Memories of the vanished people in Černivci, L´viv and Wrocław — an issue for urban planning
This article aims to discuss the role and practice of urban planning in three East and Central European cities, hit by war genocide and forced migration during and after World War II, in relation to memories of earlier urban life and population, reflected in the city environment. The article refers to an on-going, interdisciplinary project, also including Wrocław in Poland, dealing with three main questions of relations between the built environment and the memory of the vanished population groups:
1 The built environment as a reflection of the earlier urban life of the vanished population. This is mainly studied by inventories on sight, archive documents, old photos and maps and by interviewing old persons who have personal memories of interwar, war and early post-war time in the cities.
2 Interviews and surveys among the present population about their knowledge of, interest in and attitudes to the vanished population groups and their reflections in the urban environment.
3 Official treatment of the heritage and memories of the vanished population in urban planning and preservation policy, as well as in museums, tourist guides and other city presentations — in communist and post-communist years. How is this heritage treated politically and culturally? What is highlighted, what is concealed and what is ignored?
This article focuses on the built environment and its treatment in urban planning in relation to the memory of the vanished population groups.