PUBLIC PROTECTION OF THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF KRAKOW: THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SOCIETY OF LOVERS OF HISTORY AND MONUMENTS IN THE LATE 19TH AND FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Abstract

The article analyzes the formation and activities of the Society of Lovers of History and Monuments of Kraków as one of the leading centers of public protection of the city’s cultural heritage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The primary source of the research was the minutes of the Society’s meetings, which made it possible to trace the range of pressing issues regularly raised at its sessions, as well as the specific forms of response to challenges in the field of preservation of historical monuments. These documents reflect the everyday practical activities of the organization, its internal structure, decision-making mechanisms, and interaction with municipal institutions. The second important source of the study was the annual reports on the Society’s activities published in the journal Rocznik Krakowski. These reports reflect those aspects of the organization’s work that the Society sought to communicate to the public and a broader audience. They contain generalized information on implemented measures, scholarly and heritage preservation initiatives, financial activities, and the results of cooperation with other institutions, which makes it possible to comprehensively assess the scope and directions of civic activity in the field of preserving the historical and cultural heritage of Kraków.