activity, even such routine forms as land cultivation or the construction of
residential estates, while its violation and damage are irreversible.
The prime task of archaeologists does not merely entail, as it is universally believed, an
examination of the past by means of studying the archeological heritage, but its
protection. If we become aware of the fact that the basic form of archaeological research,
i. e. sites, actually incurs damage to archaeological legacy, then we face the dilemma
whether to investigate or to protect (also against detrimental excavations). Each of these
moral choices appears to be well justified. The International Charter for the Protection
and Management of the Archaeological Heritage, prepared by ICAHM-ICOMOS, formulated the
principle of restricting excavations to an indispensable minimum in cases of endangered
sites and, only in exceptional circumstances, non-threatened sites (i.a. when excavations
are necessary for essential research purposes).
Ewa Nekanda-Trepka, Michał Smoktunowicz
Badania architektoniczne Pałacu Błękitnego w Warszawie, s. 100-115
Architectonic Research in the Blue Palace in Warsaw
The architectonic investigations in question concern a small fragment of the Blue
Palace: a conservatory and cellars underneath the eastern part of the main corps and the
eastern wing. Despite this extremely restricted range, the outcome of the studies proved
to be very interesting, even sensational, and offered new information about the earliest
stages in the construction of the palace as well as modern fortifications in this fragment
of the town.
Heretofore investigations pertaining to the Blue Palace were limited to an analysis of
archival material, without documents from the end turn of the nineteenth century. The wall
structure has never been examined. The point of departure, based on an analysis of
pertinent literature and up to now unutilised documents, was composed of four main stages
in the construction and expansion of the palace as well as changes in the development of
the terrain. The discovery of a stage preceding the construction of the first object -
amanor house from the turn of the seventeenth century - proved to be a veritable
breakthrough. In order to verify the material traces of phases in the erection of the
palace, work was conducted primarily in the cellars and a sondage trench was dug in the
eastern courtyard.
Conclusions drawn from studies, whose basic purpose was to provide conservation directives
for the repair and adaptation of the cellars, slightly alter the interpretation of the
history of the palace itself, but ultimately comprise only a contribution to the very
interesting history of the western extremities of Warsaw at the turn of the seventeenth
century. Supplementary investigations are required for the upper storeys of the corps of
the main palace. The original shape of the Potocki manor house - both its dimensions and
decoration are of particular interest; we could be dealing with the only extant remnants
of residential construction outside the town boundaries, dating from the second half of
the seventeenth century. The original course of Senatorska Street, disturbed by the manor
situated at its end, calls for proper interpretation.
Changes in the boundaries of the estate are so well documented that it seems strange that
the garden of the Blue Palace was included into the complex of the Saxon Garden. On the
other hand, attempts at a re-division of the terrain by resorting to fences or hedges
should be regarded as harmful from the viewpoint of the retention and protection of
cultural property.
Sławomir Skibiński
Przyczyny zniszczeń elewacji Starego Ratusza w Poznaniu, s. 116-132
Reasons for the Damaged Elevations of the Old Town Hall in Poznań
Historic buildings subjected to post-1945 revalorization succumb to rapid damage. On
the one hand, their state is the outcome of the impact of increased environmental
pollution and on the other hand - of imperfect and insufficient conservation expertise in
combining old and new technologies and material. Construction-conservation work dealing
with historic objects erected with old techniques and traditional material (timber,
differently baked bricks, natural and artificial stone, lime mortar, etc.) is conducted
upon the basis of a new construction philosophy, resorting to novel techniques and
material such as cement, reinforced concrete, paint ,etc. In Poland, the progressing
destruction of historic buildings conserved by means of new techniques and material has
remained unexamined although long-term observations prove that such techniques do not
always pass the test.
In 1993-1995, a team established by the National Museum in Poznań and cooperating with
the Poznań Polytechnic and Ateliers for Research and Conservation of Historical Monuments
in Toruń prepared a complex programme for salvaging the Town Hall, based on
interdisciplinary studies. The Programme assumes parallel conservation and implementation
studies.
Władysław Sobucki, Danuta Jarmińska, Donata Rams
Rękopiśmienne skarby Biblioteki Narodowej - badania technologiczne, s. 133-146
Manuscript Treasures of the National Library - Technological Research
The conservation of eight of the most valuable parchment manuscripts in the collection
of the National Library in Warsaw was conducted in 1993-1998. They included: Testamentum
Novum (turn of the eighth century), the Supraśl Codex (eleventh century), the Tyniec
Sacramentary (eleventh century), the Wilanów Psalter (thirteenth century), Calendarium
Parisiense (fourteenth century), the Floriański Psalter (fifteenth century), the Dutch
Prayer-book (fifteenth century) and the Missal of Erazm Ciołek(sixteenth century). The
conservation programme encompassed also fundamental technological studies into the
manuscripts in question, describing the origin and preparation of the parchments as well
as the state of the preservation of the ink. Considerable attention was paid to painted
decoration. The authors identified basic pigments and analysed the technology of gilding.
