The Department of Architecture at the College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, hosted a scientific lecture entitled “Memory of War: Damage as Part of the Concept of Reconstruction – Warsaw” on Thursday, October 15, 2026. The lecture was delivered remotely via an online connection by architect and academic Mikołaj Gomółka, a lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture at Warsaw University of Technology and a researcher at the Technical University of Berlin.

The lecture explored the experience of Warsaw, Poland, in post-war reconstruction, highlighting how urban damage can be treated as an integral part of a city’s historical memory. It examined the role of such damage in shaping architectural and urban planning decisions, contributing to the preservation of urban identity while balancing the protection of historical evidence with the requirements of reconstruction and development.

The lecture also discussed the role of collective memory in shaping the urban landscape of cities affected by war and examined the challenges architects and urban planners face in addressing the آثار of destruction. It emphasized the importance of drawing on international experiences to develop sustainable architectural approaches that take into account the historical and cultural dimensions of cities.