9. Conclusions—Learning the Past to Understand the Future of BPF

Białowieża Primeval Forest (BPF) entered the long nineteenth century having recently lost its royal forest status in 1795. By the end of the period, it was once again deprived but this time of its status as an imperial hunting reserve. Nevertheless, in the meantime, the human-forest relationship evolved and countless scientific and literary publications and works of art devoted to BPF were produced. These were evidence of BPF’s rise to prominence as a symbol of the diversity, longevity and persistence of nature. Together with the European bison (regarded as a curiosity and sought-after addition to any natural history museum, university collection, zoological garden or private hunting park), the Forest grew to become a reference point in many scientific debates. BPF survived sufficiently long for its pristine character to be appreciated by key naturalists and environmental activists. A scientific discussion on the “naturalness” of forests began in eighteenth-century France with the definition of terms “natural”, “pristine” and “primeval” but as merely hypothetical states. Then the nineteenth century brought the gradual realization that in the European lowlands such a place actually survived. In this chapter, we show how knowledge of the nineteenth-century history of BPF is relevant for current conservation. Indeed, the debates about the future management of BPF, its protected status, and the limits of acceptable human intervention in forest ecosystems, demand better understanding of historic processes.