Authors
Agnieszka Nowakowska1; 1 University of Warsaw, Poland Discussion
The 19th-century Kingdom of Poland, located on the western fringes of the vast Russian Empire, was predominantly an agricultural land. Industry developed sporadically, with factories, spinning mills, and essential infrastructure emerging in select cities like Warsaw and Łódź, supporting their rapid growth and modernization. The legacy of this era includes buildings, equipment, and the persistent question of what to do with it all. Why preserve the former Norblin Factory, occupying prime real estate in central Warsaw? Why not build apartment complexes on the grounds of the Warsaw Filters, or why spend vast sums to preserve the architectural details of Łódź's spinning mills?In my presentation, I will illustrate the challenges various groups face in dealing with this 19th-century post-industrial heritage. Interviews with those responsible for architectural preservation and media analysis will help me attempt to answer the question: Whose story do these former industrial buildings tell? As it turns out, the answer enables us to understand the motivations of those involved in preserving post-industrial spaces, their daily users, and those who allow successive buildings to be demolished. 
