Miasmatic theory and architecture – Water treatment plant, Bielany, Kraków
Fact of the Polish figure „Plague image in Culture”
Part of the „Pandemics” topic
Rooted in ancient philosophy, the miasma theory claimed that infectious diseases were caused by the ,,bad air”. It aroused fear in both the common people and the rulers – as shows the example of King Sigismund III Vasa, who came to Warsaw in 1581 while leaving Kraków behind, because it was often plagued by epidemics. The theory was refuted only in the mid-19th century, and then the reconstruction of cities began on a large scale, developing water supply and sewage systems. Some of the most significant investments were undertaken in Kraków as initiative of the city’s mayor Józef Dietl and are showing the impact of the development of medical hygiene on the formation of the urban landscape.
Further reading:
Czwojdrak B., Plagues in medieval Poland, ,,No Limits” (2020), No 2, p. 6-9.
Sowina U., Water supply of the late medieval and early modern towns in the Polish lands, ,,Fasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae” (2011), V. 21, p. 11-18.
