Beginnings of Landscape Architecture in Poland

Abstract

The article describes the period from the end of the nineteenth century to the 1950's. It presents the achievements of the pioneers of Polish landscape architecture, associated with various aspects of the design, planning and protection of the landscape, in addition to professional education. In the majority of European countries, the development of landscape architecture as a separate profession is dated to the interbellum period. In Poland there is currently no doubt as to the fact that landscape architecture is an independent professional discipline. However, several decades ago this topic was the subject of spirited discussion among Polish specialists, which took place on the pages of specialist periodicals. The discussions that took place at the time between outstanding garden planners, practitioners, scientists, didactic and popularizes who came from various different fields concerned the profession and the preparation of specialists, in addition to the name itself. One of the pioneers – Zygmunt Hellwig, wrote: "I believe that the shaping of the landscape is an art and science that is currently completely independent, one that has grown equally well from the foundations of horticulture, architecture and a number of similar disciplines, one that can absolutely no longer fit within the framework of the professional preparation and qualifications of an architect-builder."(1935). The landscape architecture profession developed very dynamically. Significant projects, now considered icons, were being developed, e.g. Żelazowa Wola, a monument park dedicated to Chopin or Skaryszewski Park in Warsaw. At horticultural fairs one of the more important sections was garden planning, where individual cities prided themselves in their achievements in the design of public parks. University education started to be provided in this speciality. Franciszek Krzywda-Polkowski, who had obtained an education in architecture, was the first to introduce landscape architecture to a university curriculum and organised and supervised the Landscape Architecture and Park Science Division at the University of Life Sciences starting from 1928. He also taught at the Warsaw University of Technology. His diploma candidates, Alina Scholtz and Gerard Ciołek, made significant contributions to the development of landscape architecture in Poland. A. Scholtz, an outstanding designer, became one of the founding members of the International Federation of Landscape Architecture (IFLA) in 1948. G. Ciołek was the creator of the Polish school of the revalorisation of historical garden layouts. His comprehensive scientific works on the history of garden design had a pioneering character. He is the author of the fundamental work Ogrody polskie (1954).