Polish landscape architects were founder members of IFLA – the International Federation of Landscape Architects in 1948. But before World War II, landscape architecture in Poland had a growing importance. The first university course was established at Warsaw Agricultural University in 1930. During communist times the country was isolated and therefore the profession lacked stimulus from outside. This is one of the reasons of why the current situation does not appear so optimistic. Without exchange of information and cooperation with other countries, and restricted access to Landscape Architecture literature it has been very difficult to prepare the new generation of young landscape architects.
For a long time the SGGW - Warsaw Agricultural University (www.sggw.waw.pl) was the only education centre with full academic programme. In 1998 the Main Council of Higher Education constituted landscape architecture as a separate course of study in Poland. This decision led to landscape architecture courses almost in every larges town in Poland.
Universities with Landscape Architecture programmes:
Politechnika Krakowska: http://riad.usk.pk.edu.pl/~a-8/
Wyzsza Szkola Ekologii i Zarzadzania w Warszawie: www.wseiz.pl
Akademia Rolnicza we Wroclawiu: www.ar.wroc.pl
Politechnika Wroclawska: www.arch.pwr.wroc.pl
Uniwersytet Warminsko-Mazurski: www.uwm.edu.pl/kakia/
Akademia Sztuk Wizualnych w Poznaniu: www.man.poznan.pl/~aswizual/
Akademia Rolnicza w Lublinie: www.ar.lublin.pl/wydz_rolniczy.html
Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski: www.kul.lublin.pl
Akademia Rolnicza w Szczecinie: www.agro.ar.szczecin.pl/30.php
There is a great need for landscape architects in Poland, but unfortunately the courses of Landscape Architecture are still not fully adequate preparations. Students complain about lack of practice especially in view of the theoretical emphasis which is not of use in practice. The universities with Landscape Architecture programmes do not liaise with one another and students are not taught how to collaborate with neighbouring disciplines, for example with architects or planners.
The long time of isolation also influenced Landscape practice– in Poland most landscape architecture offices focus on designing and executing small private gardens and there are only a few bureaux which work on the varied workload of landscape architecture known in western countries and these have been set up by those with experience abroad. The small number of this kind of offices means that students have few internship opportunities in Poland.
For students from abroad who want to undertake an internship or find a job in Poland the main problem can be also the language. Websites of Landscape Architecture offices are mainly in Polish. The best way is to talk personally with employers. The list of Landscape offices can be found for example at:
www.swiatogrodow.pl
www.architekci.pl/architekturakrajobrazu/
“Landscape Architecture” in Polish is: “Architektura Krajobrazu”,and using this word in a google search can also be helpful.
It always depends, but Polish students in Poland generally are not paid for an internship or receive a small amount, around 100 euros per month.
Although landscape architecture as a profession exists in Poland, it does not have statutory protection of the job title or any professional authorization in Polish law. Anyone can create greenery without any restrictions. The only Polish “section” of landscape architects SAK or Sekcja Architektury Krajobrazu http://warszawa.sarp.org.pl/php/efla.htm is part of the chamber of Polish Architects SARP) (Stowarzyszenia Architektów Polskich http://www.sarp.org.pl/) and cannot formally join EFLA because of some problems with bureaucracy and impossibility of creating a separate organization. All that ambiguity and lack of clear definition of the profession makes society confused about who exactly landscape architect is.
But the situation is changing. A lot of new schools have set up Landscape Architecture courses, and the number of landscape architects is increasing. In local authorities, landscape architects are employed more willingly, in positions relevant to planning and urban greenery. There are regular meetings and conferences, an annual Landscape Architecture Forum is held at one of Polish Universities. Students attending actively ELASA meetings and have established a network, called SMAK (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchitekturaKrajobrazu/). A lot of them are going abroad trying to improve their education and bring new ideas.
Polish landscape architecture requires not only the changes in Polish law but also in ways of thinking in the wider society, making it more sensitive for the beauty of landscape, what unfortunately had a marginal position for many years. That is why it is necessary to create a strong lobby, which will promote landscape architecture. Everything is in hands of the new young and mobile generation, which believes that there is a lot to do in the country and much energy for change.
Joanna Asia Milewska October 2005
joamil@wp.pl