Authentic or not? Art historian's reflections on castle reconstructions in contemporary Poland

In Poland, most castles were destroyed as early as the 17th and 18th centuries as a result of numerous wars. In the following centuries, an unfavourable political situation or just economic considerations caused numerous demolitions. A significant number of castles disappeared, or functioned as ‘romantic ruins’. A few important castles were rebuilt in the 19th century, in the spirit of ‘historical revival’. In the 20th century, many of the most important buildings  were rebuilt or even reconstructed from scratch. In most cases, the sites were rebuilt immediately after the end of the war, by people who knew the buildings from autopsy, before demolishion.

For many years, castle ruins functioned in the Polish landscape as ‘permanent ruins’. After the fall of communism, reconstruction of some castles began at the beginning of the 21st century. The most spectacular example may be the ‘reconstruction’ of the castle in Poznan – one of the most important cities in Poland. It was rebuilt on the basis of poor iconographic material – no older than from the 18th century. However, a large part of city dwellers suport the fact that the former capital of Greater Poland had ‘reclaimed’ its castle. Another ‘reconstruction’ of recent years is the Bobolice Castle, praised by numerous tourists and heavily criticised by art historians and conservators. Contemporary castle reconstructions are becoming a worrying trend. It may, in future pose a serious threat to the authentic, substance of historical castle buildings.