Worldheritage Forum

Blue Shield Committee concerned about threatened Cultural Property in the Middle East

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:35:25 +0200

The International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS) that was co-founded by ICOMOS has now expressed it's concern about the threats to cultural property in the middle east region due to the conflict beetwen Israel and Lebanon:

(...)
It is universally recognized that this region has an extremely rich cultural heritage, which has had a profound and lasting influence on peoples throughout the world. This is demonstrated by the significant number of sites in both Israel and Lebanon inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The total or partial loss of cultural properties in the area would seriously impoverish the collective memory of mankind.
It would be a great tragedy if this is allowed to happen. ICBS therefore calls on all parties to take the greatest possible care to protect the rich cultural heritage of the region and to take the necessary preventive measures to ensure that it is not damaged in any way during the present conflict.(...)
reference:http://www.international.icomos.org/icbs-statement210706.pdf

The complete statement can be found here.

UNESCO World Heritage Site Baalbek in Lebanon photo: WIKIPEDIA, GNU

Conference on Intangible Heritage: SCOPE II

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 17:09:28 +0200

It took some time. But finally on 20 April 2006 the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage came into force. The international conference scopeII, entitled "Sites & Subjects. Narrating Heritage", which takes place in Vienna on 28 and 29 September 2006, will bring new impulses into the current debate over cultural heritage.

A long time UNESCO and public interest have dealt mainly with tangible heritage like objects and monuments. With the new convention that point of view changed radically. Intangible Heritage is coming into focus.

This has raised the question whether our traditional view of cultural sites and subjects has to change. Because different cultures (and subcultures) connect different stories with one cultural object. Thus the story (narration, context) become as important as the objects themselves.

In the conference "Sites & Subjects. Narrating Heritage" scientists will intervene in the current debate and ask for effects in the area of cultural politics. That "cultural heritage turn" is a new challange in creating future strategies by stakeholders, who are engaged in cultural memory.

scopeII particularly addresses stakeholders and institutions concerning humanities, cultural science, politics, knowledge management and grant programs, further university and research institutes, museums, collections, libraries and archives. Within the commercial range enterprises are addressed, which have to do in the broadest sense with tourism and exhibition concepts.

"Sites & Subjects. Narrating Heritage" will take place in Vienna on 28 and 29 September 2006. Location is the "Augustinertrakt" of the Austrian National Library (former Imperial Residence) in the heart of town, which is part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.

"After Information versus Meaning in 1999 Sites & Subjects is the second event within the SCOPE conferences, which could be initiated by our company", says Christian Doegl, CEO of uma information technology. scopeII is a project of "innovatives.oesterreich.at" .

In four sessions participants and speakers will interactively discuss cultural heritage, museum, cityscape, and their practical effects on each other.

Leader of the program committee and key note speaker of the conference is Harvard professor Homi K. Bhabha. Among many others the Austrian artist and art theoretician Peter Weibel will join the conference.

The website to the conference is on-line now. For further information and to subscribe to our monthly newsletter please go to: http://www.scope.at.

reference: Press release SCOPE Society to encourage interdisciplinary research; 25th of July 2006

30th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee: 18 new UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 18:19:23 +0200

Altogether 18 new Sites were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committe during it's 30th session Vilnius.

Now the list counts 830 properties in 138 countries.

The new UNESCO World Heritage Sites are:

A short desciption of all new sites can be found on the website of the World Heritage Centre.

Beside the Dresden Elbe Valley the Medieval Monuments in Kosovo were put on the red list of World Heritage in Danger.

New UNESCO World Heritage site: Centennial Hall in Wroclaw(Poland) Photo: WIKIPEDIA, GNU

30th Session of UNESCO'S World Heritage Committee: Hampi and Cologne Cathedral removed from red list

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 18:21:39 +0200

The World Heritage Committee already took some decisions at it's 30th Session in Vilnius:

The Cologne Cathedral (Germany), the Djoudj Bird Sanctuary (Senegal), the Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia), and Hampi (India) was removed from the red List of World Heritage in Danger.

The media already reported on this news:

Hampi ruins removed from UN danger list
UNESCO Removes Cologne Cathedral From Endangered List
UNESCO’s WHC Announced Decisions on World Heritage Sites

Another topic was the threat of global warming to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The World Heritage Committee now agreed upon a strategy to react to the climate change.

