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Professors Krystyna Pietrych and Jacek Brzozowski talk to Professor Helena Karwacka about the Polish and library studies in Krakow, her cooperation with prominent figures of Polish history of literature, and the cultural life in the post-war Łódź.
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With the development of geoinformation technologies and geoinformation mapping the sphere of activity of professional geographers and cartographers has been enriched by a wide application of databases (DB). They enable geographical information to be put in order in a user-friendly system. The article considers the methodological aspects of the organizations and creation of such a system - the "Municipal settlements of Ukraine" databases. The basic stages and databases forming the principles which the author designated during the creation of this specific database are highlighted. The DB structure is revealed - the list of the data included in every table is given. The ways of DB applications are determined; they consist in using DB for the creation of various cartographic studies and reference books about the municipal settlements in Ukraine. The prospects of DB development and perfection are considered.
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Any researcher who works with local people in a small town soon finds a number of repeating topics, stories, symbols, characters, and attitudes. Together they create a generalized image that, to a greater or lesser degree, is shared by its inhabitants. In order to move beyond merely recording different forms of self-description and to use these data as instruments of explanation and comparative analysis, the author proposes a model for the genre analysis of such “local” narratives. This allows us to a) reveal links between the past (cultural memory), present (image), and future (expectations and scenarios) of a city; b) explain the cultural preconditions of observed collective and individual actions; and c) explain the specificity of the affective connection between citizens and their city. In the second part of the paper the author demonstrates some results of the application of this model, using two case studies: Myshkin (visited in 2013) and Kologriv (visited in 2010). The narratives of local inhabitants are structured according to the genres of ”progress” (development) and ”regress” (decay). The author is especially interested in how these genres constitute peculiar types of agency, as well as a repertoire of (im)possible actions.
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History of NIRD URBAN-INCERC: research in civil engineering, architecture and spatial planning.
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The Black Sea region has lately emerged as a region of main concern due to its increased geopolitical importance and the wide range of security issues it confronts with. As a result both regional and international actors have focused their attention in finding suitable solutions to secure the area. Finding solutions is not an easy issue as there is not regional identity and the regionalization process is nascent. Using information present in academic and government literature, this paper concludes that the process of NATO integration, regional cooperation and defense transformation has been the main drivers for Romania’s contribution in improving the security environment in the region. The paper also identifies international cooperation and standardization as tools for increasing the confidence and security in the Black Sea region.
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The unpredictability and the seriousness of the potential earthquake consequences for people and residential buildings in Serbia imply the need for improving the resilience of local communities. The paper presents the results of a quantitative research regarding the level and factors of influence on the awareness of citizens about the seismic resistance of their residential buildings to earthquake consequences. Multiple-point random sampling was used to survey 1,018 citizens (face to face) during 2017 in 8 local communities: Kraljevo, Lazarevac, Jagodina, Mionica, Prijepolje, Vranje, Lapovo and Kopaonik. The questionnaire consisted of two segments: questions on demographic, socio-economic and psychological characteristics of respondents and questions regarding resistance of residential buildings to earthquake consequences. The results show that 35% of respondents state that they live in residential buildings that are not resistant to earthquakes, while 70.7% state that they live in buildings built of reinforced concrete, which are considered safe. Beside that 9.2% of respondents examined the resistance of their facilities to earthquake consequences. Inferential statistical analyses show that men to a greater extent than women state that their buildings are resistant to earthquake consequences. Starting from the multidimensionality of citizen vulnerability to earthquakes, it is necessary to conduct additional studies and further elucidate the sociological dimension of vulnerability and resilience.
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The profound social changes occuring under the late Ramessides and the early years of the Libyan rule have not remained without an effect on Egyptian material culture. One of the best indicators of this phenomenon is funerary art and, more specifically, the funerary artefacts retrieved from the tombs of the Theban necropolis. Although the material from regional cemeteries in Middle Egypt, the Delta and especially the royal necropolis at Tanis also provides valuable data to a better understanding of the characteristics of this change, it is only at Thebes that a vast sequence of tomb groups preserved by favorable climatic conditions can serve as a basis for more elaborate studies yielding a compass for the assessment of contemporary corpora throughout Egypt. The significance of the Theban material was already recognised by early scholars following the discovery of tomb groups in Deir el-Bahari, the Ramesseum and other sites at Thebes. More recent investigations have also convincingly shown that the period between the 11th and mid-7th c. BC is far from being homogeneous with regard to cultural patterns and paradigms expressed in material culture. Relying on typological studies of various genres of this material,2 the production of the 21st and early 22nd dynasties is now safely distinguishable from the preceding and successive Theban corpora. The present study offers a summary of the digging activities carried out in a mortuary complex that dates to the second part of the Third Intermediate Period, i.e., the late 22nd and 25th dynasties.
