Wykonawstwo budowlano-konserwatorskie jako odrębna dziedzina sztuki budowlanej

Basing on a draft of the Collective Labour Code drawn for monument conservation workshops, the author presents the history of building performance in Poland with regard to historic structures. The interest in the preservation o f architectural constructions began in the mid-19th century and was associated, inter alia, with developments in building techniques. At that time and early in the 20th century there appeared first professional publications on that subject and in 1909 a book on principles o f conservation and restoration o f architectural monuments was published. In 1917 attention was drawn to the need for specialistic building and conservation operations that would cover not only architectural but also movable monuments. It was also then (from 1905 on) that the oldest body for building and conservation works in Poland, i.e. the administration for the restoration o f the Royal Castle on the Wawel- mound (in Kraków) took up its activities. The vastness o f the country’s destruction after the second world war put the conservation service before enormous needs in the field of building and conservation works. It became necessary to found specialistic organizations. First attempts to create such institutions took place in 1945. In 1950 a state-owned organization was brought to life under the name of „monument conservation workshops” (M.C.Ws). In the beginning it dealt only with research and documentary works but from 1955 the workshops engaged also in building and conservation works and later became a separate body functioning on partially separate economic principles. The draft of the Collective Labour Code drawn for conservators employed in M.C.Ws describes a specific nature o f conservation works and abolishes differences in wages of conservators and artisans. It creates also conditions conducive to the stabilization of conservation profession. The document, the first of its kind in the world, will rise professional and social standing of conservation workers and will improve the quality and efficacy o f conservation works.