Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki: to Make Poland Even More Beautiful, We Are Restoring Monuments

26.09.2023

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced the results of the second edition of the Government Monuments Reconstruction Programme. Nearly PLN 1.8 billion will be allocated for more than 3,200 investments. This means support for local governments, which, thanks to additional funds, can restore monuments to their former glory. These are often buildings which serve the local community – offices, schools or community centres. Community members will benefit directly from the renovation and refurbishment of these places, where they often work, study or spend their leisure time. This is another programme that will improve the quality of life in our country. It will also have a positive impact on tourism. We are investing across Poland because we do not divide Poland into “Poland A” and underprivileged “Poland B” or “Poland C”.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during the announcement of the results of the second edition of the Government Program for the Reconstruction of Monuments

Investing in Our Past and Our Future

By investing in historic buildings, we are investing in both our past and our future. Historic buildings and other heritage sites bring us closer to the background of our country and allow us to build a sense of identity. At the same time, they often serve important functions – they are used as schools, churches or community centres. Their restoration will benefit local people who will be able to make use of them while studying, working or enjoying their leisure time. It will also strengthen the local economy – restored monuments are another reason for tourists to visit a municipality.

“This award of another call for proposals for the protection of historical monuments is, first and foremost, to our great satisfaction because travelling around Poland, we can see how many of these monuments are becoming more beautiful, how many places that used to be forgotten and did not mean much to the local community anymore – they were overgrown with grass – suddenly become attractive for tourists, become hubs of life for the local community. It is really difficult to count how many goals we are simultaneously realising through this wonderful programme,” stressed the head of the Polish government.

“Monuments are memory and beauty – that is what we keep repeating. Monuments create our identity and improve the quality of our surroundings, but they are also a great and very important driving force for the economy and development. Therefore, investments in monuments, just like investments in culture, are the most effective investments one can imagine,” added the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Professor Piotr Gliński.

Monuments as a Common Good

More than 3,200 different projects will receive funding under the second edition of the Government Monuments Reconstruction Programme.

This is a special fund that can be used by local government units. Money from the programme is earmarked for conservation and restoration works as well as construction works. The aim is to restore monuments to their former glory. As part of the first edition of the programme, we provided more than PLN 2.5 billion for more than 4,800 reconstruction and conservation projects throughout Poland. In total, this amounts to around 8,000 investments across Poland worth more than PLN 4 billion – in addition to the funds regularly allocated for the protection and restoration of monuments.

“At the same time, this programme proves very close cooperation between the government and local governments, because local governments that are close to these local monuments, reminders of history, want very much to take care of them, but cannot very much afford to do so. Therefore, this cooperation with the state budget that contributes the lion's share to the refurbishment of monuments, to their restoration – is fundamental," noted Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.