This strategy received diverse comments throughout the media:
UNESCO Urges Climate Change Protection For Heritage Sites
Environment groups angry at UN inaction on Mt Everest

The Dresden Elbe Valley was inscribed on the red list of World Heritage in Danger:
World Heritage Committee threatens to remove Dresden Elbe Valley (Germany) from World Heritage List.

In an earlier article you can read why The Cologne Cathedral was on the red list of World Heritage in Danger.

Ugranarasimha statue at Hampi (India) photo:WIKIPEDIA, GNU

30th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee: Debating 37 new World Heritage Sites

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 20:53:18 +0200

Upcoming saturday the 8th of July the 30ths sssion of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee will start in Vilnius, Lithuania. Beside more fundamental topics the inscription of
37 new UNESCO World Heritage Sites will be discussed.

Here more information on the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and it's procedures can be found.

In Germany it looks like it will be exciting for Heidelberg that was postponed last year and for Regensburg, that is trying to get listed.

Church St. Annen in Vilnius (Lithuania) photo: WIKIPEDIA, GNU

Europe celebrates exemplary Cultural Heritage Achievements

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 19:42:19 +0200

EUROPA NOSTRA is a pan-European Federation for Heritage and the representative platform of over 200 heritage NGOs active throughout
Europe. It is the voice of this vast movement of European civil society active in the field of heritage towards international bodies concerned, in particular the European Union Institutions, the Council of Europe and UNESCO:

Europa Nostra is dedicated to putting heritage and its benefits in the mainstream of public consciousness and to making heritage a priority for public policies both at European and national levels. Its specific objectives are to promote, at a European level, high standards of quality in the fields of heritage conservation, architecture, urban and rural planning and to advocate a balanced and sustainable development of urban and rural, built and natural environment.

Europa Nostra supports national and international campaigns for the preservation and rescue of Europe?s heritage at risk. It encourages exemplary initiatives in favour of the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage by recognising outstanding heritage achievements, in particular through the running of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards. In early 2006, Europa Nostra was selected as the new Liaison Office for the co-ordination of the "European Heritage Days", a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union.
reference: Press Release EUROPA NOSTRA 27th June 2006

The ceremony was presided over by H.M. Queen Sof�a of Spain, Patron of Hispania Nostra, Europa Nostra's country representation in Spain:

It was attended by laureates, dignitaries, representatives from the public sector and civil society involved in heritage conservation and enhancement at all levels - local, regional, national and European. Mr J�n Figel?, Member of the European Commission responsible for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism participated in the ceremony. ?I would like to thank Europa Nostra for annually ensuring the success of each round of this Awards Scheme. The Commission is grateful for Europa Nostras work, because cultural heritage is widely recognised across Europe as a vehicle of cultural identity and as a testimony of the fertility of the dialogue between cultures?, said Commissioner Figel? in his opening address at the ceremony. ?Cultural heritage will therefore have its proper place in the Culture 2007 Programme which will enter into force from next year? he added. Commissioner Figel? also highlighted the fact that the European Commission has declared 2008 as the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. The idea is to raise awareness of European citizens, in particular young people, about intercultural dialogue. I am convinced that the European cultural heritage, built on exchanges and the search for excellence over thousands of years, and marked by migrations and diverse external and internal influences, can play a significant role in this process, he concluded. The five top Prizes, which each include a monetary award of 10,000, were presented in the following categories:

Conservation of Architectural Heritage: to the 16th century Omeriye Ottoman Baths, Nicosia (Cyprus)

Conservation of Cultural Landscapes:to the V�a de la Plata, Extremadura (Spain)

Conservation of Works of Art: to the Edward Chambr� Hardman Photographic Collection, Liverpool (United Kingdom).

Outstanding Studies: to Dr Anna Sulimowska-Ociepka and the Technical University of Silesia for her PhD thesis on the Old workers? Estates in Upper Silesia (Poland)

