Poland’s participation in initial efforts to implement resolutions of the Convention

Krzysztof K. Pawłowski

Abstract

In the period between ratification of the Convention and its coming into effect in 1977, Poland became an important centre for shaping the global identification and cultural heritage preservation system. The 1976 Warsaw Governmental Experts Conference concerning protection and role of historic and traditional complexes allowed for adopting a definition thereof. “A meeting of experts on the improvement and harmonization of systems on the inventories and catalogues of monuments” which took place in Warsaw in 1977, was the next stage.
Polish delegate, who had been chosen a vice-president of the Committee during the first session thereof in 1977, submitted a set of comments on operational directives on the criteria for historical value, authenticity, urban complexes, and technological artefacts. Polish nominations provided illustration of this intricate matter. These included: urban complex of Cracow, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Warsaw Old Town (rebuilt after WW2), and the former Concentration Camp
Auschwitz-Birkenau. Polish ICOMOS presented the “Protection and Management in Cities of Exceptional Monumental Value” programme in 1995, which was subsequently accepted by UNESCO.