Błażej Ciarkowski

The architectural heritage of post-war modernism in Poland is often named a “dissonant” or “unwanted heritage”. Its evaluation and interpretation is often ambiguous, whereas the social reception, in spite of the growing common awareness of the matter, very diversified. A proper assessment of the phenomenon requires analysis against the background of twentieth-century European architecture. The InnovaConcrete project is comprised of multidisciplinary studies on strategies for the preservation of concrete-based heritage which provide for identification of the most valuable assets in Europe. The aim of this paper is to place the local Polish cultural heritage of twentieth-century architecture against the broad context of global and universal values and to present the methodology of the research.

Keywords: concrete-based architecture, post-war modernism, socialist modernism, conservation, 20th century heritage

Streszczenie
Architektoniczne dziedzictwo powojennego modernizmu w Polsce często bywa określane jako “kłopotliwe” bądź “niechciane dziedzictwo”. Jego ocena i interpretacja są niejednoznaczne, a społeczna recepcja, pomimo rosnącej powszechnej świadomości, bardzo zróżnicowana. Właściwa ocena zjawiska wymaga analizy na tle europejskiej architektury XX wieku. Projekt InnovaConcrete obejmuje multidyscyplinarne badania nad strategiami zachowania dziedzictwa architektury betonowej, które przewidują indentyfikację najbardziej wartościowych obiektów w Europie. Celem niniejszego artykułu jest umiejscowienie lokalnego dziedzictwa kulturowego architektury XX-wieku w szerokim kontekście wartości globalnych i uniwersalnych oraz prezentacja metodologii badań.

Dissonant heritage of Lodz - the historical narrative in the former Litzmannstadt Getto area

In 1940, due to Nazi’s orders, Balut – the Lodz’s quarter which was inhabited mostly by Jews, became a closed district – Litzmannstadt Ghetto. After the Second World War the communists decided to use it as a place where the new “ideal” district was to be raised.

Streets’ names, ones changed by German occupants, were never restored. New, socialist buildings were raised and the memories of the former Jewish Ghetto were subsequently erased. However, the new district has never been finished and reminiscences of the past became an integral part of Baluty – a hybrid-district.

Nowadays the quarters unveils its double characteristics, although its inhabitants frequently don’t fully identify with the place and its complicated history.