The scientific community and lovers of the city of Warsaw have been inflamed for several days by the question of the future of the Museum of the Earth — what next awaits this institution and the unique complex of buildings that are witnesses to the tragic history of the capital?
In mid-July this year, the president of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Marek Konarzewski , on Radio Kolor announced his intention to sell the plot of land on Na Skarpie Avenue, where the complex of buildings housing the Museum of the Earth is located. The decision is said to be dictated primarily by the poor condition of the facilities and the lack of adequate funds in the PAS budget.
The museum is located in buildings that are important from the perspective of the city's history — the 19th-century Branicki Palace designed by Szymon Bogumił Zug, as well as a private villa of prominent architect Bohdan Pniewski.
The decision to liquidate the Museum of the Earth and relocate part of the collection has sparked outrage, as well as concerns about the accessibility of the buildings, important witnesses to historical events — as evidenced by bullet marks and blood on the stairs in Pniewski's villa, reminding us of the Warsaw Uprising.
A petition expressing opposition to the PAS decisionhas been created, and has already been signed by more than 3,700 people. Which, the petition's author announces, is only the beginning of action on the uncertain future of the complex.
The petition is available for signature at petycjeonline.com
Adam Przywara, the initiator of efforts to protect the Earth Museum, talks about the reasons for the petition and the value of the complex
Wiktor Bochenek: Why did you take action to protect this museum complex?
Adam Przywara: I decided to take protest action when I learned from the media that the president of the Polish Academy of Sciences was carrying out his intention to close the institution, remove its rich collections from Warsaw, and sell the White Palace and the Branicki Villa. No budgetary considerations cited by the president can explain such a decision.
As a consequence, Warsaw will be deprived of an important institution with an educational and scientific profile, which for more than a year has been turning into a venue for interdisciplinary activities combining science, art and architecture. This is especially important, in the times in which we live, i.e. the Anthropocene epoch, when human activities are the main driver of geological change. Without the Earth Museum, it will be much more difficult for us to understand the new epoch, as well as the challenges it entails, such as climate catastrophe. With the Museum, the capital will also lose some of the country's largest geological and paleontological collections, whose history, it is worth noting, is longer than that of PAN itself. The haste with which the chairman is acting indicates the lack of a realistic plan for relocating the more than 175,000 objects, which could lead to their destruction or loss, yet among them are priceless collections of meteorites or amber.
It is also important to emphasize the historical value of the site, especially the Pniewski Villa itself. The building is a completely unique example of architecture: the home of its own architect, who was one of the most important representatives of the profession in 20th-century Poland. In the building Pniewski gave expression to his deep interest in stone as a building material, richly decorating the building with marbles, sandstones, travertines. Stones were imported from Polish quarries, but also from abroad, such as Carrara in Italy. Thus, the architect created a building that was already, in its assumptions, a meeting point of architecture and geology. Selling the building would put into question the availability of the buildings to visitors, but would also derail this unique character of the site.
Wiktor: What will be the next steps to protect the complex?
Adam: The petition is gaining momentum, with researchers, architects, residents of Warsaw joining in defense of the Museum. More than 3,700 people have signed the petition, directly opposing the arbitrary and hasty decision of one and the same person — the president of the Polish Academy of Sciences. I believe that our involvement can change Mr. President's decision and lead to a consensus between the Museum and PAN, which will treat the institutions, collections and Museum headquarters with due respect. There are other activities in the pipeline for the Museum that will involve other people and initiatives, such as the HERE WE WERE initiative.
Wiktor: The Museum was planning activities that combined the world of geology and architecture. What were you planning?
Adam: For the 2023/2024 season, the Museum of the Earth planned to launch a new project called „The Anthropocene Collection.” Together with artist Diana Lelonek and geologist Lukasz Kruszewski, we were to curate the collection, the development of which has been suspended for the moment. The Anthropocene is a new geological epoch, which an international team of researchers has been confirming for several years. The new epoch is characterized by the fact that man has become the main driver of geological change on earth. Initiating interdisciplinary research combining geology, architectural history and art, the goal of the project was to develop new narratives about the city that would allow the general public to consciously „inhabit” the Anthropocene epoch. A similarly interdisciplinary project can be found in vain at other scientific or cultural institutions in the country.
In the context of architecture, it is primarily about developing a critical reflection on the materiality of architecture. Take cement, for example, whose global consumption is second only to water. We use cement, rarely realizing the question of its origin or the consequences of its use. A perspective combining geology and architecture can change that: cement is primarily limestone, a rock formed from fossilized marine organisms. These organisms contain carbon dioxide, which is released in the process of baking cement in kilns. It is the release of this dioxide, in addition to maintaining the proper temperature in the kiln, that is responsible for the emissivity of the cement. An emissivity that accounts for 8% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the world, more than aviation.
