Bezpieczeństwo to jedna z podstawowych potrzeb człowieka. Od czasów neolitu potrzebę tę spełniano poprzez specjalną organizację przestrzeni ludzkich siedzib – jako scenografii spodziewanych walk. Artyleria dalekosiężna zatrzymała rozwój fortyfikacji bastionowej, kleszczowej i poligonalnej, otwierając erę fortów, twierdz pierścieniowych, a w końcu fortyfikacji rozproszonej, broniącej granic krajów jako fronty ufortyfikowane. Paradoksalnie krajobraz, przygotowany jako przyszłe pole walk fortecznych – wyglądał jako pokojowy, parkowy, romantyczny krajobraz w typie angielskich ogrodów w stylu „beautifull”. Krajobraz znany z krwawych walk z okresu I Wojny Światowej obecnie nadal pozostają w służbie. Pełniąc funkcje wielkich kompleksów memorialnych, muzeów otwartych i wielkich kompleksów zieleni, zauważanych w planach rozwojów miast. Mają wartości historyczne, ekologiczne, kompozycyjne dla krajobrazu miasta, także wartości turystyczne. Twierdze nieistniejącej monarchii austro-węgierskiej są najlepszym przykładem wartości wspólnego technicznego i historycznego dziedzictwa narodów Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej. Projektowane według indywidualnych kierunków opracowanych przez austro-węgierską inżynierię wojskową, w skrajnie trudnych warunkach taktycznych i ekonomicznych, realizowane były w specyficznych warunkach federacyjnego państwa – swoistej „wspólnoty europejskiej”. Ich wyjątkowe i uniwersalne wartości stanowią podstawę do starań o ich transgraniczny wpis na Listę Światowego Dziedzictwa UNESCO.

The purpose of his paper is to present the modern or the artillery fortification as a special group of historical constructions with their determinants, as possible subjects of revitalization. The fortifications constitute a large group of architectural monuments in Poland. Because of their structural characteristics, they are objects diffi cult to maintain and manage, so they have remained in state of irreversible degradation for many decades. Due to the political and economic transformation in Poland, over recent decades the problem of chaotic and aggressive investment has arisen, which the fortifi cations are falling victims to. The text discusses the fortification as a part of the cultural heritage, the dichotomy between notions of “revitalization” and “revalorization”, and shows prospects of contemporary civil functioning and revitalization of the artillery fortifications.

At present, fortress greenery is a significant resource of urban greenery, composed for the purposes of concealing, defending, decorating and nourishing the former Kraków Fortress, based on the knowledge and experience of engineers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the aesthetic principles of that era. The aim of this paper is to present conclusions formulated as part of a research project by the local municipality and university, concerning the proper interpretation of the masking greenery systems of the Kraków Fortress, and the definition of framework guidelines for the protection and shaping of green complexes. The development of the method of recording, valorizing and defining the rules of dealing with the green areas of the Kraków Fortress was based on the experience gained from searching for holistic methods of recording and valorizing the fortified landscape of the fortresses of Przemyśl, Zamość, Pula (Croatia) and Kotor (Montenegro). The development of rules for the conservation and legibility of system plantings may contribute to the effective protection of masonry and earth structures, as well as regaining landscape values and increasing the safety of visitors. In the preparation of the guidelines, general principles and detailed principles for selected, representative examples were developed (with an indication of the processes of change, development, possible use together with low-intervention zones).

