Architectural heritage: log houses of the Warmia Region. A report from research workshops

Agata Bonisławska, Radosław Balcerzak, Mirosław Orzechowski

doi:10.37190/arc240212

Abstract

The report concerns a research workshop attended by students of the Faculty of Architecture at Warsaw University of Technology. The workshop took place on 10–23 July 2023. During the workshop, among others, an architectural inventory of three Warmian log houses dating from the 2nd half of 19th century was made, ethnographic interviews with the inhabitants of analyzed houses were performed. The performed research aimed at documenting the existing but still disappearing heritage of log houses in Warmia, and at recognition of the structure of buildings and history of inhabiting them since they had been built. Threads of Warmian social identity were investigated – whether it was present or missing. The workshop resulted in a material that will be useful in further research. The graphical documentations of the houses were delivered to the house owners. The original drawings are archived at the Faculty of Architecture of Warsaw University of Technology. The overall outcome of that event is also a valuable experience for the participants and the inhabitants. All those actions aim to enrich the awareness of the log houses heritage in the region, especially among local communities, and to recognize relations of identities of researched houses with the cultural landscape of a land – here in Warmia as an example.

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Agata Bonisławska*, Radosław Balcerzak**, Mirosław Orzechowski***

Architectural heritage: log houses of the Warmia Region.

A report from research workshops

2024

2(78)

DOI: 10.37190/arc240212

Introduction

This paper reports an architectural survey and research

workshops organized as part of the grant titled “Wooden archi-

tecture heritage in Poland. Colour in architecture in the con-

text of wood colour variations” (504/04749/1010/43.012205).

The workshops were held between 10 and 23 July 2023 and

attended by members of the Scientic Club of Vernacular Ar-

chitecture of the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw Uni-

versity of Technology (KNAR WAPW). The study covered

three log cabins

built in the 2

half of the 19

century and

located in Giławy, Marcinkowo and Kaborno, Purda com-

mune, in the Warmia Region.

Log cabins of the Warmia Region are considered to rep-

resent one of the types of wooden folk architecture pres-

ent in Warmia, Powiśle and Masuria, identied using the

classication systems developed by German and Polish

researchers before and after the World War II as well as

based on results of eld studies carried out by the authors.

On the one hand this heritage is disappearing due to recon-

There are two dierent terms used in Polish: “chałupa” and “cha-

ta” (both mean a small farmhouse or dwelling in the country of modest

proportions and simple construction), which are translated using the En-

glish terms “cottage” and “cabin”. A general term “house” is also used in

reference to the residential use of the structures described in the paper.

Reports

Published in open access. CC BY NC ND license

Abstract

The report concerns a research workshop attended by students of the Faculty of Architecture at Warsaw University of Technology. The workshop

took place on 10–23 July 2023. During the workshop, among others, an architectural inventory of three Warmian log houses dating from the 2

half

of 19

century was made, ethnographic interviews with the inhabitants of analyzed houses were performed. The performed research aimed at docu-

menting the existing but still disappearing heritage of log houses in Warmia, and at recognition of the structure of buildings and history of inhabiting

them since they had been built. Threads of Warmian social identity were investigated – whether it was present or missing. The workshop resulted in

a material that will be useful in further research. The graphical documentations of the houses were delivered to the house owners. The original draw-

ings are archived at the Faculty of Architecture of Warsaw University of Technology. The overall outcome of that event is also a valuable experience

for the participants and the inhabitants. All those actions aim to enrich the awareness of the log houses heritage in the region, especially among local

communities, and to recognize relations of identities of researched houses with the cultural landscape of a land – here in Warmia as an example.

Key words: heritage, wooden architecture, log structure, Warmia, architectural inventory, ethnographic interview

* ORCID: 0000-0003-3303-9203. Faculty of Architecture, War-

saw University of Technology, Poland, e-mail: agata.bonislawska.dokt@

pw.edu.pl

** ORCID:

0000-0003-2710-403X. Faculty of Architecture, War-

saw University of Technology, Poland.

*** ORCID: 0000-0002-1704-8946. Faculty of Architecture, War-

saw University of Technology, Poland.

124 Reports

structions or dismantling of the original buildings. On the

other, however, these structures are also preserved from

deterioration and loss as a good place to live. There are

people who decide to restore them and live in them. The

observed trend for disappearance of log cabins in Warmia

and, at the same time, for their recovery has fuelled the

need to record and re-analyse the structure of these build-

ings as well as to examine sociological aspects of their use

as homes, both in the past and in the present. To obtain the

most complex representation of the functional use of the

houses included in the study, for each building the follow-

ing information was gathered during the workshops:

– an architectural and structural survey based on hand-

drawn drawings: oor plans, cross-sections and four eleva-

tions, at a scale of 1:20,

– colour samples of external wall beams as well as win-

dow and door woodwork,

– recordings and transcriptions of ethnographic inter-

views with residents about the past and present of resi-

dence and the technical condition of their houses.

