IN-PERSON: Prague – Section A

Abstract

Poland after 1945 was a country under the influence of the USSR. In Poland, the communist authorities, introducing the ‘new order’, decided to give people holidays (before the war, only wealthy people went on holidays). The holidays were to be one of the achievements of socialist realism in Poland; they were to be easily accessible, universal and cheap. Centrally managed by the state, it was not able to effectively build as many accommodations to meet the demand. In 1958, a law was passed allowing enterprises to build resorts for their employees. For more than 30 years, tens of thousands of accommodations were built in Poland. Prosperous enterprises built large centers with brick buildings, comprising of accomodation facilities, but also canteens and recreation area. Smaller workplaces built as cheaply as possible, so they usually put up holiday cottages (using ready-made models). The author conducted research in the Wielkopolska region, which made it possible to identify places where recreational centres were built. She analysed what was built, but also how the resulting facilities were modernised. In this article, she will present the results of her research on holiday homes, the largest number of which were built during this period, and discuss their types. After the collapse of the USSR, state-owned enterprises began to sell off resorts and holiday homes, mainly to their employees. Consequently, the cottages began to change according to the fantasy of the new owners. This article will discuss these changes and present the most characteristic buildings.