Drodzy Czytelnicy!

The cover of this issue of ”Ochrona Zabytków” features the characteristic logo of the National Heritage Board of Poland, which this year has taken over numerous new tasks associated with a widely comprehended protection of the Polish cultural heritage and its promotion. In this symbolic manner, we wish to inaugurate a next stage in the history of our publication, of considerable importance and merit for the conservation milieu. It is our intention to endow ”Ochrona Zabytków” with an appearance that which would enable it to become a veritable forum for a wide exchange of ideas and experiences, to present assorted conservation problems and threats facing cultural space, to discuss successful realisations and professional criticism of inopportune practices, and to become a source of information about current events involving the protection of historical monuments. We are determined to improve the scientific rank of ”Ochrona Zabytków” by obtaining the highest possible point in the assessment of scientific institutions. All our articles will be subjected to scholarly reviews, as has been the case already in this issue. Well aware of the fact that some of the presented opinions could provoke a wider exchange of views, we would like to feature this form of communication. More, we wish to initiate a discussion concerning crucial topics related to the system of principles entailing the protection of historical monuments and care for cultural heritage. Since we shall not realise the presented plan by ourselves we appeal to the entire conservation environment for joining work on the contents of our periodical: articles, polemics, assessments and information. We anticipate extensive cooperation with conservation services, voivodeship conservators of historical monuments, the staff of the voivodeship offices for the protection of monuments, and self-government conservators. We foresee ”Ochrona Zabytków” as a joint accomplishment. We also hope to attract scientific milieus associated with the protection of historical monuments, and to present newest trends and achievements in this particular domain without forgetting the practical aspects of conservation represented by numerous disciplines and specialisations. We are open to cooperation with assorted NGOs, in particular the ICOMOS Polish National Committee, the Association of Historical Monument Conservators, the ICOM Polish National Committee as well as the Association of Polish Architects and the Society of Polish Town Planners. We count on joining forces for the sake of a more effective protection of our joint cultural heritage. Furthermore, we remain open to presentations of foreign experiences and shall try to cooperate with friends abroad. The form of our periodical will to a large measure depend on the activity of the readers. The National Heritage Board of Poland – publishers, editorial board and editors – will do its best to guarantee the highest possible scientific and editorial level of ”Ochrona Zabytków” and to avoid delays. We look forward to your cooperation and assistance. Respectfully yours Marcin Gawlicki Director of the National Heritage Board of Poland