cracÓw’s NOWA HUTA STALIN’s polish DREAM

The Perfect communist City After WWII the newly formed Polish Communist government was “directed” to build a new state steel works.

Originally it was going to be built in the industrialized region of Silesia

Stalin, the self named “father of all nations”, relocated the project to the outskirts of Craców, a fertile agricultural region. Like Magnitogorsk in the Urals, it became one of only a handful of centrally planned socialist cities in the world.

Work began in March of 1949 on the steel works and following that the new town for the steel workers.

Why cracÓw? Stalin and the communist leaders of Poland were having trouble encouraging many Polish to accept Marx’s ideology.

Before WWI Stalin had lived in Craców and loved the city’s Russian like feel .

As Stalin put it, “getting the poles to understand and accept Communism is like trying to saddle a cow.” Even the Polish communist party could not use the word communist in their name. Craców’s intellectual and artistic population in particular were resisting communism.

Stalin reasoned it was because they lacked the proper proletarian mindset and decided to deal with this by creating a proletarian class for the city.

Nowa Huta is born

The new steel works were dedicated to Lenin on the 13th anniversary of his death and his vision for the new town.

Today it bears the name of the architect that designed it, Tadeusz Sendzimir

Typical of Socialist-Realist architecture the central office of the steel works look much like a Renaissance Palace. The building surrounds a open courtyard which even had a fountain.

Building the central blast furnace of the steel works.

The Characteristics of Socialist Realist ArtAfter the October Revolution in Russia, Avant-garde artists declared their desire to reflect the “new social reality.” However, traditional artists rejected the avant-garde movement as obscure and unacceptable for the masses.

A return to realism was the subsequent reaction. By 1934 socialist realism became the official and only form of artistic expression.

It was in force in all of the so-called “People’s democracies” including Poland by 1949.

Architecture was the first and most important field used to create the new social order whose works needed to 1) be based on a socialist theme 2) inform a citizen’s consciousness of the new society and 3) “not merely engineer edifices but engineer human souls”

Work, community and social patriotism are universal themes.

In Poland Renaissance/ Baroque style architecture was the national form but other classicist forms were used as well. By 1956 much of this style disappeared.

Art needs to “arouse in people the power and persistence of the

people’s state, its mass collective character, its democracy and humanism, the idea of true freedom and the versatile

possibilities it gives to people”.

It was meant to be an entire circle but Stalin’s death cut funding and the project was only half completed.

The layout for the new town was in a Fan shaped design

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This aerial view clearly shows the fan design: four “blocks” radiating from a central avenue. The central avenue ends at a square.

The layout and composition was meant to create a sense of order, harmonious design and a vision of community.

It is based on a half of a classical Renaissance city. With city streets running radially out of one center and are linked together forming a web.

The design is typical in Socialist –Realist design that often followed Baroque town planning which tended to be more axial.

View of Plac Centralny by Tadeusz Ptaszycki

The architect who headed the Nowa Huta design team was T. Ptaszycki. The plan of the new town made reference to baroque design. The focal point of the design was Plac Centralny (Central Square).

Five streets radiated out from this central point with Avenue of Roses running down the middle

The southern side of Plac Centralny was left open, with a view over the valley of the river Vistula.

The Central Square today which has been renamed for “Cold War hero”…..

The city layout is based upon the Anglo-Saxon concept of "neighborhood units" - dating back to the 1920s when the regional plan for New York was being developed .

These units assemble 5000 - 6000 residents, further forming districts of 15 -20 thousand residents.

Neighborhood units were generally equipped with infrastructure indispensable for the functioning of their communities including: catering, shops, kindergartens and schools situated within a certain district. Children didn't have to cross busy roads and the adults found all they needed for daily business close by.

The peripheral districts in the eastern and western parts, with their loose composition, were influenced by worker's estates from the early 20th century.

Each of the original four blocks (identified as Centrum A-D) were designed to be self contained including schools, shops, housing, medical facilities etc.

