Province conservator pushes for reconstruction of historic palace in Warsaw

Warsaw’s lost architectural gem, which was built as a royal residence in 1661, was destroyed during the Nazi occupation in 1944.

The province’s conservator, Jakub Lewicki, said the construction works of the palace would start towards the end of 2018, to coincide with the anniversary of Poland regaining its independence on 11 November 1918.

“I am currently holding talks with my superiors, who share my view that the reconstruction of the Saski Palace should come at the time of observances commemorating the anniversary […] so as to symbolise [Poland’s] independence,” Lewicki told Polish monthly Meetings with Monuments (Spotkania z zabytkami).

The project has been widely commented upon in Warsaw. The city’s monument conservator, Michał Krasucki, said that the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located at the site of the historic palace, already serves the purpose of commemorating the destruction brought on by World War II, calling the monument “a permanent ruin in an empty space where the palace once was.”

The project marks the second attempt to reconstruct the Saski Palace. In 2006, the then Warsaw mayor, Lech Kaczyński, pushed for the investment, which came to a halt after uncovering the ruins of the 17th century palace, which the city’s conservator registered as a historic monument. The entire project was scrapped by the succeeding mayor, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, in 2008. (aba)

Source: wawalove.wp.pl, Spotkania z zabytkami