In mid-January, residents of Krakow began a fight tostop a controversial investment at Dębnicki Market Square. Unexpectedly , Katarzyna Urbanska, the Malopolska Provincial Conservator of Monuments, came to the rescue. What consequences will her decision have, and will it be possible to avoid the construction of a large apartment building in Old Debniki?
On January 13, the Architektura&Biznes portal reported on residents' objections to the plans to build a large apartment building between two tenement houses at Rynek Dębnicki in Krakow. In their petition, the protesting residents addressed the Mayor of the City of Krakow, Aleksander Miszalski, demanding a halt to the investment, which was to result in the construction of a multi-story building with an area of about 6,000 square meters with 74 apartments, 5 commercial premises and 117 parking spaces. The signatories, of whom there are 1,530 at the date of publication of this article, also called for the protection of Old Debniki from overdevelopment and the implementation of planning tools to help protect Krakow's historic districts.
An intimate development of the Dębnicki Market in Krakow
Photo: ImreKiss © CC BY 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons
Stare Dębniki - a new Krakow monument?
If the investment is prepared in accordance with the law, and appeals by owners of neighboring properties do not have the desired effect, however, the local government's hands are tied. In this situation, a move to protect the historical values and intimate character of the Old Debniki development was decided by Katarzyna Urbanska, director of the office of the Malopolska Voivodeship Historic Preservation Officer in Krakow, who initiated proceedings to enter the urban layout of part of the district in the register of monuments. According to a notice published on the BIP sub-site of the Małopolska WUOZ on January 29, 2025, the subject of the entry would be the urban layout in the area bounded by:
- from the north by the Vistula Boulevards, i.e. the southern boundary of plot 547/7, precinct 10 Podgórze
- from the east by Marii Konopnickiej Street, i.e. the western border of plot 597, precinct 10 Podgórze
- from the south - northern border of Monte Cassino Street roadway
- from the west along Szwedzka Street, i.e. the eastern border of lot 513/4, precinct 10 Podgórze.
The area of Stare Dębniki proposed for entry in the register of monuments - Attachment No. 1 to the announcement of the Malopolska Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments in Krakow.
© Public Information Bulletin
Construction of apartment building at Rynek Dębnicki suspended
Will the initiation of proceedings for entry in the register of monuments affect the conduct of the investment at Rynek Dębnicki? This question is clarified by the second part of the notice, which reads:
In accordance with Article 10a pt. 1 and 2 of the Act of July 23, 2003. on the protection and care of historical monuments, from the date of commencement of proceedings for entry of a monument into the register until the date when the decision in this matter becomes final, it is prohibited to conduct conservation, restoration, construction works and undertake other actions which could lead to violation of the substance or change the appearance of the monument. The prohibition referred to in paragraph 1. also applies to construction works covered by a construction permit or notification, as well as activities specified in another decision allowing them to be carried out.
Magnificent tenements at Dębnicki Square in Krakow
Photo: Mach240390 © CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons
Thus, Katarzyna Urbanska's decision blocks for some time all investments within the area designated by her - including the controversial construction of an apartment building. We will still have to wait for a final decision on the matter; according to the law, it is customary for the proceedings to be completed within a month, but reality shows that it usually takes much longer to make such a decision. It can also be assumed that the investor, who is a party to the proceedings, will appeal the decision to the Administrative Court if it turns out to be positive, which will further prolong the process. Regardless of the finality of the proceedings, the specter of new development at Dębnicki Market has been dismissed for some time. What's more, if the decision of the Malopolska Voivodship Conservator of Monuments is positive, the construction of any new building in the area will be significantly hindered, and will be met with the requirement that the Voivodship Conservator's Office issue a permit.
St. Stanislaw Kostka Church in Debniki, designed by Waclaw Krzyzanowski
Photo: ImreKiss © CC BY 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons
Eclecticism, Art Nouveau and Modernism in Dębniki
The notice, however, does not contain information about the reasons that guided Katarzyna Urbanska in initiating the procedure; these will have to be explained in the course of the proceedings. The historic nature of Old Debniki, however, is a matter of course for the residents of the district and all of Krakow. At the Dębnicki Market Square itself, in the immediate vicinity of the controversial investment, there are buildings designed by Jan Zarzycki, among others, and within the planned entry are the Church of St. Stanislaw Kostka (designed by Waclaw Krzyzanowski) or the Komornicki Villa (designed by Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz and Ludwik Wojtyczko). Particularly valuable, however, is the intimate character of the neighborhood, which has so far been largely untouched by modern developments. Will this be enough to protect Old Debniki from over-scaled developments?