Each block also had underground fall out shelters for the impending nuclear disaster

The layout and composition was meant to create a sense of order, harmonious design and a vision of community. .

The units are closed quarters with the gates leading within . The space between the blocks is smaller but also filled with greenery.

In some quarters the corner buildings are higher than the others creating a kind of tower that makes the developments look like fortresses.

Such kind of building development was not only much more economical but also had a utilitarian significance: it facilitated the supervision of children, as well as mutual control of the residents which was of great importance in the Stalin era . In the cold war era he envisioned it as a defense camp.

The architecture itself follows standards of the Renaissance, baroque and classicism, which are visible in a great number of historic forms and abundant detail.

The entrance archways are designed to close up easily and are just large enough for tanks (and hiding overnight during curfew.)

Central Avenue: Note the tower-like corners and Renaissance architectural details.

Green space and light fills inner court yards.

In this picture the color difference is the result of building cleaning. The sandstone block used in construction easily absorbs pollution and darkens quickly.

By all accounts life was pleasant in early Nowa Huta

Clean streets, new schools, wonderful shops (all identical in form and shape), and “Milk Bars”

Cloth shop

“The whole nation is building Nowa Huta”True enough, people from all over Poland came to build the new town.

First there were the junacy (military youth groups) followed by Young people from “Service to Poland”and volunteer brigades from the ZMP (Communist youth group)Old and young women and men who were looking for anew sense of purpose volunteered as well

Pictured above: Junacy , to the right women’s service group

The work commenced on the 23rd of June, 1949 when Wanda’s name day is celebrated on the Polish calendar.

This was chosen as an “exorcism” of the local monastery in order to promote an atheist society. In order to juxtapose the pagan heroine Wanda with the Saints everything was named after her: Wanda Stadium, Wanda Department store, Wandy housing project etc.

The wild west like atmosphere the workers settlement area gave rise to the name “Mexico.”

Work was difficult and progress was slowed by mud and difficulties with the young workers who often behaved more like hooligans than the dedicated workers of a new community.

Despite these difficulties there were many volunteer workers that were truly dedicated to the idea of true communal living and the principles of the project.

Wandy Park

The Communist “Super Worker”One unique phenomenon in 20th century communist culture is the concept of the “celebrity super worker”. These proletarian supermen and women achieved major record breaking feats of work which included marathon shifts, record quotas and a fierce competitive spirit. Many of these workers actually went on tours to inspire others to unimaginable production levels.

In Poland the hero of this phenomenon was a Nowa Huta bricklayer named:

Piotr Ozanski: Man of Marble

Piotr and his work brigade at Nowa Huta laid a record breaking 34,728 bricks in one shift!

To celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the Revolution they decided to better that and lay 50,000 in one shift!

Ozanski himself was laying bricks so fast that many of them were still hot from the firing and despite the burning of his hands he never stopped. His efforts pushed Craców

over the top in the intercity building competition being held that year.

His feat is memorialized in the 1970 Polish film by Wajda’s called Man of Marble

Nowa Huta is connected with anti-Soviet activities in three ways:

Its hatred of Soviet cultural icons like the Lenin statue

Its insistence on religion and a strong connection with John Paul II

As a hotbed of Solidarity activity.

Nowa Huta

Rebels

The Nowa Huta Cross

When the plans for Nowa Huta were shown to President Bierut he commented, “But where is the church”. Perhaps a communist, but first a Pole he could not envision any town in Poland with no church.

Soon after the completion of the town a cross was erected awaiting the building of a church.

Communist officials refused to allow the church and in fact built a communist monument near the area instead.

The battle for a church began!

The cause was taken on by the Archbishopof Cracow Karol Wojtyla who persisted after much social protest, some of which resulted in violence, in trying to get a church built.

Communist officials allowed it only is it was built outside of the town proper and using NO POLISH MATERIALS at all. Everything would have to be imported and paid with donations.

