Last August contracts were signed by the Town of Zamość and Lublin Province Governor for co-financing of two projects:

1. “Rehabilitation of the Old Town in Zamość, Stage 1” – the project co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund and from the state budget
2. “Rehabilitation of the Old Town in Zamość, Stage 5” – project co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund.

The total amount of the obtained co-financing for the implementation of these two projects was about EUR 3 369 510, which constituted about 75% of the total value of the projects.

The projects include renovation, conservation and modernization work as well as adaptation of selected historic structures of the Old Town in Zamość and their surroundings to cultural purposes.

Rehabilitation will involve structures:

• which have the biggest historic value and whose technical condition calls for improvement or immediate conservation intervention
• which are visited by tourists most often and constitute the background of different open air cultural performances
• which are situated in the very heart of the Old Town – in the Market Square and by the town’s main constructional axis
• which require a change of function or improvement of their functionality
• which influence the aesthetic appearance of public space and have the key significance because of their historic nature and intensity of use

In all, 6 complexes of tenement houses, i.e. 53 tenement houses and Dom Centralny (The Central House) will undergo rehabilitation. The surface of the Market Square and 9 streets will also be renovated.

The main objective of the projects is economic and social revival of the Old Town in Zamość, encouraging new forms of business activity generating workplaces and counteracting unemployment and material degradation of the Old Town in Zamość. The above-mentioned activities are aimed at increasing the attractiveness, mostly cultural attractiveness, of the Town of Zamość, Zamość region and the Province of Lublin.

Detailed objectives of the projects include:

• increase in the attractiveness of the historic center of the town resulting from improvement of the condition of historic buildings
• facilitating access to cultural buildings
• using the cultural and historic potential
• promotion of culture and tradition
• preserving buildings of great historic and cultural value for future generations
• improving investment possibilities in the historic part of the town
• investment revival of the Old Town by making new historic building available for sightseeing and development
• protecting the historic buildings from threats.

Rehabilitation projects of the tenement houses are aimed at improvement of their aesthetic aspect and technical usability in order to preserve them in the best possible way, improving their appearance and adapting them for cultural purposes. Modernization of the yards will additionally make the tenement complexes more attractive. The aim of the repair of the Market Square surface is improvement of functionality of motor and pedestrian traffic and of the appearance of public space.

Results achieved in consequence of the implementation of the projects will raise the status of Zamość, as a cultural center in the province. The projects combine elements of heritage with contemporary cultural activity. As a cultural center Zamość will constitute an important component of tourist and cultural marketing in the Province of Lublin. Implementation of the projects will contribute to enhancing the cultural functions of the Old Town, will make the Old Town more attractive by putting to proper use buildings which have not been used appropriately, will provide a stimulus for other activities aimed at the development of culture in the town, will start a long-term process of turning the town and the region into an attractive area and will provide the inhabitants with a possibility of reaping profits from the cultural value of the town.

Thank you very much for the support which the OWHC have provided for our efforts to obtain the co-financing of rehabilitation of the Old Town in Zamość. We will keep you informed about the progress of the implementation of the projects.

Mr. Marcin Zamoyski
Mayor of Zamosc

More information:

• Zamosc, World Heritage City