Dedicated Service to Heritage Conservation: to the Maisons Paysannes de France

Among the Medal winners (2nd Prize) figure varied projects such as the

restoration of an early masterpiece of Victor Horta (La Maison Autrique) in Brussels (Belgium);

the restoration of the early 15th century Town Hall of Tallinn (Estonia);

fifty years of voluntary efforts in favour of Ireland's heritage by Honorable Desmond Guinness (Ireland);

therestoration of a Palm House Complex at National Botanic Gardens in Dublin (Ireland);

the restoration of Il Teatro all Scala in Milan (Italy);

the regeneration of part of the Valletta Waterfront (Malta);

the revitalisation of a remote village and its wooden architecture in Karelia (Russian Federation) through the collaboration between a private foundation in Finland and the local authorities;

the extensive field research on urgent needs for the protection of cultural heritage in Metohija, the Western part of Kosovo (Serbia);

the restoration of the Collection of 17th and 18th century plaster casts at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid (Spain);

the restoration of Hernergut Bathing Pavilion, Horgen (Switzerland);

the exemplary work of the Swedish NGO Cultural Heritage Without Borders for its dedicated work in the Balkans (in particular Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo);

and an integrated analysis of an exceptional cultural landscape in Wales the Heather and Hillforts Landscape Partnership Scheme in Dengbighshire in Wales (UK).

Each awarded project is a result of an exemplary cooperation between the owners, architects, craftsmen, the public authorities concerned, the managers of the projects and those who have funded it. Through this awards scheme, Europa Nostra, together with the European Union, wishes to promote this exemplary cooperation at all levels ? local, regional, national and European ? between different talents and different stakeholders, stressed Dr Andrea H. Schuler, Executive President of Europa Nostra, in his closing address at the ceremony. He also welcomed the initiative launched recently by the French, Spanish and Hungarian government, with regard to the setting up of a European Heritage List, and expressed the hope that Europe's civil society will be duly associated in the definition and implementation of this initiative.

At the ceremony Dr Schuler also emphasised that cultural heritage constitutes a strong asset for Europe and its citizens and that the interests of cultural heritage conservation, education and enhancement should therefore be duly taken into account by all EU policies. Cultural heritage is at the very heart of our identity - local, national and European - it constitutes an asset for a sustainable economic and social development and a source and instrument of intercultural dialogue and solidarity in the whole of Europe, concluded Dr Schuler.
reference: Press Release EUROPA NOSTRA 27th June 2006

More information can be found here:
http://www.europanostra.org

UNESCO World Heritage: Valetta in Malta
photo:WIKIPEDIA, GNU

Underwater Cultural Heritage at Risk

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 16:13:41 +0200

Already since the year 2000 ICOMOS is trying to to raise awareness on endagered cultural heritage with its Heritage at Risk Programm.

Now the International Council on Monuments and Sites published a special edition on UNDERWATER CULTURAL HERITAGE AT RISK: MANAGING NATURAL AND HUMAN IMPACTS.

In the introduction the background of UNESCO's Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage is explained.

Most articles are dealing with shipwrecks, few with other elements of the underwater cultural landscape like historic fish weirs or fish traps.

Here you can download the publication.

Links:
UNESCO's Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage
EU project MOSS (Monitoring, Safeguarding and Visualizing North-European Shipwreck Sites) to preserve underwater cultural heritage

Bow of the RMS Titanic photo:WIKIPEDIA, GNU

The UNESCO World Heritage City Edinburgh

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 17:12:56 +0200

I just had the chance to visit Edinburgh.
Purpose of the trip was to visit a conferenc of the OWHC (Organisation of World Heritage Cities): Inspiring Cities: Organisation of World Heritage Cities North West Region Conference
The conference was very interesting, because modern architecture in World Heritage Cities always seem to provoke a lot of discussion.

Edinburgh was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.
The World Heritage Centre justifies the inscription:

Edinburgh has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century. It has two distinct areas: the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress; and the neoclassical New Town, whose development from the 18th century onwards had a far-reaching influence on European urban planning. The harmonious juxtaposition of these two contrasting historic areas, each with many important buildings, is what gives the city its unique character.
reference:http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/728

The ICOMOS advisory body evaluation report states:

(...)The particular nature of Edinburgh’s duality is unusual: on the one hand, on a high ridge is the ancient
Old Town, while in contrast, and Set apart on a fresh site, is the 18th century New TOWI. The former iS on a
SPeCtaCular site, the skyline PUnChedth rough by the castle, the soaring neo-Gothic spire of Highland Tolbooth St
John’s and the robust, nationally symbolic, Imperial crown spire of St Giles, a feast of ancient architecture looking
down on the New Town, which in contrast is a calm sea of ordered classicism, the whole framed and articulated
by neo-classical buildings of world-class distinction.(...)reference:http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/728.pdf

What i really liked in Edinburgh is the cautious use of modern architecture to develop the city.

