DOI article:
Kunkel, Robert: Straty polskich dóbr kultury podczas I wojny światowej
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.39127#0177
STRATY POLSKICH DÓBR KULTURY PODCZAS I WOJNY ŚWIATOWEJ
175
inżynier Kazimierz Osiński (twórca i kustosz Muzeum TPN) i dr Mieczysław Orłowicz; obronili oni
kilkadziesiąt dzwonów przed rekwizycją, a z tych, których nie mogli uratować, pobrali odciski ornamen-
tów i odpisy inskrypcji (zachowane do dziś w zbiorach muzealnych). Ich praca dostarczyła potem wielu
cennych informacji badaczom kultury i sztuki45.
POLISH CULTURAL LOSSES DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Abstract
The author’s aim is to identify certain characteristic phenomena associated with the fate of Polish historical monuments and works
of art both during and after the war. The destruction of cultural property that took place during the war was only partly the direct result
of military action. Long-range artillery enabled the shelling of targets hwisible to gunners, the accuracy of fire controlled by observers
ffom castle or church towers. This was why such towers were deliberately destroyed by artillery fire or blown up. On occasion, wooden
churches were pulled down by soldiers in order to construct fortifications and shelters, and their fumishings stolen. Country houses and
palaces abandoned by their owners and servants fell victim to robberies both by soldiers and local people. Numerous artefacts were
purchased by officers and agents of Viennese or Berlin antiąue shops. They resurface in the art trade to this day.
On Polish territory, the scorched-earth policy adopted by administrative authorities as they evacuated before the advancing front,
as well as by retreating troops, in particular the Russians, led to the total destruction by fire of entire localities once various goods had
been removed. Entire collections, libraries and a variety of artefacts were chaotically evacuated and stored along railway lines, where
a large number were stolen. Items that owners failed to fmd and prove their ownership of were taken over by the Tsarist and later
Soviet administration as goods abandoned and ended up in Russian museums and libraries or were sold at auctions through state-owned
antiąue shops.
The activities of Polish art historians and conservators during and after the war concentrated primarily on recovering for the rebom
state collections of exceptional historical value, meaning that many other objects related to Polish culture that were looted during the
war simply never retumed home.
45 M. Trojanowska, Plakiety gipsowe
wanych w czasie I wojny światowej w Przemyślu
w zbiorach Muzeum Narodowego Ziemi Przemyskiej - ślady po dzwonach zarekwiro-
i okolicach, [w:] Odlewnictwo w Polsce, s. 179-189.
175
inżynier Kazimierz Osiński (twórca i kustosz Muzeum TPN) i dr Mieczysław Orłowicz; obronili oni
kilkadziesiąt dzwonów przed rekwizycją, a z tych, których nie mogli uratować, pobrali odciski ornamen-
tów i odpisy inskrypcji (zachowane do dziś w zbiorach muzealnych). Ich praca dostarczyła potem wielu
cennych informacji badaczom kultury i sztuki45.
POLISH CULTURAL LOSSES DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Abstract
The author’s aim is to identify certain characteristic phenomena associated with the fate of Polish historical monuments and works
of art both during and after the war. The destruction of cultural property that took place during the war was only partly the direct result
of military action. Long-range artillery enabled the shelling of targets hwisible to gunners, the accuracy of fire controlled by observers
ffom castle or church towers. This was why such towers were deliberately destroyed by artillery fire or blown up. On occasion, wooden
churches were pulled down by soldiers in order to construct fortifications and shelters, and their fumishings stolen. Country houses and
palaces abandoned by their owners and servants fell victim to robberies both by soldiers and local people. Numerous artefacts were
purchased by officers and agents of Viennese or Berlin antiąue shops. They resurface in the art trade to this day.
On Polish territory, the scorched-earth policy adopted by administrative authorities as they evacuated before the advancing front,
as well as by retreating troops, in particular the Russians, led to the total destruction by fire of entire localities once various goods had
been removed. Entire collections, libraries and a variety of artefacts were chaotically evacuated and stored along railway lines, where
a large number were stolen. Items that owners failed to fmd and prove their ownership of were taken over by the Tsarist and later
Soviet administration as goods abandoned and ended up in Russian museums and libraries or were sold at auctions through state-owned
antiąue shops.
The activities of Polish art historians and conservators during and after the war concentrated primarily on recovering for the rebom
state collections of exceptional historical value, meaning that many other objects related to Polish culture that were looted during the
war simply never retumed home.
45 M. Trojanowska, Plakiety gipsowe
wanych w czasie I wojny światowej w Przemyślu
w zbiorach Muzeum Narodowego Ziemi Przemyskiej - ślady po dzwonach zarekwiro-
i okolicach, [w:] Odlewnictwo w Polsce, s. 179-189.