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The location and terrain of the Haimos Mountains (in modern terms, consisting primarily of the massifs of the Stara Planina and the Sredna Gora) were a natural barrier to travellers and troops intending to move from north to south, from south to north, or along the famous via militaris, passing through the eastern half of what is now designated as the Balkan Peninsula. The Stara Planina divides the Danubian Plain from the southern regions of Illyria and Thrace, while the Sredna Gora separates the latter two from each other. In the past, these mountains were difficult to cross because of bad weather conditions, including sudden thunderstorms, thermal inversions and mountain rivers overflowing with spring meltwaters. The thick snow cover, which extended to the lower parts of the massifs in winter, created a lot of difficulties even for locals, who knew the terrain very well, but considerably more so for outsiders, who were practically unable to traverse it at that time of the year. The Byzantines were evidently often discouraged from crossing, partly because the image of these mountains and their inhabitants, particularly among members of Byzantine elites, was formed by readings of classical literature and knowledge of past military losses suffered by the Empire in the region. Stories of brigands ravaging the area also played a part, diffused as they were among soldiers and the ordinary populace by oral tradition or devotional literature, such as saints’ lives. Analysis of geographical facts and historical sources demonstrates that the Haimos was a dominant geographical feature in the region during the Middle Ages. It was a natural dividing line and a reference for the location of individual territories. It is not surprising therefore that Byzantine military troops and travellers heading northwards wanted to avoid crossing that difficult area and risking ambush; instead, they readily used the sea route along the eastern coast of Thrace and Moesia or instigated various nomadic peoples to invade the Bulgarian-populated lands from the north.
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A Management Plan is a document which should be drawn up for all UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It serves to protect universal outstanding value and it is a strategy for further sustainable development of a particular site. A Management Plan is not a product but a process in which all stakeholders in the given area should actively participate. Its result is the design and implementation of activities intended to regenerate, regularly maintain and reasonable use the listed property. The presented Stage I of the second updated Management Plan 2020–2024 launches wider multi-disciplinary work on management of the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape, World Heritage Site. The management system must ensure effective protection of the outstanding universal value of the site for present and future generations. Stage II of updating the Management Plan will be launched in 2020 as an implementation stage. The Management Plan will be developed into a series of projects and events which will become part of the updated Action Plan for 2020 – 2024.
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The Konopnica Commune, adjacent to the voivodeship capital Lublin, is of agricultural character. Due to transformations in the agricultural economy and inflow of population from the nearby city, the social sphere of life is gaining importance. One of the elements of its proper functioning is the developed network of non-governmental organisations and various forms of cooperation with the NGO environment. Many initiatives activating residents are implemented in the commune. The most interesting one is the international project “Promotion of land culture and preservation of historical heritage” conducted together with the Trembowla municipality in the Tarnopol oblast in Ukraine. The following associations are active in the area of the commune: Association Local Action Group for the Development of the Lublin Poviat “Kraina wokół Lublina”, 12 units of the Volunteer Fire Brigade, Association “Pracownia Twórczych Działań”, and Association “Skaut” with its seat in Lublin, implementing cultural-social workshops in the Konopnica Commune. Residents of the commune implement and develop passions in groups and artistic teams, including: singing group “Rola”, theatre group “Stacja Teatr”, ballet group “Arabeski”, group “Malarki z Konopnicy”, and a music band. Owing to the work of enthusiasts, cultural-social meetings are organised in the form of cyclical events and one-off actions. The cultural development is stimulated by cultural entities (“Dom Kultury” in Motycz, Commune Library and its branches, Ośrodek Działań Twórczych). The aforementioned advantages of the Konopnica Commune offer a chance for its development both in the socio-economic sphere and in terms of cultural-environmental heritage.
