Typology of medieval urban layouts in historic Lesser Poland and their protection

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a study of the typology of medieval urban layouts in historical Lesser Poland in the context of their conservation requirements. It describes identified urban layouts in medieval Lesser Poland, namely the nine-square model, the turbine, the pseudo-oval (Silesian), and the orthogonal model enclosed within an oval or a circle. An analysis of current conservation measures, presented through the exazmple of ten well-preserved historic towns in former Lesser Poland, coupled with the authors’ research findings, indicate the necessity of improving the protection of historic urban layouts. An amendment to monument protection law is proposed so as to include the need to establish an additional form of conservation, namely a historic town list or register. Furthermore, the authors note that a more system-based heritage site management is required, in accordance with international recommendations by the ICOMOS and UNESCO e.g. HUL.

KEYWORDS:

• Polish urban planning during the Middle Ages
• urban planning in Lesser Poland
• urban models
• conservation of urban layouts
• conservation management

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Kostof, The City Shaped; Mumford, The City in History.

2 Kuśnierz-Krupa, “Original Historical Spatial Development Research Methodology,” 18–23.

3 Announcement by the Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland of 6 February 2020, concerning the codified version of the Act on the protection and preservation of historical monuments, J. of L. 2020, pos. 282; Announcement by the Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland of 6 February 2020, concerning the codified version of the Act on spatial planning and development, J. of L. 2020, pos. 293; Ordinance of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of 26 May 2011 on keeping the monuments register, the national, voivodeship and municipal monuments records and the national list of monuments either stolen or unlawfully taken abroad, J. of L. 2011 No. 113.

4 Książek, Zarys budowy miast średniowiecznych w Polsce do końca XV w.

5 Kuśnierz-Krupa, Jaśliska in the Middle Ages; Kuśnierz-Krupa, Towns foundations of the Benedictine monastery; Kuśnierz-Krupa, XIV-wieczne układy urbanistyczne w Małopolsce i na Podkarpaciu: stan zachowania, ochrona i rewaloryzacja; Kuśnierz and Kuśnierz-Krupa, “Issues with Protecting Medieval Urban Layouts,” 37–44; Kuśnierz, “History of the Spatial Development of Gorlice,” 17–27; Kuśnierz-Krupa, Kuśnierz, Budziakowski, “Historic Town Protection Issues,” 55–64.

6 Munch, Geneza rozplanowania miast wielkopolskich XIII i XIV wieku, 136.

7 Kuśnierz-Krupa, XIV-wieczne układy urbanistyczne.

8 Kuśnierz-Krupa, XIV-wieczne układy urbanistyczne; Kuśnierz-Krupa, “Issue of Protecting Historic Urban Layouts,” 1–10; Kuśnierz-Krupa, “Medieval Urban Layouts and Their Conservation,” 59–68.

9 Kuśnierz-Krupa, XIV-wieczne układy urbanistyczne; Kuśnierz-Krupa, “Issue of Protecting,” 1–10; Kuśnierz-Krupa, “Medieval Urban Layouts,” 59–68.

10 Kuśnierz-Krupa, XIV-wieczne układy urbanistyczne.

11 Książek, Zarys budowy miast średniowiecznych w Polsce do końca XV w., 134; Kuśnierz-Krupa, Skawina in the Middle Ages; Kuśnierz-Krupa, Towns Foundations of the Benedictine Monastery.

12 Zarewicz, Lanckorona. Monografia historyczna, 8.; Berdecka, Lokacje i zagospodarowanie miast królewskich w Małopolsce za Kazimierza Wielkiego (1333–1370), 163.; Krasnowolski, Lokacyjne układy urbanistyczne na obszarze ziemi krakowskiej w XIII i XIV wieku, 145.; Kuśnierz-Krupa, Skawina w średniowieczu, 32.

13 Krasnowolski, Lokacyjne układy urbanistyczne, 106, 193; Stamirski, Zarys rozwoju miasta Piwnicznej (1348–1807), 16–19; Berdecka, Lokacje i zagospodarowanie, 164.

14 Berdecka, Lokacje i zagospodarowanie, 164; Kiryk, Rozwój urbanizacji Małopolski XIII-XVI w. Województwo krakowskie (powiaty południowe), 82, 98.

15 https://www.polskawliczbach.pl; See https://www.wuoz.malopolska.pl/rejestrzabytkow/; http://bip.wuozprzemysl.pl/index.php?id=230&id2=128.

16 Woźniak, “Istota i zakres ustaleń ochrony zabytków w miejscowym planie zagospodarowania przestrzennego,” 313–28.

17 Kuśnierz-Krupa, XIV-wieczne układy urbanistyczne; Kobylarczyk and Kuśnierz-Krupa, Jakość środowiska mieszkaniowego; Kuśnierz-Krupa, Issue of Protecting Historic Urban Layouts, 1–10.

18 ICOMOS. “Charter for the Conservation of Historic Towns and Urban Areas (Washington Charter 1987).”

19 UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape. Paris, 10 November 2011; Hosagrahar, “A History of Heritage Conservation in City Planning,” 441–54.

20 Hosagrahar, “A History of Heritage Conservation in City Planning,” 441–54.

21 Kuśnierz-Krupa, Report Concerning the Definition of a Historic Town.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dominika Kuśnierz-Krupa

Dominika Kuśnierz-Krupa is an architect, a landscape architect, and a Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Cracow University of Technology. Her scientific interests include such issues as: history of spatial and architectural development of towns; conservations of architectural and urban-design monuments; protection of historic cities as well as legal and social conditions in protecting cultural landscape.

Justyna Kobylarczyk

Justyna Kobylarczyk is an architect, a Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Cracow University of Technology. Her scientific interests include: assessing the quality of the housing environment and historic urban structure; sustainable development; the impact of climate change on the way architectural structures are shaped and functioning, as well as the role of architecture in public spaces of cities. She has also developed her scientific interests in other areas which include didactic, scholar and creative work.

Małgorzata Lisińska-Kuśnierz

Małgorzata Lisińska-Kuśnierz is a Professor in the College of Management Sciences and Quality at Cracow University of Economics. Her educational and research activity concern managing protection processes and ensuring the safety and quality of processes and products.

Michał Krupa

Michał Krupa, PhD, is an architect and a Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Cracow University of Technology. His educational and research activity focuses mainly on the impact of cultural heritage on present-day architecture and urban design, as well as the issues of urban development and architecture of industrial cities in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.

Kazimierz Kuśnierz

Kazimierz Kuśnierz is an architect, a Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Cracow University of Technology. His educational and research activity concern the history of Polish and European urban design, with particular emphasis on Renaissance cities, and the issue of protecting historic cities.