Social care for monuments – experience from the last dozen or so years in Gdynia

The article presents an analysis of the functioning of social care for monuments in Gdynia after 2003. Several years of experience of the local government and the time that has passed since the entry into force of applicable regulations related to the institution of social guardians of monuments allow for the formulation of conclusions and showing the advantages and disadvantages of various solutions. The article presents the experience of the Office of the Municipal Conservator of Monuments in Gdynia in cooperation with both social guardians of monuments and local associations dealing with heritage protection. The authors' experience clearly shows that the provisions of the Act on the Protection and Care of Monuments, regulating the activities of social guardians of monuments, are anachronistic and in practice have minimal impact on the protection of monuments. However, the social activities of active residents using associations and other forms of collective cooperation have developed and are developing. Nowadays, online portals, especially social media, play an important role as they facilitate communication and allow for quick response. There is great public interest in the protection of monuments and considerable activity of residents in this area. In the authors' opinion, it is necessary to take advantage of new experiences and completely reformulate the principles of cooperation between monument protection authorities and the public. Such cooperation can bring beneficial results.