ABSTRACT
Kraków’s tangible heritage assets, saved during the Second World War and recognised with their entry onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978, were in catastrophic condition prior to 1989. Improving their state became a priority for the reinstated local authorities, who recreated Kraków as a destination of world renown and returned its heritage to the European cultural mainstream. In a market economy, heritage became a commodity in great demand, one that was further jeopardised by the loss of historical values due to the faulty law and the greed of developers. The reinstatement of ownership rights revealed problems with establishing rightful owners. The rapid commercialisation that the district of Kazimierz, the former Jewish Quarter, was subjected to threaten its identity and the memory of the culture of the community that used to live there. The passive attitude of the authorities during the process of regeneration could not be compensated by the achievements of individuals or NGOs. The local self-government drew its own conclusions, for instance by setting up the Stare Miasto Culture Park, emphasising the intangible heritage, and raising the question of dissonant heritage, including that of the German occupation and communism. New threats came with the rising number of tourists. The uncontrolled development of short-term accommodation and other assorted tourist services forced permanent residents out of the centre of the city, a phenomenon that was exposed when the pandemic staled the inflow of tourists. Having delivered its precious cultural resources to mass consumers without any reflection, Kraków now faces the need to revise its policy in the spirit of sustainable development.
