Preserving the Past
Poland has a broad heritage of historic residences - from stately homes in the countryside and urban mansions through to Magnets’ fortified citadels, redundant Bishops’ palaces, and more modest manor houses. Of those few that survived the Second World War, not many were fortunate enough to resume their past splendour. The majority of those buildings were nationalised - what was once the home of the nobility was often crudely converted into hospitals, orphanages, schools, farm management offices, and public housing during the communist period. Thus, to an extent their survival was guaranteed. Since the fall of Communism many have had a more challenging histories.
The pressure on the state to divest itself of its obligations to maintain these historic buildings has led to a number of privatisations. Some residences have been returned to their original owners and others converted into hotels and other businesses under private ownership. Some have been the subject of financial malpractice. Yet some still remain untouched since the communist period or have been simply abandoned and left to the elements.
