Polish architecture of the 19th century cannot boast of significant achievements in the theoretical field. From the middle of this century, the principle of stylistic purity was in force, especially in sacred architecture. In the area of ideology, there was a tendency to emphasize connections with local architectural heritage. The clearest manifestation of this was the brick neo-Gothic style (shell structure), which we encounter under the name of the Vistula-Baltic style. All this was based on pan-European aesthetic thinking, which came to us primarily through German influence, and the postulates regarding "archeology of art and scientific criticism" complemented the basic canon of mature historicism. The author would like to draw attention to their occurrence in the relevant Polish-language literature and journalism during the half-century preceding World War I; today, these terms are no longer found in studies on the history of architecture. And yet, it seems that they played an important role at that time - especially in the process of shaping the assumptions of national architecture. However, knowing the full meaning of the terms "art archeology and scientific criticism" requires careful research on the evolution of aesthetic sciences in the main European centers in the 19th century.
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