In addition, detailed photographs and video footage

were recorded using a drone (operator and photographer:

Stanisław Podsiadło). All forms of recording information

collected during the workshops (scans of inventory draw-

ings, transcriptions and audio recordings of interviews,

drone material, selected photographs) were provided on

external storage media to the residents of the surveyed

houses, and the original drawing documentation was de-

posited in the archives of the Department of Polish Ar-

chitecture, Faculty of Architecture, Warsaw University of

Technology.

The workshops led to recording of the functional prop-

erties of the structure of log cabins in the Warmia Region

and their usability values based on declarations from their

present owners. The resulting records can serve for the pre -

servation and continuation of the existing heritage. The

complex fate of the three studied houses and their inhabi-

tants was also traced, from the time of construction, through

the period of their functioning in the Warmian culture, to

the migration of people in the post-war period and to the

present day. This is a rich material supporting research on

the issues of perception and formation of Warmia’s region-

al identity

and cultural landscape today

Research on the identity of the people of Warmia is carried out,

among others, by Izabela Lewandowska [1]. The complex nature of this

issue, due to the fact that before World War II Warmia and Masuria be-

longed to Germany, and after the War, these areas were incorporated

into Poland, is researched by sociologists and historians, e.g., Anna Szy-

fer [2], Andrzej Sakson and Robert Traba [3].

The phenomenon of transformation of the cultural landscape ap-

plies especially to the 2

half of the 19

century and the interwar period

– and therefore to the area of East Prussia, and then to the changes that

have been ongoing in Warmia since the Polish People’s Republic until

today, already under the Third Polish Republic. Social migrations had

signicantly contributed to disrupting continuous development of these

areas. A similar phenomenon has been observed in other areas of the

Prussian Partition, which today is termed as the so-called post-German

heritage in the cultural landscape. An interesting analysis was carried

out by Filip Springer [4], where he explains the resulting relationships

between the power, evolution of the industrial era and cultural inuences

as the factors that have shaped the area where we live today.

State of the research:

The architectural heritage of log houses

in the Warmia Region

The study area for researching Warmian cabins was de-

ned based on the historical border of the Warmia Region

The territory of the Diocese of Warmia, where the chapter

and bishopric of Warmia were established, changed slight-

ly in its shape between 1243 and 1772. Initially an auton-

omous entity managed by bishops, the area was incorpo-

rated into the Kingdom of Poland in 1525. Catholicism

determined the cultural distinctiveness of Warmia from the

then surrounding Duchy of Prussia, where protestantism

was growing popular in the 16

and 17

centuries. These

dierences began to fade when, together with Masuria and

Powiśle, the area went under the administration of East

Prussia from 1772 until 1945. An extensive and detailed

account of the history of Warmia and Masuria was writ-

ten by historian Stanisław Achremczyk [5]. The distinctive

character of the lands of Warmia and Masuria is noticeable

to this day, because the historical factors of religious al-

iation and dominant power inuenced how the local cul-

tural landscape evolved [6]. Of relevance to maintaining

the dierences was also the ethnographic factor, because

native inhabitants of Warmian and Masuria are identied

(also by themselves) as two distinct ethnic groups [2].

Since the 1950s, studies have been written by Polish re-

searchers who are rediscovering the environment and cul-

tural heritage of these areas. In the series Ziemie staropol-

skie [Old Polish Lands], published for Warmia and Mazury

in two volumes in 1953, we nd, e.g., a study by Hieronim

Skurpski [7], painter and cultural activist, that contains

references to folk art which is considered to include ru-

ral wooden constructions. A detailed distinction between

the typical cabins of Masuria and Warmia can be found in

Franciszek Klonowski’s book titled Drewniane budown-

ictwo ludowe na Mazurach i Warmii [Wooden Folk Ar-

chitecture in Masuria and Warmia] released in 1965 [8],

with maps showing the locations of individual structures

– approximately 300 existing buildings in the Warmia Re-

gion

. This study is also valuable as it contains a collection

of photographs of non-existing structures (the collection is

kept in the archives of the Museum of Warmia and Masur-

ia) and a detailed description of technical and ethnographic

details. This topic is also treated by authors such as Ignacy

Tłoczek [9] and Marian Pokropek [10], in whose works

folk structures of Warmia and Masuria make part of stud-

ies on the wooden architecture heritage in Poland. In their

publications, however, a typical rural house of the Warmia

The scope of the study area is determined by the historical border

of Warmia. It was adopted on the basis of a study by Piotr Nawacki,

author of the numerical outline of this border in the GIS format. Nawacki

has authored a number of tourist maps covering Warmia and Masuria.

He determined the historical border of the Warmia Region based on his-

torical German maps (e.g., Jan Fryderyk Endersch’s map dated 1755,

[5, p. 18]) and eld studies. The resulting outline was provided to the

study authors as a layer source in the .json format for research purposes,

https://warmaz.pl/granica-warmii/ [accessed: 12.09.2023].

According to the records from the 1960s [8, pp. 50–52].

