Wiki Loves Monuments 2025

We are pleased to announce the next edition of the 'Wiki Loves Monuments’ competition. This is an open photo competition so we invite all photography enthusiasts to participate. The 10 best photos from this year’s Polish edition of 'Wiki Loves Monuments’ will go to the international final of the Wiki Loves Monuments competition, where they will compete with photos from dozens of countries.

The aim of the competition is to photograph Polish and World Heritage sites and preserve them for future generations. The idea is to collect documentation of Poland’s material heritage and make it available free of charge to anyone in the world.

The competition photographs will become part of Wikipedia’s multimedia resources and will be able to illustrate entries in its almost 300 language versions. The photos can also be used – completely free of charge – for educational or promotional purposes.

The competition takes place from 1 to 30 September.

„I looked for a clear message in the submitted works — a story the author wanted to share with us. The Top 10 entries, especially the winners, meet these criteria. Monuments can sometimes be (unfortunately) unexciting for audiences, but in this case the awarded photographs evoke emotions: they prompt reflection, spark questions, and often simply inspire admiration. I’m also pleased to see submissions featuring heritage sites that had not been documented in Wikimedia Commons before. The competition is an excellent incentive to expand the visual record of Poland’s historic architecture.”

Michał Barszcz

IPMB MANAGEMENT Sp. z o.o.

The competition is part of the global initiative Wiki Loves Monuments.

The idea for the competition was born in the Netherlands in 2010. A year later, 5,500 photographers from 18 European countries (including Poland) took part in the competition for prizes, submitting more than 168,000 photos – thanks to which Wiki Loves Monuments 2011 entered the Guinness Book of Records in the category 'Largest Photo Contest’. The third edition of the competition, which took place from 1 to 30 September 2012, has already covered the whole world: 15,000 people from 35 countries have submitted more than 365,000 photos.

Gswito, Wieczór nad zamkiem w Będzinie, CC BY-SA 4.0

Unobvious Silesia

For the second year running, the competition will also award special prizes in the Unobvious Silesia category, organised in cooperation with the Wojciech Korfanty Institute in Katowice. In this category, three photos depicting the sights of the Silesian Voivodeship will be awarded.

The photos will be judged on their unconventional approach to the subject (e.g. photographing a well-known monument from an unknown angle) or revealing perspective (photographs of little-known monuments, e.g. those located in small towns or rural areas), or non-stereotypical representation of Silesia (e.g. historic parks or palaces).

Discover your Silesia! We are counting on your imagination in dealing with the topic.

Useful links

JURY 2025

Ewa Caban

Architect, professionally active in the field of tangible and intangible monuments, Head of the Cultural Heritage Centre at the Wojciech Korfanty Institute in Katowice (formerly the Regional Institute of Culture); previously Deputy Conservator of Monuments in the Silesian Voivodeship (1999-2006) and Acting Conservator of Monuments in the Silesian Voivodeship (2006-2007). Author of articles on the region's cultural heritage, author and co-author of numerous conservation documentations.
Wikipedian since 2011, populariser of the idea of open knowledge, member of the Wikimedia Polska Association, editor of Wikipedia, Wikisłownik and Wikiresources. Organiser of the "Fridays with Wikipedia" editing workshops in Katowice since 2018. Wikitriner.

Jacek Durski

Photographer, computer scientist, teacher. Since 2014, he has been publishing his photos in various publications, and since 2019, his work has been featured in photo exhibitions (both solo and group shows). He enjoys photographing architecture and post-industrial objects, and creates series on social themes. His photographs have been exhibited and awarded at numerous national photography festivals. He teaches photography classes and outdoor workshops for students of the XLO and graphic design students at the WSTI in Katowice. He has been involved with Wikipedia for over 20 years. Since 2014, he has been running a school and academic WikiProject called "I. J. Paderewski XLO in Katowice". He is a co-creator of the "Katowice" WikiProject. Since 2022, he has been a juror for "Wiki Loves Monuments". He also regularly participates in "Fridays with Wikipedia".

Natalia Szcześniak

Architect and urban planner, youtuber. Graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology, she also studied scenography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Co-author of the bestselling book Archistorie. Since 2014, she has co-created the GOOD IDEA programme, in which she popularises knowledge about architecture, art and urban space. She is the originator and co-author of the GOOD IDEA e-learning platform and online courses, including the course ‘How to choose a flat’ helping people find their way in the difficult housing market. She is the publisher of the book Four Dimensions of Architecture.
All levels of her activity are linked by action for a better designed world - from the wise location of high-rise buildings to equal access to public toilets. Awarded the Golden Cross of Merit by the President of the Republic of Poland for her popularisation activities.

Jakub Wójtowicz

Producer at filmcloud, where he is involved in all aspects of film production, from the initial idea to the final shot. For over a decade, he has been creating and coordinating advertising projects, combining the perspective of an account manager and production manager with experience gained in agencies. A graduate of media studies with a specialisation in culture management. He has wide-ranging interests, from cinema to new technologies. Recently, his interests have focused on quantum physics, especially the possibilities of bending time and extending the day by several hours. So far, without success or publications.

Michał Barszcz

Marketing communications expert. Graduate of Aberystwyth University, teacher at the University of Economics in Krakow. He carries out consulting projects from the United Kingdom, through Poland, to Kuwait. He cooperates with Wikipedia, among others, in building campaigns concerning 1.5% tax payments.
A large part of his work involves analysing how a given creation meets the needs of the target group while implementing the adopted communication strategy. He uses these skills on a daily basis, working with both renowned food brands and industrial companies, as well as products available only on local markets.
Now he will also use his experience to evaluate the entries submitted to the competition.

Awarded photographs in 2025

Category: Best Single Photograph

Category: Previously Undocumented Cultural Monument

1st Place

Church in Smardzko

Author: Pko

HONORARY PARTNERS

COMPETITION SPONSOR

SOCIAL PARTNER

Contact

kontakt@wikimedia.pl

Contact for media

Jolanta Drzewakowska

Communication, PR and fundraising Manager

jolanta.drzewakowska@wikimedia.pl

Wiki Loves Monuments 2025

Michał Barszcz

IPMB MANAGEMENT Sp. z o.o.

Unobvious Silesia

Useful links

JURY 2025

Ewa Caban

Jacek Durski

Natalia Szcześniak

Jakub Wójtowicz

Michał Barszcz

Awarded photographs in 2025

Category: Best Single Photograph

The winning works

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

Honorable mentions

1st Award

2nd Award

3rd Award

4th Award

5th Award

6th Award

7th Award

Category: Unobvious Silesia

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

Category: Previously Undocumented Cultural Monument

1st Place

HONORARY PARTNERS

COMPETITION SPONSOR

SOCIAL PARTNER

MEDIA PATRONAGE

TVP.INFO

Focus.pl

ciekawostki historyczne.pl

Zabytkara

Contact

Contact for media

Jolanta Drzewakowska

Communication, PR and fundraising Manager