The main task of the Papermaking Museum is to secure the paper mill in order to preserve the historic building for future generations. One of the most important projects carried out in this regard between 2021 and 2023, was the restoration of the historic pavilion, which is the main entrance to the museum.
The entrance pavilion is one of the most characteristic elements of the architecture of the Duszniki paper mill – as the main entrance it is a kind of showpiece for the museum. The intensity of use of this part of the building, weather conditions, the proximity of the river and a high traffic route meant that the condition of the pavilion deteriorated year after year. In order to raise funds for the design of the renovation work and to carry out the restoration, the museum applied to the IOC programme Protection of Monuments in 2020. The own contribution was intended to be obtained from the budget of the Lower Silesian Voivodship. The funds obtained in 2021 turned out to be much less than needed, forcing the museum to phase the project. Ultimately, it turned out that the entire work had to be spread over the years: 2021, 2022 i 2023.
The renovated entrance pavilion. Photo: Museum Archives
As part of the first stage of the work, a team of scientists under the direction of Prof. Rafał Eysymontt, PhD, carried out numerous studies of the pavilion. They also began construction and conservation work, focusing, among other things, on removing contemporary plaster on the ground floor of the building, while recognising the historic plaster zones. When the secondary plaster was removed, remnants of the original wall decoration in the form of horizontal bands were discovered. This decoration is reminiscent of Renaissance façade decorations and probably dates from the 17th century. It is therefore related to the oldest wall decoration of the lower part of the pavilion. Crucially, it was recognised that the lower part of the pavilion existed earlier than previously thought, so the dating of the pavilion’s ground floor was moved from the mid-18th century to the 17th century.
The pavilion in 1960 and today. Photo: Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój
Museum of Papermaking in 2000 and 2024. Photo: Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój
Museum of Papermaking before and after the renovation of the entrance pavilion. Photo: Grzegorz Wysocki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons and Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój
During the work carried out in 2021, care was also taken to stabilise the structure of the building and to conserve the entrance door. Subsequent stages included numerous works to secure the walls of the first floor of the pavilion, reinforcing and protecting the wooden structure of the walls and roof, conserving the surviving plaster fragments and replicating the underpinning plaster and the historic form of the window woodwork. One of the most important achievements of the work completed in 2024 is the restoration of the historic form of the pavilion’s visitor lounge, where the 1970s-era plank walls were replaced with glass panels. The interior of the pavilion was also renovated. The exterior and interior plasterwork was restored, and the electricity, lightning protection and fire protection systems were modernised. As a result of stratigraphic research, the colour scheme of the façade was modified. In addition, the pavilion and the connecting building received new shingle roofing.
The entrance pavilion past and present. Photo: Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój
Window of the pavilion before and after renovation. Photo: Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój
Decorative stain and lamp over the main entrance past and present. Photo: Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój
Thanks to the renovation of the pavilion, its technical and aesthetic condition has come closer to that of the golden period of the paper mill, dating back to the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The colouring of the walls of the pavilion (both ground and first floor), as determined by stratigraphic research, will be replicated on the paper mill building during the facade renovation of the entire building, planned for the next few years. The latest research increases the value of the Duszniki paper mill as a reference building in the group of about 20 paper mills still preserved in Europe today. None of the other historic paper mills can boast so many relics bearing witness to their history. This significantly increases the chances of success for the pending UNESCO listing application.
The interior of the entrance pavilion and the connector before and after renovation. Photo: Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój
The total value of the works carried out amounted to PLN 1,951,831.99 gross. The funds obtained came from the budget of the Lower Silesian Voivodship, a grant from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Museum of Papermaking’s own contribution.
Source: Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój
Photos: Archives of the Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój / Marta Borowiec-Greszta, Radosław Gliński, Maksymilian Guttfreund, Sławomir Huzarewicz Goplan-Art, Małgorzata Jakubiec, Krzysztof Jankowski, Maksym Mackiewicz, Maciej Szymczyk
Read also: Monument | Renovation | Metamorphosis | Museum | Wood | History
