The Cultural Dimension of Nature in Heritage Protection in Interwar Vilnius

Abstract

The article examines the relationship between the protection of natural and cultural objects (monuments), which has been close since the emergence of these phenomena in the second half of nineteenth century. In interwar Poland, these areas were not completely separated, either ideologically or in practice. On the one hand, the establishment of nature reserves and parks began, in which focus was placed primarily on nature and its interests were central here. The cultural meanings of nature were alive and relevant, natural objects were often viewed, and they were valued as culture objects. The national significance and educational meaning of natural objects/ monuments, partly taken over from architectural monuments, was self-evident and, practically, the model of the protection of nature as separate natural monuments operated within the framework of the system of protection of cultural monuments. In the case of Poland, this commonality of the protection of natural and cultural monuments was also due to practical reasons: separate legal and administrative systems of state nature protection failed to be fully implemented.