Kłodzko fortress - a monument of history? The role of monument protection in the context of and regarding politics

Kłodzko Fortress - an undisputed witness of the stormy Silesian wars between the two powers: Austria and Prussia, whose course changed the map of 18^th- century Europe, but above all the building which is a unique example of modern military architecture in Europe, where the architectural solutions of several fortification schools intersect, preserved to this day and making the Kłodzko fortress a kind of encyclopedia of fortifications - remains outside the list of monuments recognized as Monuments of History. The efforts undertaken in 2009 to include the fortress on this list of prestigious monuments did not bring the expected result, and the past decade has provided many valuable conclusions on the role and scope of protection of monuments in relation to both local and central politics. This article is an attempt at a synthetic presentation of the case of the Kłodzko Fortress in connection with a renewed attempt to obtain the title of a Monument of History. It is also an echo of the voices focusing on the strictly Polish heritage that emerged during the conference Monuments of History - protection, management, promotion.