Reports 125

Region is represented by a cottage with a front arcaded

space

. According to Klonowski, a total of four types of

arcaded cottages can be distinguished in Warmia, includ-

ing a cottage with a front arcaded space, but also a cottage

featuring a gable-end arcaded space, typical of Masuria.

The newer type of cottages also had characteristic entrance

porches. It could therefore be assumed that this typology

is diverse in Warmia and becomes polarized in the north-

west (house with a front arcaded space), in the east (house

with a gable-end arcaded space) and in the south (an en-

trance porch but no arcaded space). Of importance are also

source works written in German, such as Bauernhäuser

und Holzkirchen in Ostpreussen by Richard Dethlefsen,

dated 1911 [11], which contains a comprehensive listing

of typical cottages and their locations in the individual

lands of East Prussia as well as extensive tables illustrat-

ing the types of wooden rural buildings and their structural

details. Knowledge about the culture of construction and

the use of cottages is complemented by literary works such

as Warmio moja miła [Warmia, My Dear] by Maria Zien-

tara-Malewska [12] or Kele wsi chałupa [Cottage Near the

Village] by Edward Cyfus [13], providing an important

commentary from people who grew up in such homes,

which allowed them becoming familiar with many aspects

of life in a Warmian cottage from their own experience or

from stories told by their relatives.

Based on these and many other sources, the Warmian

log cottage can be identied as a type of construction typi-

cal of the region, developed according to specic construc-

tion principles and within a given culture, and constituting

an element of the cultural landscape and architectural her-

itage of Warmia today.

The study authors determined the quantity of log cabins

in the Warmia Region based on a search in the Register and

Records of Heritage Assets kept by the National Institute

of Cultural Heritage of Poland (NID), local registers of his-

torical buildings and sites, archives and catalogues of the

Regional Oce of Heritage Protection (WUOZ) in Olsz-

tyn, National Archives, and study visits. These activities

led to the creation of maps of existing and non-existing log

cabins of the Warmia Region so as to reect their condition

in present times. During the study, the following classica-

tion criteria were adopted to create a record of log cabins

of the Warmia Region:

– location within the historical borders of the Warmia

Region,

– date of construction between the 19

century (or ear-

lier) and the beginnings of the 20

century,

– log construction, preserved in full or to a signicant

extent,

– proportions characteristic of the “older” type (low-

height corner edge, high roof) and the “newer” type (knee-

wall, tiled roof with a smaller slope, stave and daub inlls),

– design featuring a “black kitchen”,

In Polish language there are two dierent terms “podcień” (an

open arcaded gallery along one of the walls of a building) and “ganek”

(a small area at the entrance to a building that is covered by a roof and

often has walls). These terms are translated using the terms “arcaded

space” and “porch” respectively.

– design featuring an entrance porch, but without an ar-

caded space.

The study covered cabins without an arcaded space,

which are typical of southern Warmia. According to the col-

lected

data, there are currently 115 such log cabins in the

study area (or near the study area

). A total of 181 build-

ings identied in records or found in catalogues and on

photographs are no longer in existence. The largest num-

ber of existing buildings were located in communes Purda

(45), Stawiguda (19) and Gietrzwałd (17) while Biskupiec

commune has the largest number of previously recorded

but currently non-existing buildings (37). A quantitative

summary of the studied resource is presented in Table 1,

and their location – graphically in Figure 1. Notwithstand-

ing, it should be kept in mind that the collected data can

be incomplete, e.g., due to information gaps in the Local

means that the actual number of buildings (in particular

non-existing buildings) could be higher. This is the case,

e.g., in gmina Barczewo.

A total of three houses representing dierent types of

cottages and dierent modes of use, however, meeting the

adopted classication criteria, were selected for a detailed

study, carried out as part of the workshops.

Research methods and workshops plan

Architecture can be studies through the empirical expe-

rience of space and structure. An insight into the character

of a place is also gained by acquiring knowledge about the

place and its past history. Wooden architecture is a direct

response to the conditions prevailing in the living environ-

ment throughout the history while being one of the primor-

dial forms of human shelter

. Its manifestations are shaped

by the use of manual construction methods that involved

the participation of carpenters and rural community. The

objective of the summer student workshops organised in

collaboration with KNAR WAPW was to enable students

to carry out observational research, develop skills in con-

ducting architectural surveys of wooden structures and ap-

proach inhabitants of the houses and their stories of inhab-

iting the houses. The atmosphere during the workshops

was captured in several photographs (Figs. 2–5).

A compilation of distinctive features of the study houses

is presented in Table 2, prepared according to the ve eli-

Given that the historical border of the Warmia Region is current-

ly largely conventional, this catalogue also includes houses presenting

features that meet the adopted criteria and located not far (up to 10 km)

from the borders of the study area.

One of the dimensions of this issue is presented by Gerard Ciołek,

who refers to the regionalism shaping human shelters [14, pp. 14–16],

and Tłoczek [9, pp. 3–4] who highlights the connections between the

forms of folk architecture and the geography and natural environment.