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If it were to my heart, I would begin this book with the words: It is untrue that Albania is a country full of robbers and dangers, ruled by an operetta king under the lictor's ax of the mighty Mediterranean, that it looks somehow like those Caucasian principalities that American film-kitsch wants to make us believe as the setting for the ever popular court intrigues. It is untrue that the Skipetarian population is divided into two classes, the urban proletariat of the intelligentsia, and all the rest of the rest, who scowl like astrologers in illustrated advertisements and handle the rifle with habitual determination. It is also untrue that forests and swamps are literally teeming with rare game, which European travel hunters, who are immortalized in the picture with their slain lions, could offer a welcome and easy change. So much is untrue that is being spread about this strange country and that is being used in Western ideas. TRUE IS MUCH MORE ... (this, the author is offering in his book)
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In several Central European countries, land use changes can be analysed on the basis of the Franciscan Cadastre. The main aim of the paper was to analyse land use dynamics with the Franciscan Cadastre and modern land use data. The study was carried out by calculating land use structure and landscape metrics for a part of Slovenske Gorice region in Slovenia. The analysis showed that the forest area expanded, and fields and vineyards areas diminished. In general, today’s landscape is made of less patches, but they are larger and of more irregular shapes.
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The paper presents an analysis of the matriculation exam results of the Polish language at a basic level in Pomorskie and Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodships in 2011. Values of the basic parameters characterizing the results are presented as well as a detailed analysis of variance between the different categories of data was made. The author hypothesized that the matriculation exam results of the written Polish at a basic level can be described by a normal distribution. In order to verify the appropriate analysis was carried out and appropriate compliance testing. Ultimately, it turned out that there is no reason to reject the hypothesis for all categories of data concerned.
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The chapter presents correlation analyses based on territorial indices according to the Europa 2020 Strategy targets: social and labor force area.
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Road signage is an important component of traffic safety and convenient driving. It is a substantial tool placed on roads which target multiple users and give awareness about traffic situation to prevent casualties. This research aims to analyze the road signage comprehensibility of drivers with twenty different signs in Lahore City, Pakistan. Five hypothesis are made to assess comprehensibility in relation to personal characteristics of drivers (gender, marital status, age, education and driving experience). Total 400 questionnaires were filled from active driving license holders of Lahore for comprehensibility analysis. The research also incorporates interviews from officials of public sector organizations involved in managing road signs in Lahore. The findings of the study shows that, there is a strong correlation of driver comprehensibility with age, education and driving experience. The analysis depict that 14% people had high comprehensibility, 68% on medium level and 18% drivers with low road signage comprehension for the selected signs. The research claims that road sign comprehensibility should be significantly improved in drivers for effective traffic management in the city. The recommendations in this regard includes, adding section of road signage in formulation of urban plans and considering it especially for new infrastructural developments, as an element of road safety. Intergovernmental cooperation should be enhanced and awareness raising workshops must be organized for both novice and regular drivers.
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Analyzing the Sprawl of Built-up Areas Using Landsat Data and the Normalized Difference Built-up Index
The sprawl of built-up areas is one of the most important anthropic changes which lead to the development of cities. This study analyses the sprawl of built-up areas around the city of Brașov, Romania, on the basis of two Landsat satellite images acquired in 1985 and 2019. The analysis was based on satellite images obtained through the difference between the NDBI and NDVI indices calculated for each satellite image. The results show that in the period 1985–2019 built-up areas around Brașov and its surroundings increased considerably (24.6%). Furthermore, it was noted that, although the reflectance of built-up areas varies very little from one season to the next, it can be influenced indirectly by the presence in the studied area of agricultural land and barren land whose reflectance is seasonal. This phenomenon led to confusion among built-up, agricultural land and barren land in mapping built-up areas.