The “Kępa Redłowska” reserve is located in the southern part of Kępa Redłowska. The location of the reserve is quite unique. Its eastern border runs along the coastline of the Baltic Sea, while on the other sides it is surrounded by highly urbanized districts of Gdynia. Its coastal location means that it is exposed to natural factors that operate in the coastal zone, whereas its urban surroundings are a threat to the natural environment through more or less controlled human activity. The landscape of the reserve owes its attractiveness mainly to the cliff coast it encompasses. Diversified geological structure of this area, both in terms of lithology and age, combined with progressive erosion, causes a continuous change in its appearance. It is this part of the reserve that is most exposed to the destructive activity of natural factors, mainly coast erosion as well as aeolian processes. The intensity of these processes is closely related to climate changes over the centuries, e.g. a significant reduction in the number of winters, during which there is ice cover in the shore zone means that cliffs are not protected against erosion by winter storms. A spectacular effect of winter storms in this area was a large landslide in the southern part of the cliff on February 15, 2018. The retreat of cliffs is a common phenomenon, however observations in recent decades clearly indicate its acceleration. The remaining part of the reserve area, not directly connected with the shore zone, is subjected to continuously growing anthropopressure. As mentioned above, the “Kępa Redłowska” reserve is located in Gdynia. The expansion of the Redłowo district has resulted in the housing development being located directly adjacent to the eastern border of the reserve. An additional element of anthropopressure is the creation of interpretive trails and tourist routes within the reserve. On the one hand, this is an attempt to “channel” tourist traffic in this area, on the other hand, it causes an increase in tourist traffic with all the negative phenomena associated with it, mainly for vegetation. Human interference in the reserve began already at the end of the 1930s. At that time, military facilities, such as bunkers and artillery positions, were built there. This process continued uninterrupted until the 1960s. Post-military objects are on the one hand an attraction for tourists, on the other hand they attract the attention of various types of seekers of military remnants who, during their explorations, cause additional damage to the surface of the area and vegetation.

Fortyfication Objects of Prussian Ring Fortresses in Poznań and Wrocław (from XIX–XX Cent.) in Current Spatial Planning Documents – Functioning, Protection, Landscape Shaping, Fortifications are valuable elements of cultural heritage of many Polish cities. Unfortunately, in many cases they are not properly used and protected, although some of them have the status of historical monuments. Potentially, tools for strengthening protection of fortifications are provided by spatial planning system. The research was based on detailed analysis of the Study of the Conditions and Directions of the Spatial Management of a Communes and Local Spatial Management Plans, including the area of ring fortresses in Poznań and Wrocław. In the Study of the Conditions and Directions of the Spatial Management of a Commune of both cities one can find references to the location and use of ring fortifications. The area of fortification objects in Poznan is covered by 9 Local Spatial Management Plans, 5 further plans covering the fortifications are in preparation. The area of ring fortress in Wroclaw were covered by 9 Local Spatial Management Plans. The results of the analysis of the spatial planning documents show that the tools used to protect the fortifications offered by the spatial planning system are not fully exploited. The context and landscape values of the fortifications are ignored in most of the plans. Also one can find in spatial planning documents the lack of attempts to link fortress greenery to the greenery system, and, in the case of Wroclaw, the lack of describing fortification greenery as a valuable asset. In most cases, principals of the fortifications objects protection are not enough detailed.

The paper concerns the transformation of water resources induced by the construction and functioning of the Brest Fortress defence structure and presents the current water resources resulting from these changes. The study was conducted by analysing historical materials: maps, plans and written documents. Hydrographic changes were analysed for five study periods covering almost 200 years, from 1823, presenting the hydrographic network before the construction of fortifications, up to 2018, when most of these structures ceased or were repurposed. Hydrographic changes were analysed in detail for the area of the Terespol Fortification. The analysis revealed that almost 80% of the wetland area had disappeared after intensive drainage works, and several dozen originally small and isolated areas had been incorporated into a vast drainage network. One of the consequences of these activities was the creation of significantly transformed artificial catchments within the study area.

The article presents a collection of 174 glass negatives kept by the Gdansk PAN Library, displaying photographic documentation of the removal of defensive ramparts in the north-east parts of Gdansk between 1908 and 1928. The text is an attempt at the recreation of the history of this unique collection – the circumstances of its origin and its fate both before and after the Second World War. Arranging the collection in chronological order, the author follows the footprints of an anonymous photographer, recreating the old picture of the ramparts, water courses and sluices in the eastern part of the city, and recording the changes which affected the space of the suburban district of Knipawa (Rudno) and the settlement Althof. On the basis of the photographs, she decodes the places from which the photographs were taken, which is often down to traces left by their unknown author; she also offers a thesis concerning the identity of the photographer.