During the workshops, the group stayed in the study house in

Marcinkowo. A temporary work studio was set up in the barn. Several

drawing tables were arranged on site, which were also used as common

dining tables at the time of meals. Workshop participants travelled to

Giławy and Kaborno by car and bicycle to carry out measurements and

talk to the residents. A total of two workshop groups (one group per

week), consisting of 5 to 7 students, worked in Warmia during these

two weeks.

126 Reports

Fig. 2. Temporary workspace in the barn (photo by A. Bonisławska)

Il. 2. Tymczasowa pracownia w stodole (fot. A. Bonisławska)

Fig. 3. Measurements in Marcinkowo (photo by A. Bonisławska)

Il. 3. Pomiary w Marcinkowie (fot. A. Bonisławska)

Fig. 4. Measurements in the interior of the house in Kaborno

(photo by M. Patrzałek)

Il. 4. Pomiary we wnętrzu domu w Kabornie (fot. M. Patrzałek)

Table 1. Record sheet of existing and non-existing objects

of investigated resource

(elaborated by A. Bonisławska)

Tabela 1. Zestawienie obiektów istniejących i nieistniejących

na badanym obszarze

(oprac. A. Bonisławska)

Commune Existing cabins Non-existent cabins

Purda 45 36

Stawiguda 19 31

Gietrzwałd 17 25

Biskupiec 11 36

Jonkowo 8 15

Dywity 5 13

Barczewo 3 5

Świątki 2 2

Dobre Miasto 2

Jeziorany 1 6

Godkowo 1 2

Olsztynek 1 –

Kolno – 5

Olsztyn – 3

Lidzbark Warmiński – 2

115 181

Fig. 1. Map presenting locations of log houses in boundaries

of historic Warmia existing buildings are marked by black dots,

non-existent are marked by non-filled dots

(elaborated by A. Bonisławska)

Il. 1. Mapa występowania chałup zrębowych

w granicach historycznej Warmii,

kółkiem czarnym oznaczono obiekty istniejące,

czarnym okręgiem bez wypełnienia

oznaczono obiekty nieistniejące

(oprac. A. Bonisławska)

Reports 127

gibility criteria for positive classication as a Warmian log

cottage, also taking into account other elements typical of

the study structures. An important aspect of their descrip-

tion is also the past and contemporary form of use.

Survey measurements were carried out for each build-

ing with the use of traditional methods, using tape mea-

sures and rangenders, preparing measurement sketches.

The rst step was to determine the zero-point level in the

horizontal plane using a laser level. Subsequent elements

were measured from this plane – below and above the

“ zero-point” level. As a result, it was possible to reproduce

the unevenness of the terrain and the foundations of the

houses. Due to the age of the building and subsidence, the

gable-end elevations had dierent heights from the ground

to the ridge, e.g., in the house in Kaborno.

The drawings were made in a scale of 1:20 which is

typically used for wooden buildings. The unevenness of

the log beams, knots visible in the log, joints and pins,

details of window and door joinery, decorative elements,

the arrangement of roof tiles and thatch were reproduced.

For each cottage, a total of six drawings were made on

B1 sheets: oor plan, cross-section and four elevations.

The documentation, along with measurement sketches,

was delivered to the archives of the Department of Polish

Architecture of the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw

University of Technology, where it was scanned and depos-

ited in its original form. Scan copies of the works are kept

Fig. 5. Interior of the “black kitchen” in the house in Kaborno

– view up to the chimney (photo by M. Patrzałek)

Il. 5. Wnętrze “czarnej kuchni” w domu w Kabornie

– widok w górę komina (fot. M. Patrzałek)

Table 2. Characteristics of investigated houses (elaborated by A. Bonisławska)

Tabela 2. Charakterystyka badanych domów (oprac. A. Bonisławska)

Kaborno Marcinkowo Giławy

Historic

Warmia Region

+ + +

Date

of construction

half of the 19

century

half of the 19

century (1874 –

year on a wayside chapel near the

house) / 1900 – year according to

GEZ

1887 – year carved on a beam

Description

of the structure

log construction log construction

log construction (on the outside)

and timber-framed construction

(on the inside)

Structural features

low-height log structure,

high thatched roof, roof slope: 46°,

floor plan dimensions: 17 × 8 m,

height to the ridge: 7.5 m

low-height log structure,

high tiled roof, roof slope: 43°,

dimensions: 16 × 9.5 m,

height to the ridge: 7.8 m

low-height log structure, brick filling

above the girding beam, tiled roof,

roof slope: ~35°, dimensions: 13 × 7.8 m,

height to the ridge: 5.4 m

Black kitchen yes, fully preserved, not used

yes, a modern kitchen on the ground

floor, an old-type smokehouse

preserved in the attic

yes, a modern bathroom

on the ground floor, an old-type

smokehouse preserved in the attic

Distinctive

features

recorded in the Register of Historic

Buildings and Sites under the number

A-3569 1983, 2 points of access

– central entrance from the garden

and corner entrance in the back, out-

side door in the attic wall, green

(previously blue) window and door

woodwork, no decorative elements

recorded in GEZ, 2 points of access

– central entrance from the street

and the garden, a porch overlooking

the garden, green window and door

woodwork (reconstructed), house

modernised inside (thermal insulation,

underfloor heating system),

a decorative element (Polish: pazdurek)

in the gable (recreated, based on

archival photographs)

recorded in GEZ, 2 points of access

– central entrance from the garden

and in the back, a porch overlooking

the garden, blue window and door

frames, house refurbished inside,

partially preserved old larch floors,

a decorative element

(Polish: pazdurek)

in the gable

(non-original decorations)