Thinking this would delay or even permanently thwart the plan Communist official s were stunned by the national and international support for the project. Money, jewelry and supplies came in from all over resulting in :

Church of Our Lady, Queen of Poland, The Lord’s Arc

Church of the Lord’s Arc

The Crown at the top is made from left over donated jewelry. The Cross was donated by the Viennese, the corner stone came from St. Peter’s.

Nowa Huta and the Lenin StatueIn 1970 it was announced a competition would be held for a statue to be placed on The Avenue of Roses.

This was strange since the Polish government had built no other monuments to Communism in the country but Nowa Huta was a national showplace. Communist celebrities from all over toured the town.

On his visit to Poland Fidel Castro wanted to see none of the famous historic sites like Wawel Castle but only wanted to see Nowa Huta.

The statue was paid by the workers who had no choice but to give up one of their 3 month premiums to fund it.

Marian Konieczny won the competition and the huge 7 ton statue was constructed.

The population hated the statue right away and discussion of how to deal with it soon began. Here are some of the ideas:

Blow the head off with a water cannon

Cover it with valerian which attracts cats and the odor would force authorities to take it away.

Decorate him for the different holidays

What was tried:

Two bombs were placed between his legs and the subsequent explosion blew out all the windows nearby but nothing happened to him.

People covered it with cow dung and graffiti

In the end:

He was too heavy to be torn down in 1989 and he was eventually sold to Swedish millionaire Bengt Erlandsson, shipped to Sweden where he now sports an earring and holds a cigarette.

Solidarity Activities:Nowa Huta was the largest bastion of solidarity in Poland. Lech Walesa noted its importance often.

Strikes and work stoppages came often as a result of the terrible conditions

1981 Martial Law tightened control but when it was lifted in 83 arrests and harrassment was still common

In 1988 Cracow students joined the Nowa Huta workers in huge protests

Together with Gdansk, Warsaw and Wrodaw, Nowa Huta completed the Solidarity block.

There was only one gate moving from the Steel works to the town and every eight hours 15,000 – 18,000 workers went through it on shift changes.

The big broad avenues of Nowa Huta made it perfect for demonstrations and protests.

Many of the biggest Solidarity gathering happened in just those circumstances.

Solidarity

A monument to the Soviet Liberation of the area this tank also reminded them of the ever present Soviet presence.

Nowa Huta Today: A bright future

• Nowa Huta Questions

• Answer the following questions based on the Powerpoint presentation. All of the answers should be complete and can be found in the presentation.

• 1. Why was the city built?

• 2. Why was it built in Cracow? Where is Cracow?

• 3. In your own words describe Socialist Realist Art. Look at the examples scattered throughout the presentation.

• 4. Design and include with the submission of these questions your own Socialist Realist poster "giving glory" to the work of your parents and all they do for their comrades. Bring the poster to class on the due date. The questions should still be sent electronically.

• 5. Describe in detail the layout of Nowa Huta.

• 6. What is the new name of Plac Centralny? Why do you think it bears this name?

• 7. Describe in detail how neighborhood units were designed. Include a description of the entrance archways.

• 8. Who built Nowa Huta? Be specific.

• 9. Who is Wanda?

• 10. What is a "super worker"? Who is the famous example in Nowa Huta? Describe his accomplishments.

• 11. Why is Nowa Huta known for rebellion?

• 12. Describe the battle for the Nowa Huta church?

• 13. Describe the reactions to the Lenin statue? Where is it now?

• 14. What is the connection between Nowa Huta and Solidarity? (You may need to read up a little in your text book about Solidarity movement)

• 15. Comment on the presentation. What did you find interesting? What images struck you? Was anything unclear?

• 16. Watch the film clip "Stalin's Death" found on the film clip page of the website (link from homework page). Does this seem to be the same Stalin that created Nowa Huta? What does the film imply about his death?