Architecture of Independence in Central Europe

The end of the First World War brought freedom to Poland and other nations in our part of Europe. The widespread devastation, shifting borders and new political and economic realities made their mark on the culture and architecture of the young states. The exhibition at the International Cultural Centre Architecture of Independence in Central Europe presents the social and cultural changes which took place during twenty years of peace in the wake of the Great War. The titular “architecture” had to contend with a myriad problems: old metropolises in Central and Eastern Europe fell from their former glory, while provincial cities suddenly rose to prominence as capitals of countries or regions. New governments urgently needed official buildings, while the creation of national symbolism went hand in hand with the elimination of traces of foreign domination. Social issues also posed a major challenge. Modernism and urban planning served as an answer to the idea of “humankind of the future” and aimed to meet the needs of industrial societies. The exhibition at the ICC gallery includes archival designs, period photographs, films, visualisations and models, and maps helping visitors find their bearings among the shifting borders. (Dorota Dziunikowska, “Karnet” monthly)