Use

formerly: a family house

of local farmers; nowadays:

a summer/year-round home

of a couple of journalists

formerly: a family house,

used by 8 families during

the Polish People’s Republic period;

nowadays: guest house, yoga studio

formerly: a family house of local

farmers; nowadays:

a writer’s summer home /

The Warmian Homestead Museum

(Polish: Muzeum Gburstwa

Warmińskiego)

128 Reports

Fig. 6. Kaborno 33

– western elevation

(drawn by P. Jabłoński,

measured by P. Jabłoński,

A. Jarochowska)

Il. 6. Kaborno 33

– elewacja zachodnia

(rys. P. Jabłoński,

pomiary: P. Jabłoński,

A. Jarochowska)

Fig. 7. Marcinkowo 2

– cross-section

(drawn by S. Podsiadło,

measured by: O. Tomaszewska,

S. Podsiadło)

Il. 7. Marcinkowo 2

– przekrój poprzeczny

(rys. S. Podsiadło,

pomiary: O. Tomaszewska,

S. Podsiadło)

by the authors. They were made available to students par-

ticipating in the workshops as well as given on pen drives

to the owners of the study houses as a record of architec-

tural and structural features of their properties. Figures 6–8

show selected drawings made during the workshops.

Additionally, colour samples of external wall beams as

well as window and door woodwork were prepared during

the measurements in that the colour of the wood was imitated

using water-soluble coloured pencils on thick paper (Fig. 9).

This type of record shows only an approximation of the true

colour for conservation purposes. Throughout the many

years of their use, log beams of the study houses underwent

various treatments by impregnation and insecticides as well

as containing with paints of a strong black dye

. However,

the colour of the window and door woodwork is not original,

as is mostly the case. The record of colours refers only to the

present condition of the study houses. For greater accuracy,

it would be necessary to carry out tests aimed at uncovering

old woodwork elements and fragments of log beams. The

original intention was to attach the samples to the survey

drawings, however, given that the colour of the existing ma-

terial is not original, the samples were not included.

For example: a black metal paint or a wood impregnating agent

in dark colour of rosewood.

Reports 129

The last, and perhaps the most important, study compo-

nent during the workshops were interviews with residents

of the houses in the form of a non-directive interview

. The

questionnaire was comprised of the following four parts:

– past history,

– present history,

– detailed questions,

– direct questions about relations with the local cultural

identity.

Each module consisted of 7–9 questions about the his-

tory of the house, its construction, current technical con-

dition, residential history and how it is inhabited today.

The questions also inquired about the relationship that the

present residents have with the Warmia Region. The gath-

ering of the history of each house included an ethnograph-

ic walk

, during which photographs were taken of the

house’s elements, interior and furnishings mentioned by the

interviewees. Each interview was recorded with an audio

recorder. The recordings were transcribed and then sent,

along with drawing documentation, to the house owners for

authorization. The materials provided to residents on exter-

nal storage media were supplemented with photographic

documentation of houses, photos and videos taken with

a drone, and group photos of students and hosts (Fig. 10).

To sum up the course of the workshops, it was an ex-

tremely valuable time spent in an atmosphere of coopera-

tion and commitment of all participants. Due to the prepa-

According to the classication of non-directive interview, it was

a non-directive interview using a standardized list of search items [15,

pp. 169, 170]. It was also sought to ensure that the recorded interviews

reminded a narrative like oral history testimonies [16, pp. 517–552].

Here used as a eld research method aimed at observing practic-

es related to how people live in Warmia’s log cabins today, based on an

inspection of the household space and furnishings combined with infor-

mation provided by their users [17, pp. 71–75].

ration of drawings on site, in order to obtain better detail

(drawing of basements, details of oors, stoves, some

household appliances characteristic of interiors), one week

should be allocated to the inventory of one house. This con-

clusion concerning the organization of the workshops was

reached after a joint discussion with the students. A more

thorough examination of the colours of buildings should be

done using conservation methods. The scenario-based in-

terview methodology was found eective as a result of the

structured questions that guided the conversation. How-

ever, due to the element of free narration, which allows

Fig. 8. Giławy 42 – floor plan

(drawn by J. Lorenc,

measured by J. Lorenc,

A. Mieszaniec)

Il. 8. Giławy 42 – rzut

(rys. J. Lorenc,

pomiary: J. Lorenc,

A. Mieszaniec)

Fig. 9. Color samples of the house in Kaborno

(photo by A. Bonisławska)

Il. 9. Próbki kolorystyczne dla domu w Kabornie

(fot. A. Bonisławska)

130 Reports

the interlocutors to independently discuss topics that are

important to them, asking specic questions could result

in omitting valuable information that they would have told

on their own and which was not provided for in the ques-

tionnaire [16, p. 522].