Chemical analysis concerned chemical changes in the painting layers executed with white
lead, minium, orpiment and silver.
The article discusses the outcom of the studies and proposes their detailed presentation.
Elżbieta Jabłońska
Metody wykonywania pieczęci woskowych, s. 147-155
Methods of Making Wax Seals
Seals of this sort were made with stamps impressed in a suitable plastic mass; their variety throughout centuries remained considerable. The author discusses assorted methods of production, taking into consideration ten seals from the municipal chancery of Toruń from the 1308-1794 period. Ensuing findings confirmed the differentiation of seal masses - the earliest example was made of pure beeswax. Subsequent masses contained numerous components and the beeswax was supplemented by rosin and pigments. Green seals were tinted with verdigris, and red ones - with a mixture of minium and vermilion or the latter ingredient alone.
Anna Wieczorek, Julian Kołodziej
Krajobraz kulturowy Warszawy. Oś Saska - problemy ochrony konserwatorskiej, s. 156-161
The Cultural Landscape of Warsaw. The Saxon Axis - Problems of Conservation Protection
On 1 July 1965, the town planning premise know as the Saxon Axis was listed in the
register of historical monuments; unfortunately, the document sanctioning this fact does
not contain a graphic addendum which would delineate the boundaries of the area under
protection. This fact led to certain consequences, namely, the restriction of the
possibilities of conservation protection.
The authors analyse the spatial transformation of this area and draw attention to
potential threats due to undesirable spatial transformations produced by new investments
within the Saxon Axis. They also accentuate the precedent nature of the problem under
examination: a considerable number of town planning entries in the register of historical
monuments throughout the whole country does not posses a graphic addendum describing the
limits of the protected area.
Zygmunt Błaszczyk
Dwór w Skotnikach nad Pilicą, s. 162-168
The Manor House in Skotniki on the Pilica
Skotniki is located on the river Pilica along the historical borderland between Little
Poland and Great Poland. The spatial planning of this small and unprosperous village
recalls a small town, with a rectangular market square and streets leading to and from it.
The village has two extant sixteenth-century buildings: a wooden church and a stone manor
house, both founded by Mikołaj Wspinek, know also as Spinek, owner of several nearby
villages. The manor house was erected in the first half of the sixteenth century out of
local stone. The cellars and ground floor were covered with barrel vaults. The building
was redesigned twice: a north wing was added in the seventeenth century, followed by a
south wing, without cellars. The window and door openings preserve stone frames: the
simple, oldest example shows traces of grates and the later come from the first stage in
the expansion of the manor house.
All the wooden elements of the building: the roof, ceilings and woodwork were damaged in
1915, during the first world war. Repair initiated in 1979 was halted several years later
by the new owner - the local parish which is unable to meet the costs of conservation.
Andrzej Kulesza
Propozycja nowych krosien malarskich, s. 169-177
A Proposed New Painting Screen
In view of conservation requirements and heretofore achievements, the author proposes
new constructions of display and auxiliary painting screens. Over ten basic features of
these well-designed painting screens meet contemporary demands. The presented display
screen is made entirely of metal, its arms are of aluminium and the remaining elements are
steel. The auxiliary screen uses metal for mounting the canvas and regulating its strain,
while the arms are are wooden. Both types apply new methods of mounting the canvas and new
systems of regulating the strain by using screws which make it possible to correct the
strain of the canvas in two directions and in an unhampered and fluid manner. The whole
operation becomes simple and convenient. The author foresees two types of such regulation
for the auxiliary screen: based on a single"frame or two-frame structure. The latter
enables the regulation of each side separately.
Stretching the canvas on the screen is a simple, quick and efficient operation performed
by applying uniform pressure along the whole length of its sides, eliminating the
unfavourable effects of the traditionally used small nails. The free space obtained thanks
to the new method of placing the canvas on the outer sides of the screen arms makes it
possible to utilise it for multiple conservation undertakings, such as doubling on a
vacuum table. Both types of the screen can be disassembled. The ease of the assembly and
disassembly of the auxiliary screen, together with the possibility of changing its size
means that it can be used as a portable device. Both discussed screens can be of great use
for a more effective protection of paintings against damage, as well as eliminate
unfavourable factors and facilitate the work of conservators.
Jubileusz "Ochrony Zabytków" - Michał Gradowski, s. 178-180
Karczówka. Historia, literatura, architektura, przyroda, Kielce 1995 - Jakub Lewicki, s. 181-187
Kazimierz Stronczyński, Dziennik podróży 1844 rok, Kielce 1996 - Jakub Lewicki, s. 188-189