Warsaw is facing a growing problem of devastation of public space. Hundreds of illegal paintings appear on the walls of tenement houses, public buildings and technical infrastructure facilities in almost every district and at every turn. Monuments are also increasingly falling victim to vandals. Recently, we wrote about an anointed wall in Mariensztat or a damaged Tchorek plaque in Marszałkowska Street, and now we have fallen victim to the Moorish House in Puławska Street.
The Moorish House falls victim to vandals
The garden pavilion was built around 1780 to a design by Szymon Bogumił Zug. The building survived the partitions, but was damaged during the Warsaw Uprising. Reconstruction was not completed until the 1960s. Today, despite its entry in the register of monuments and its invaluable architectural and historical value, it is unable to protect itself from the rising tide of vandalism. Over the past six months, the facade and woodwork of the building has been painted over several times. The building has recently undergone a costly and labour-intensive renovation, for which the city has earmarked more than PLN 800 000.
Costly fight against devastation
The costs of removing the effects of this type of vandalism are high and can reach tens of thousands of zlotys. The greatest loss, however, is the destruction of the capital’s authentic heritage and the tarnishing of its image. Every conservation intervention must be preceded by detailed conservation agreements, and the removal of paint from historic surfaces is a task requiring the use of specialised technologies and means. The effect of the work is sometimes unsatisfactory, as some of the damage leaves permanent traces that cannot be completely removed.
Lack of effective protection and monitoring
Under the current law, destruction of a monument is punishable by a fine and sometimes even imprisonment – from six months to eight years. However, finding and punishing the perpetrators is still rare. This is because there is no specialised monitoring system in Warsaw, which would cover only historic buildings, i.e. the most valuable ones. Meanwhile, the city’s more than 500 cameras focus mainly on traffic control and public order. Despite repeated appeals to improve the protection of the most valuable elements of the capital’s landscape, no effective solutions have been introduced.
Neglected Centre, but not only
The problem of illegal ‘graffiti’ is getting out of hand for the Warsaw authorities. The phenomenon is no longer limited to the inner city, which has been famous for this type of vandalism for years. Scrawls are also appearing on the streets of other districts such as Mokotów, Solec and Ochota. Offenders scribble on the walls of churches, park fences, bridges, viaducts, stairs, school facades and courtyards of tenement houses. There is no sanctity for them and they feel impunity, even though they operate under the watchful eye of the municipal police and the police. Is it only in theory?
The Moorish House and other monuments – devastation as the norm?
The recently renovated and already vandalised Moorish House is a clear and sad example of how fragile and vulnerable the material legacy of the past can be. Its smudged façade, like that of many other sites in Warsaw, shows the frailty of current preservation efforts. Without a decisive reaction, the introduction of effective mechanisms to counteract vandalism and the effective enforcement of truly severe penalties, the destruction of historic buildings will continue. The phenomenon is being addressed by Wnerwiona Syrenka, a Facebook profile that denounces and reproaches the capital’s authorities for their ineptitude and growing aesthetic mess. Its photographs, documenting Warsaw’s disorder, are very popular and are commented on in large numbers. Perhaps this form of drawing attention to the scale of the problem will bring about real change?
Source: Wnerwiona Syrenka, nowawarszawa.pl, portalwarszawski.com
Read also: Monument | Renovation | City | Warsaw | Architecture in Poland