Study results:

Knowledge on wooden cottage houses

in the Warmia Region

General observations from the surveys concern the in-

terior layout of the houses, where in each of the examined

cases the rooms lined up one behind the other around the

central bottle-shaped chimney and a “black kitchen”

Each house has a cellar (at least one, used or not), which

can be accessed through a trapdoor in the oor (usually

from the hall). An important element of the house space

is also the attic, which is usually used to some extent and

provides a thermal insulation space for the ceiling above

the ground oor. The technical condition of the houses in-

cluded in the study can be classied as good. All the hous-

es were adapted to the modern needs of their users, which

included, e.g., a re-design of bathroom facilities. Modi-

cations to adapt the interior to ensure thermal or functional

comfort were carried out to varying degrees, with due care

to preserve the original structure of the building. Nonethe-

less, they have aected the character of the interior. The

results are summarized in Table 3.

During the interviews, the history of the houses and their

dwellers was recorded. In the case of houses in Kaborno

and Giławy, the builders and founders are known, while

in Marcinkowo there is a local legend about the approxi-

mate date of construction of the cottage. The interviewees

shared their knowledge about the past – sometimes they

A wide chimney made of bricks or clay, covering completely the

centrally placed open hearth in the hall of the cottage. The interior of the

chimney, accessible from the hall, was used for preparing meals and was

called “black kitchen” [8, pp. 105–110]. This is a particularly peculiar

room in the house as it has an open chimney at the top, through which,

high above the head, daylight streams into the tight and dark interior.

had the opportunity to meet former residents or their fam-

ilies who, after leaving their estates, were returning from

Germany to see their land again. At that time they could

talk indirectly about their experiences or stories they had

heard. Two houses featured a representative living/guest

room

(Polish: izba paradna) – an area designating for

celebrating important events. There was also a separate

kitchen area for preparing meals, in addition to a “black

kitchen”, which over time was reduced to an area of smoke

extraction from the stoves installed in the house. In two

cases – Giławy and Marcinkowo – residents mentioned

a “cold pantry”, i.e., a back room located in one of the

northern corners of the house, where the temperature is

naturally the coldest, and in the course of the interview

they conrmed that this solution was also eective in the

summer season. The study houses contain modern equip-

ment, bought at nearby ea markets or originally found on

site by the present residents. An example is a wardrobe in

the house in Kaborno, where on the door we can nd notes

made by former residents about the size of their livestock

herds, as well as other souvenirs, such as black folk art

paper cutouts or prayer books.

Modern users live dierently than the builders of their

houses in the 19

century, who worked in agriculture and

lived under one roof with a three-generation family

. Cur-

rently, the cottages are used only during summer or all year

round, provided that they have been adapted for such a use.

Their residents have retired or, as, e.g., the resident of the

house in Marcinkowo, run a business and a guest house.

During the interviews, when assessing the general comfort

of living in a log cottage, the interviewees referred to the

fact that the building keeps the temperature (it is cool in

summer and warm in winter – provided that the building

is heated by a wood-burning stove and an electric heat-

er is used, and in the case of Marcinkowo – the house is

insulated from the inside, there is an underoor heating

system and a heat pump), as well as the comfortable acous-

tic eects provided by wooden walls

. The residents also

indicated the proximity of the natural environment as an

unquestionable advantage of living in such a place (morn-

ing cries of cranes, evening spectacles of rutting deer, pos-

sibility to sit on a porch overlooking a garden or to spend

time “under a linden tree”).

Each of the current owners, either in coordination with

a heritage conservator or otherwise, has become an expert

in the renovation of their log cottage. Each house has un-

dergone more or less invasive procedures to adapt the ex-

isting structure to contemporary housing needs, as well as

to preserve the wooden structural components. The least

amount of interference with the original substance saw the

house in Kaborno. The other two houses, even though ef-

A room called “izba paradna” in Warmian tradition.

Based on an interview with Witolda Kuper and Andrzej Kuper

on 18 July 2023 in Kaborno, as well as based on Edward Cyfus’s a novel

about his house in Giławy [13].

In this regard, two dierent interviewees shared a similar story

about when they did not hear a storm raging outside and how they were

surprised when their family and friends called them to nd out if they

were ne.

