The project of the Museum of Papermaking presented in Wrocław

“Reaching for better future (past)” – under this phrase, a conference opening a two-year investment-modernisation project which is performed by the Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój with grants from Norwegian funds and EEA funds as well as Polish sources was organised in Scandic hotel in Wrocław on 7 August.

The project is complex, it provides for Upgrade and adaptation of the historic drying facility for cultural purposes as well as fire protection of the Museum of Papermaking, along with the maintenance and digitisation of Museum collections. The total worth of the task is PLN 9,562,660.

The conference was jointly opened by Maciej Szymczyk, a director of the Museum, and Lilia Jaroń, a secretary of the Province of Lower Silesia, representing regional local government authorities. Marcin Skrycki, the main specialist from the Department of European Funds in the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, was the first lecturer who presented the experiences in implementation of the EEA Financial Mechanism and Norwegian Financial Mechanism in the scope of cultural heritage protection. The representatives of institutions and organisations which, in the future, intend to apply for money from the funds which are at disposal of the ministry listened to this speech with attention.

Grzegorz Grajewski, head of the Territorial Department of the National Heritage Institute in Wrocław, spoke about the most urgent conservator needs in relation to monuments located in Lower Silesia. For example, pictures of deteriorating historic buildings proved these high needs. Fortunately, there are a lot of positive examples, which the lecture did not fail to omit.

Director Szymczyk convinced the visitors of unique importance of the Duszniki paper mill for cultural heritage with his word and presented images. – The cost-effectiveness of paper production made papermakers from Duszniki richer and, in effect, they spent part of their money on further development and making the mill more beautiful. As a result, at present, we own one of the most beautiful post-industrial objects in the world – he highlighted.

Joanna Seredyńska, a museum vice director coordinating the project, made the audience familiar with basic concepts as well as told about the effort which the museum employee team had to put into the preparation of the application. It was an opportunity to be proud – since only 21 out of 277 projects were granted co-financing.

The last of the lecturers, Krzysztof Osiewicz, deputy head of the Department of Protective Methods and Techniques in the National Institute of Museums and Monument Protection, extensively presented the details of the solution which the Museum of Papermaking will employ in fire safety of the priceless paper mill. This is a fire extinguishing systems with water mist – considered one of the most modern solutions, already installed in many historic facilities all over the world, including these of highest heritage class.

The conference participants, among who there were many museum employees, representatives of other cultural institutions and local governments – among which there was the mayor of Duszniki, Andrzej Rymarczyk – asked the representative of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for more information on the perspectives of co-financing their projects. There were also questions concerning, e.g. the fire safety solutions used in the Duszniki paper mill as well as the possibility to use the water mist fire protection system.

The meeting was finished with a short presentation by priest Waldemar Pytla from the Evangelist-Augsburg parish in Świdnica, which also obtained grants from the Norwegian funds and EEA funds for works connected with revitalisation of their Church of Peace. This temple was entered to the UNESCO world heritage list in 2001. The experience connected with the efforts made for this achievement are of particular interest to the Museum of Papermaking which already took steps to enter its paper mill to this list.

The conference was planned as one of the obligatory actions promoting the project and its donors. It became one more opportunity to promote knowledge on Duszniki paper mill as a unique tourist product.