the inhabitants of Wrocław and tourists alike are largely and almost unaware of its existence. What is WuWA? – this question was asked to 230 random people passing through the Market Square, the Centennial Hall and the district of Sępolno. 203 of them (106 of 130 surveyed were inhabitants of Wrocław) searched for the answer using clues such as ”theatre”, ”coffeehouse”, ”shopping centre” or ”hotel”. In Stuttgart, Vienna or Zurich the housing estates of the Werkbund attract a large number of tourists, not only professional architects, but also fans of urban tourism from all over the world. This book is one of the elements of the project ”Programme of promotional activities to strengthen the recognition of the WuWA housing estate in Wrocław as a tourist destination”, co-financed by the European Union in cooperation with the European Regional Development Fund, under the Regional Operational Programme for the Province of Lower Silesia for the period 2007–2013. The main aim of this project is to carry out actions that will make WuWA appear on the map of tourist sites in Wrocław, and will also widen the knowledge of its cultural heritage and create an accessible database of information for the widest possible audience. A special part of the project was the ”Thursday debates”, meetings with the residents of the estate who, like no-one else, know it ”inside out” and provided many useful and interesting suggestions. Apart from this book, there is also a web page about the estate: www.wuwa.eu which contains not only information about the history of the place, but also the latest news and information about upcoming activities and events. It also looks to other Werkbund housing estates. In June 2014 the WuWA housing estate is having its 85th anniversary, and even though the estate requires further renovation, the very idea is still fresh. What is more, the solutions presented by the authors are nowadays not only valid, but also inspirational for the youngest generations of architects and urban planners. This is the case for the authors of the model estate Nowe Żerniki, which is being built as a part of the European Capital of Culture 2016 programme, who say: ”Today, after over eighty years, Wrocław is rejoining the avant-garde architecture”.
WuWA 1929 2014 7