Changes in the morphology of the Old Town in Głogów (SW Poland) in the post-war period

Szymański Michał and Szmytkie Robert ()
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Szymański Michał: University of Wroclaw, Institute of Geography and Regional Development, Plac Uniwersytecki Str. 1, 50-137 Wrocław, Poland
Szmytkie Robert: University of Wroclaw, Institute of Geography and Regional Development, Plac Uniwersytecki Str. 1, 50-137 Wrocław, Poland

Environmental & Socio-economic Studies, 2025, vol. 13, issue 2, 67-78

Abstract: World War II contributed to significant morphological transformations in many cities across the historical region of Silesia (SW Poland), with Głogów serving as a particularly notable example. The aim of this research was to provide a comprehensive analysis of the morphological transformations of Old Town in Głogów, with particular emphasis on the destructive impact of warfare during World War II and the subsequent stages of reconstruction. The study used the town plan analysis (Conzenian) method and is based on an analysis of cartographic materials, aerial photographs, and other spatial data, and utilised GIS tools. The findings indicate that war destruction constituted a turning point in the urban development of Old Town in Głogów, leading to a radical change in its spatial layout, the gradual de-concentration of traditional buildings, and the introduction of new socio-economic functions. This article presents a phased reconstruction of the rebuilding process, highlights key challenges associated with architectural heritage restoration, and discusses the long-term consequences of these transformations for the contemporary morphology of the city. The impact of the destruction at the end of World War II on the morphology of the study area is still noticeable. In the case of Old Town in Głogów three burgage cycle phases can be distinguished: [1] a phase of building reduction directly related to wartime destruction and the necessity of clearing the area in the 1950s and 1960s, [2] a phase of urban fallow, which persisted in most of the area until the 1980s and 1990s, and [3] a phase of systematic reconstruction of the destroyed urban fabric combined with the revitalization of the street-blocks, initiated in the late 1980s.

Keywords: urban morphology; war destruction; city re construction; burgage cycle phases; Old Town (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:enviro:v:13:y:2025:i:2:p:67-78:n:1006

DOI: 10.2478/environ-2025-0012

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