Fig. 10. Workshop participants with the “Guardians”

of the house in Kaborno (photo by M. Patrzałek)

Il. 10. Uczestnicy warsztatów

ze „Strażnikami” domu w Kabornie

(fot. M. Patrzałek)

Reports 131

General components of the layout plan Diagram

House in Giławy

– 2 entrances – 2 halls

– rooms lined up one behind the other (enfilade) – according to

the original layout

– black kitchen – currently used as a bathroom, preserved chimney

(previously a smokehouse)

– 3 cellars

– attic: in use, changes to the original arrangement of rooms

– “cold pantry” – a back room to the kitchen,

in the north-eastern corner of the house

House in Kaborno

– 2 points of entrance – 2 halls (one in the corner)

– rooms lined up one behind the other (enfilade) – in the 19

century,

the house was expanded to include an additional bedroom

and back room

– black kitchen – original, fully preserved, not used

– 1 cellar accessible from a back room

– attic: not used, storage space

House in Marcinkowo

– 2 entrances – 2 halls

– rooms lined up one behind the other (enfilade) – based on the

original layout, modified by adding guest bathrooms

– black kitchen – currently used as a kitchen, preserved chimney

(previously a smokehouse)

– 1 cellar accessible from the hall – currently visible through

a glazed space in the floor in the room to the left of the hall

from the yard

– attic: in use

– “cold pantry” – a back room in the north-eastern corner

of the house

–

undetermined location of a representative living/guest room

forts were made to preserve the external structure, partition

walls, beams and ceiling boards, roof truss and roof cover-

ing, spatial layout or “black kitchen” – underwent modi-

cations focused on adapting them for modern use, such as

new oor and wall nishing, additional rooms (e.g., a bath-

rooms for guests in the house in Marcinkowo) or installa-

tion and heating units (e.g., an underoor heating system

in Marcinkowo, a new replace in Giławy).

Each of the house owners has dierent connections with

the Warmia Region, its culture and tradition. A native in-

habitant of the Warmia Region, who speaks the Warmian

dialect and lives in Giławy, is Mr. Edward Cyfus, a writer,

storyteller and propagator of Warmian culture. He wrote

a novel about his house, titled Kele wsi chałupa, in which

he combined facts and ction to present the history of for-

mer house dwellers. Mr. and Mrs. Kuper, a couple of re-

tired journalists originally from Warsaw, chose to become

Warmians [Polish: “Warmiacy z chanci”]

, having been

“guardians” of the house in Kaborno (as they call them-

selves) for over 40 years now. Mrs. Piwowarczyk, the owner

of the house in Marcinkowo, has lived in Warmia since

This is how they described themselves during the interview con-

ducted on 4 June 2022 in Kaborno. They were called so by Edward Cy-

fus, with whom they go back a long way. In the Warmian dialect “z chan-

ci” means out of one’s own choice.

Table 3. Characteristics of spatial layouts of investigated houses (elaborated by A. Bonisławska)

Tabela 3. Cechy układów przestrzennych badanych chałup (oprac. A. Bonisławska)

132 Reports

2019, because she simply fell in love with that place. She

began learning about the area as soon as she started refur-

bishing the house and actually living in Warmia

The information obtained in the course of the study

was used to prepare a complex presentation of the three

log cabins in Warmia, demonstrate the common features in

their structure and the multiple factors dening their iden-

tity as well as to observe how they are used for residential

purposes in the present times. The scope of the study also

included the maintenance and the forms of how such build-

ings can be adapted to the residential needs of their current

residents. The heritage was documented graphically and

using ethnographic interviews so as to preserve, as fully as

possible, the memory of its existence and to oer a chance

to understand it and to build on it.

Summary

The workshop activities carried out between 10 and

23 July 2023 in Giławy, Kaborno and Marcinkowo (com-

mune: Purda, poviat: Olsztyn) were not so much orient-

Based on the interview with Mrs. Piwowarczyk conducted on 12

July 2023 in Marcinkowo.

ed towards collecting information and materials for re-

search purposes as to initiating another important process

of evidencing the heritage of wooden architecture in the

Warmia and Masuria Regions since the survey conducted

in the 1950s by the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw

University of Technology under the supervision of Ignacy

Tłoczek and the catalogue of photographs of heritage as-

sets produced in the 1990s by the Oce for Heritage Sites

Research and Records (BBiDZ) in Olsztyn. This heritage

is constantly disappearing, and accordingly documented

and cared for, it has a chance to survive as an element of

the cultural landscape and living space in Warmia.

A sociological study based on ethnographic interviews

turned out to be particularly valuable. The workshops at-

tracted the interest of oral history archivists and will most

likely be continued based on follow-up projects aimed

at recording personal narratives from residential users of

wooden houses in Warmia. The individual life is the ac-

tual vehicle of historical experience [18, pp. 203–204], as

stated by Paul Thompson, one of the pioneers in the oral

history research.

Translated by

Ewa Lamparska

Acknowledgements

The organization of the workshops was possible thanks to the fund-

ing granted by the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of

Technology and the grant “Wooden architecture heritage in Poland.

Colour in architecture in the context of wood colour variations” (No.

504/04749/1010/43.012205).

First and foremost, we would like to express our appreciation and

thanks to Mr. Edward Cyfus, Mrs. Zoa Piwowarczyk and her partner

Tomasz as well as Mrs. Witolda and Mr. Andrzej Kuper for taking their

time to share information with us and for their hospitality. A special

thank you to Zoa and Tomasz for the possibility of setting up a tem-

porary research site in their barn and for accommodating our group

during this two-week period in July.

