Vernissage: “Retroversions. Szczecin’s New, Very Old Podzamcze”

Podzamcze is both the oldest and the youngest district of Szczecin. It was here, in the early Middle Ages, that the city was born  ̶  the city, whose modern history began after World War II, along with visions and plans for its reconstruction. Admittedly, the actual reconstruction was initiated only in the 1980s, when the Craftsmen Association and the Merchants’ Association began their work towards developing the area so that it would accommodate services and retail outlets. On the ruins of historic buildings, within the city’s former layout, new tenement houses were built. Their high ceramic roofs and plaster-covered façades evoke the area’s splendor as it was in the 17th and 18th centuries  ̶  albeit without literally copying the old forms. The intention was for the New Podzamcze to become the heart of Szczecin, combining tourism, services, and entertainment  ̶  full of galleries, antique shops, pubs, and restaurants, with stylish lanterns illuminating the streets.   

“Retroversion” is most often associated with the reconstruction of the Old Town in Elbląg that had been destroyed during World War II. In this exhibition, however, it becomes a starting point for reflection on the post-war fate of Szczecin’s Podzamcze district, once known as the Lower Town. This is a proprietary monument conservation method developed in the 1980s by Professor Maria Lubocka-Hoffmann. Its goal is to restore a former, lost image of the place. The goal is not to faithfully reconstruct the past, but instead to recreate the spirit and the character of a historic site through contemporary reinterpretations. The newly designed architecture is an attempt to translate historical forms, ornaments, and details into a contemporary language. As a result, buildings rooted in tradition and history are being built on post-war ruins – erected on former foundations, in accordance with the original urban layout, with a historical scale and silhouette. Their form, which is rooted in postmodernism, does not directly reconstruct the past but reinterprets it.  

The exhibition presents an approach to the reconstruction of Podzamcze, similar to, yet distinct from, the Elbląg model. The process takes on particular significance in the context of the Recovered Territories, where the restoration of the old town complexes was both an architectural and a social challenge – an element in shaping the area’s new identity. 

The tale of restoring the atmosphere and character of Podzamcze district is told through historical materials: archival architectural designs, films, artifacts, and photographic documentation. Simultaneously, the exhibition presents works by contemporary artists and creators who examine the process of rebuilding this part of Szczecin and demonstrate how the vision for this both oldest and youngest district of the city came into being.  

The exhibition was created in collaboration between the Polish National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning (NIAiU), TRAFO Szczecin, and the EL Gallery Art Center, with the participation of local experts, architects, and researchers. It is another presentation from the “Retrowersje” series, initiated by NIAiU in 2023.