On April 21-23, a conference of the International Union of Architects “Sacrum - profanum - sacrum” was held in Poland, dedicated to the problems of conversion and reconversion of monuments of sacred architecture. The direct organizer of the event was the ISA Work Program “Spiritual Places”. The conference was attended by experts from Poland, Belarus, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, France and Ukraine.
The reason for the conference was the growing process of closure, desolation, destruction and sale of church buildings for various needs, including shops, warehouses, hotels, garages and even brothels, which is gaining momentum in Europe. Some of the churches are being rebuilt into mosques. The purpose of the conference was to bring the issue into the professional field, analyze and assess the ongoing phenomena. As a result of the conference, a resolution was drawn up, the text of which is given below.
Declaration of the participants of the III international scientific conference "Architecture of local cultures of the borderlands" Sacrum - profanum - sacrum. Conversion and Reconversion of Sacred Architecture Warsaw - Supral. April 21-23, 2017
We, the participants of the III International Scientific Conference “Architecture of local cultures of the borderlands. Sacrum - profanum - sacrum. Conversion and Reconversion of Sacred Architecture and Art in the 20th - 21st Centuries , we express our deep concern over the situation of growing intolerance, indifference, and often aggression towards objects of the spiritual heritage of various peoples, cultures and religions due to the general secularization of life and the weakening of the role of religion as a source of creating the true values of human life and culture.
Today, the destruction and profanation of objects of worship, as well as places of common human memory, is taking place. It is becoming the norm for them to adapt to unworthy goals, contrary to their spiritual status, to turn them into caricatures devoid of a religious spirit. Culture departs from the cult from which it originally originated. This formidable phenomenon affects the essence of culture and its fundamental values: Truth, Goodness, Beauty.
In great concern for the fate of places of spiritual culture and memory, we ask state bodies and political organizations of all countries to pursue a policy of protecting these places in order to save them from destruction. We send this message primarily to architects, urging them to treat in their work with respect to the cult heritage of various local societies, as well as to contribute to their preservation and development.
We express our unconditional solidarity with all people involved in such activities, as well as with various organizations, first of all, with the working program of the International Union of Architects "Spiritual Places". We highly appreciate this work and declare this support in the scientific and professional environment, and also ask for such support from the leadership of the International Union of Architects UIA. This is necessary in order to stop the general process of destruction of spiritual values and the departure of the sacred principle from the activities of the architect and the culture created through him.
We ask for the publication of this declaration in the member countries of the UIA and at the World Congress in Seoul-2017, as well as for the adoption of all necessary measures commensurate with the severity of the situation.
Conference organizers
International Union of Architects
(MCA work program “Spiritual Places”)
Faculty of Architecture of Bialystok Polytechnic
(Department of architecture of local cultures)
Honorary patronage:
President of the International Union of Architects
Presidium of the Union of Polish Architects ARPA
Committee for Architecture and Urban Development of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Organizational cooperation:
Polish Institute for the Study of World Art
Union of Polish Architects ARPA in Bialystok