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The great interest of English travel writers from the end of the 18th century, and especially from the beginning and mid-19th century in the Eastern Adriatic coast culminated at the endof it and at the beginning of the 20th century. The motives for travelling were varied: from the familiarisation of "exotic" regions, the discovery of unknown European cultural heritage, all the way to the targeted recording of the conditions and relationships of political powers in the Austrian Empire, its relationship with the neighbouring Ottoman Empire, and the strengthening of the selfconfidence of the Slavic peoples in relation to the Hungarian and Austrian hegemony and the Slavic peoples in the Ottoman Empire. British diplomat, secret intelligence officer of the British Embassyin Vienna, with significant military-diplomatic experience in the Middle East (Syria, Egypt) and in Serbia, Andrew Archibald Paton (1811-1874) travelled, in 1846 and 1847, the Eastern Adriatic coast, the Dalmatian Hinterland (Zagora) and Lika primarily with the task of gathering information about the material condition of that part of the Austrian Empire, especially the Adriatic ports. Hebegan the journey began by carriage from Vienna to Zadar, continued to Kotor, visited Montenegroand returned to Zadar from where, via Lika, he travelled to Rijeka, Trieste and ended in Graz and Vienna. He was the first Briton to visit the interior of Croatia, particularly the Military Frontier and Lika. Exploring these regions Paton described with documentary precision the people and regions with words and pictures, he noted some details from the cultural heritage and local history, which he mostly gleaned from the travelogues of previous visitors and literature which he was able to consult in Vienna. He also described the natural phenomena (Plitvice Lakes) and the beauty of the landscape (Plješivica, Velebit) for which he also demonstrated a fair amount of literary penchant. Particularly interesting are his descriptions of the towns (Gospić, Otočac, Senj), as well as smaller places – villages (Vrhovine, Korenica, Zavalje). He published this in a major work: Highlands and islands of the Adriatic: including Dalmatia, Croatia, and the Southern Provinces of the Austrian Empire Highlands and islands of the Adriatic: including Dalmatia, Croatia, and the Southern Provinces of the Austrian Empire, Volumes 1 and 2, which he published in London in 1849. This work by received well by the business, political and public readership and by 1862 Paton published an expanded edition in London - Researches on the Danube and the Adriatic; or, Contributionsto the Modern History of Hungary and Transylvania, Dalmatia and Croatia, Servia and Bulgaria2 volumes, in which Paton describes the geographical-historical look of South East Europe, his observations, especially the economic and political views of the existing conditions and future of these countries. Paton’s description of Lika and Senj is not extensive, but it is concise, critical and full of personal ponderings about the current situation, as well as the potentials of these regions. testimonies about the regions and people, and they are not only historical documents, but it is also an insight into the views and thoughts of others, foreigners about these regions and peoples. It is the documentation which significantly influenced and gradually formed the public opinion of the English-speaking regions and further a field. For us today these attitudes and thoughts are slightly strange, often incomprehensible and unacceptable, and so they significantly influenced the political decisions of Anglo-Saxon countries(Great Britain, the USA), and of their adherents in the past, and they can also be recognised in the political, economic and cultural intentions and procedures of these countries, especially of Great Britain. In this paper the author provides a translation of parts of this work with descriptions of Lika and the town of Senj with comments and the necessary explanations, plus a quite extensive bibliography of British and American authors who had visited and written about the Croatian regions from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century.
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Although it is difficult to legitimize lately, in a way, who the supreme title holder is of the first circumnavigator among Magellan and Elcano, each one has his undeniable merits. Beyond the difficult route and the obstacles encountered, or the successes achieved on several levels (geographic, anthropological, economic, etc.), what stands above all is the significance of self-discovery and of the Other. In order to facilitate the encompassing of the significance of the discoveries, what interests most is the message, sometimes apparently codified from the point of view of writing, of a message of hope for the descendants, of a certain godliness to the divinity, and of the idea that such civilizing gestures could ever be repeated. The emblem of this testimony, but also of a kind of paradoxical happy testament of the supreme sailors, or of the several unknown illustrious people, is, of course, the fierce and powerful Antonio Pigafetta who, together with his masters in navigation and survival beyond human limits, completes the splendid earthly trinity of the explorers.
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The research focused on identifying the impact of possible investments in all sectors of activity, but also on listing the measures which aimed the economic development of the romanian rural area in the period 2000-2020. In this regard, the sectors of activity which have registered the highest values of entrepreneurship in rural areas are: manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, transport, storage, and construction. On the opposite side, the most disadvantaged areas in regards to possible investment in the rural areas have proven to be public administration and defense; social security in the public system, and also education. These sectors of activity are generally under the public coordination. At the core of economic activity there is a public-private partnership. Additionally, these variables would achieve a qualitative increase, if large investments were made in the future. Therefore, this would also lead to the development of other fields, being that currently there is no balance at national or regional level.
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