Krakow ABC

WAWEL PLAQUES

Usually strolling up to the Wawel Castle along Kanoniczna or Grodzka Streets, one does not pay much attention to the wall running along the way to the Coat of Arms Gate. Occasionally, one pauses at a souvenir peddler or speeds up passing by singing colourful Cracovians to reach the Wawel courtyard. Let us stop for a while and pay some attention to small plaques mounted in the brick wall commemorating the great patriotic action performed by Poles during the interwar period. The main initiative was taken by Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz - an architect responsible for the conservation of historical monuments within the Wawel Castle complex and from 1916, and in charge of the Wawel restoration, gave his soul and heart to Wawel. Right after gaining independence, he made an ardent appeal to the Polish people to encourage them to make contributions to the Wawel Castle. The proceeds were allocated for the so-called conservation daily rates. The action was joined by associations, schools, guilds, celebrities and anonymous benefactors from Poland and abroad. The first one of 6300 sponsors to contribute was New Yorker J. Frothingham who responded to the appeal.

Szyszko-Bohusz dreamt about building a bricked wall to keep his promise about the immortalisation of the sponsors' names in the wall. Unfortunately, his dream came true only in part. The authorities wreaked the great havoc in 1953, when following a new architectural concept, a considerable number of plaques were removed. Hundreds of them could be found in the debris! Luckily, the list of sponsors is available in the Wawel archives (It is to be found in volume VI of The Reference Source Records for the History of Wawel), and the last record of a painter and graphic artist, Stanisław Dębicki, goes back to 1936. Currently, there are some 700 plaques mounted in the Wawel wall that recall the history of pre-war Cracow. Inscriptions placed on the plaques often refer to unknown names but they also mention important events (such as the assassination of President Narutowicz). They render the atmosphere of the old days and bring the attention of the contemporary people of great heart that they hold like their predecessors.

Maybe the idea of the Wawel fundraising should be revived to mount the complete list of Wawel donors in the wall.