We would like to thank all the participants of the workshops – mem-

bers of the Scientic Club of Vernacular Architecture of the Faculty of

Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology: Stanisław Pod

sia d ło, Antoni Banach, Patryk Jabłoński, Alicja Jarochowska, Jan

Lo renc, Aleksandra Mieszaniec, Aleksandra Musiał, Alina Nowa-

kowska, Marek Patrzałek, Olga Tomaszewska, Katarzyna Wysocka

– for their great cooperation, professionalism and curiosity about the

world.

We also would like to extend a warm thank you to dr Iwona Liżew

ska for her visit, lecture and inspiring discussions, as well as to dr hab.

Mag dalena Łukasiuk (Institute of Applied Social Sciences, University

of Warsaw) and dr Sylwia Urbańska (Faculty of Sociology, University

of Warsaw) for their help in developing the items of the resident inter-

view questionnaire, and to Ewelina Gołębiowska (National Archives in

Ol sztyn) for her expert support and guidance on conducting interviews

based on the oral history methodology.

References

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ścią i pograniczem kulturowym, [in:] J. Kita, M. Korybut-Marciniak,

Życie prywatne Polaków w XIX wieku, “Marginesy”, t. 4, Wydawnic-

two Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego, Łódź–Olsztyn 2021, 239–265.

[2] Szyfer A., Warmiacy. Studium tożsamości, SAWW, Poznań 1996.

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na przykładzie warmińskiej wsi Purda Wielka, R. Traba, A. Sakson

(red.), Stowarzyszenie Wspólnota Kulturowa “Borussia”, Olsztyn

2007.

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[5] Achremczyk S., Warmia, Littera, Olsztyn 2000.

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rach, Wspólnota Kulturowa “Borussia”, Olsztyn 2007.

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Zaleska (red.), Warmia i Mazury, t. 4, cz. 1, Instytut Zachodni, Po-

znań 1953, 246–264.

[8] Klonowski F., Drewniane budownictwo ludowe na Mazurach i War-

mii, Pojezierze, Olsztyn 1965.

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[10] Pokropek M., Budownictwo ludowe w Polsce, Ludowa Spółdzielnia

Wydawnicza, Warszawa 1976.

[11] Dethlefsen R., Bauernhäuser und Holzkirchen in Ostpreußen, Ernst

Wasmuth, Berlin 1911.

[12] Zientara-Malewska M., Warmio moja miła, Instytut Wydawniczy

PAX, Warszawa 1959.

[13] Cyfus E., Kele wsi chałupa, Ocyna Wydawnicza Retman, Dąbrów-

no 2018.

[14] Ciołek G., Regionalizm w budownictwie wiejskim w Polsce, t. 1,

Politechnika Krakowska, Kraków 1984.

[15]

Konecki K., Studia z metodologii badań jakościowych: teoria ugrun 

towana, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2000.

[16] Thompson P., Bornat J., Głos przeszłości: wprowadzenie do historii

mówionej, Centrum Archiwistyki Społecznej, Warszawa 2021.

[17] Sztumski J., Wstęp do metod i technik badań społecznych, PWN,

Warszawa 1984.

[18] Thompson P., The voice of the past, oral history, Oxford University

Press, London 1978

Reports 133

Streszczenie

Dziedzictwo architektoniczne chałup zrębowych na Warmii – sprawozdanie z warsztatów badawczych

Sprawozdanie dotyczy warsztatów badawczych z udziałem studentów Wydziału Architektury Politechniki Warszawskiej. Warsztaty te odbyły się

w dniach 10–23 lipca 2023. W ich trakcie wykonano m.in. inwentaryzację architektoniczno-budowlaną trzech warmińskich chałup zrębowych z 2. po-

łowy XIX w. oraz przeprowadzono wywiady etnograczne z mieszkańcami analizowanych domów. Działania badawcze służyć miały dokumentacji

istniejącego a zanikającego dziedzictwa chałup drewnianych na terenie Warmii oraz rozpoznaniu struktury tych budynków i historii ich zamieszki-

wania od czasu ich budowy. Zwrócono także uwagę na wątki tożsamości warmińskiej – jej obecność w relacjach mieszkańców lub jej brak. Efektem

przeprowadzonych działań jest materiał badawczy służący dalszej pracy nad tematyką zrębowych chałup warmińskich, dokumentacja architektonicz-

no-budowlana przekazana mieszkańcom analizowanych domów oraz zdeponowana w oryginale w archiwum Wydziału Architektury Politechniki War-

szawskiej, a także cenne doświadczenia zarówno uczestników warsztatów, jak i mieszkańców. Działania te służą poszerzeniu świadomości na temat

wartości architektury drewnianej wśród społeczeństwa (także społeczności lokalnej) oraz rozpoznaniu korelacji tożsamościowych badanych obiektów

z krajobrazem kulturowym badanego regionu – tu Warmii.

Słowa kluczowe: dziedzictwo, architektura drewniana, konstrukcja zrębowa, Warmia, inwentaryzacja architektoniczno-budowlana,

wywiad etnograczny