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The enormous historical value of Zamosc was confirmed by its entry in the UNESCO
World Heritage List (in 1992) and in the Polish List of Historic Monuments (in 1994). Four
major stages can be distinguished in the restoration history of the town: the interwar
period – discovery of values and experts’ concepts. Next, the period of the Polish People’s
Republic – implementation of the state policy and undertakings of the State Studios for
Conservation of Cultural Property. Then, “ideal restoration” at the beginning of the
21st c – referral to the ideal city tradition in the concept of a fortified landscape, viewed
as a testimony to history and a tourist product. Finally, “heritage management” – current
projects implemented by the local government which, having adopted the practice of
the World Heritage Sites protection, develops the concept of strategic documents which
streamline management in order to safeguard values. The tools are: the World Heritage
Site management plan (2018) and the local programme for protection of historical
monuments (2020). The management plan aims to safeguard the historical values by
their definition and identification of so-called value attributes, which provides the
basis for formulation of management recommendations. Since 2003 there has been
an obligation in the national law to draw up programmes for protection of historical
monuments. These are strategic documents aimed at shaping the local government’s
policy on safeguarding of monuments. Owing to the attitude of the local government in
Zamosc, there have been favourable circumstances to develop and implement the World
Heritage Site management plan (for 2019–2029, B. Szmygin, A. Fortuna-Marek and
A. Siwek, Smart Value method), which is pioneering on the national scale, and to correlate
it with the local programme for protection of historical monuments. The documents
propose actions in the following areas: administration, investment and functioning.
They are subordinated to the idea of historical values protection and respect for citizens’
needs. The management plan for the Old Town in Zamosc demonstrates that heritage
is a potential which can constitute the basis for sustainable development. However, it is
necessary to identify precisely the values, forms and boundaries of heritage protection.
Guidelines of a management plan have to be incorporated into the town’s action plans,
budgets and policy. The analyses in the management plan and the local programme
for protection of monuments in Zamosc demonstrate that the contemporary protection
of historical monuments goes beyond the restoration problems. In order to maintain
the historical urban complex it is necessary to create conditions for its contemporary
functioning. The actions proposed in Zamosc reflect the current evolution of concepts and
methods of historical monument protection.
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