More information on Edinburgh can be found here:

Edinburgh World Heritage Trust
City of Edinburgh

View on Edinburgh New Town photo: Matthias Ripp June 06

Edinburgh castle photo: Matthias Ripp June 06

New Town in Edinburgh photo: Matthias Ripp June 06

Inside Old Town of Edinburgh photo: Matthias Ripp June 06

View on Edinburgh New Town at night photo: Matthias Ripp June 06

Conference announcement: Safeguarded Cultural Heritage

Mon, 22 May 2006 20:49:06 +0200

The objectives of the seventh European Commission Conference 'SAUVEUR' Safeguarded Cultural Heritage - Understanding & Vialbility for the Enlarged Europe are:

The aim of the conference is the consolidation and impact assessment of results achieved in EU research projects related to movable and immovable cultural heritage. There will be a special focus on exploitation and spin-offs of cultural heritage research results and testing of the acceptability of new sustainability approaches and new technologies by the user community, SMEs, and owners, managers, restorers and conservationists of cultural heritage.

Its main objectives are further to:

Highlight the role of European cultural heritage research within international activities and co-operation.

Assess the impact of EU policies on the conservation of European cultural heritage and evaluate the positive contribution of cultural heritage research for competitiveness and job creation.

Disseminate the results of EU cultural heritage research acquired at large research facilities and discuss new development and innovations in research infrastructure.

Discuss and consolidate co-ordination of national research into and educational programmes for cultural heritage within the enlarged Europe.

Refine, amend and publish main ideas and visions of technological platforms opened to cultural heritage issues in the context of preparation of the 7th Framework Programme.

reference:http://www.arcchip.cz/ec-conference/newgeneral.php

The programme shows interesting activities throughout Europe and speekers of exceptional quality.

Also an innovatice project from Bamberg is introduced there:
Stephanie Fundel: The interdisciplinary research project: „The mural paintings of the Dominican church in Bamberg – exemplary restoration, conservation and reconstruction of the paintings by a selected area”

Another interesting lecture seems to be Fujiki: A study on the method for extraction of Tourism-Impact on a historical townscape.

I hope that the proceedings will soon after the conference be published...

Here you can find additional information on the conference.

Charles Bridge in the UNESCO World Heritage City Prague Bild:WIKIPEDIA, GNU

The 30th session of the World Heritage Committee

Mon, 15 May 2006 17:59:11 +0200

This year the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meets in Vilnius (Lithuania).

The provisional agenda shows beside the usual points like evaluation of World Heritage Sites and new nominations some very interesting topics:

Global Strategy for a Representative, Balanced and Credible World Heritage List
9. “Evaluation” of Outstanding Universal Value
10. Progress report on the evaluation of the Global Strategy: Filling the Gaps - an Action Plan for the Future
reference:http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2005/whc05-29com-20e.pdf

I already reported on the GAP-Report. Now we will see if the
UNESCO World Heritage Committee will follow the suggestions of ICOMOS.

Also the topic

Working methods and tools
12. Performance indicators for World Heritage
Quelle:http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2005/whc05-29com-20e.pdf

seems to be interesting: Which Inidcators will be suitable to show the performance of World Heritage?

Some information on the 30th session of the World Heritage Committee is available on the website of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre.

Church St. Annen in Vilnius (Lithuania) photo: WIKIPEDIA, GNU

African World Heritage Fund launched

Sat, 06 May 2006 09:58:28 +0200

Africa is under-represented in the UNESCO World Heritage List (according to the GAP-Report) therefore now a African World Heirtage Fund shall raise the number of World Heritage Sites in Africa and support the preservation of the existing ones:

A fund to help the States of sub-Saharan Africa improve the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage will be launched in South Africa on 5 May. The African World Heritage Fund will also be used to help boost the number of African sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Sub-Saharan Africa is severely under-represented on the List. Despite great cultural and natural diversity, only 65 of the 812 World Heritage sites are to be found in this region. They constitute 43 percent of sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
reference: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/253

The protection and development of UNESCO world heritage Luang Prabang

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 13:36:43 +0200

[via East Eats West]

Someone once described Laos as a place where all noise has been deliberately turned-off. It is so far been outstanding in constant to noise-polluted Asia where quietness is hard to find; Asia sometimes seems to equal noise and construction. The magic of quietness can be literally felt in Luang Prabang but it is not only the quietness that makes Luang Prabang magical, it is also its location on the bank of the Mekong, its wonderful colonial architecture and tranquillity due to the gentle heart of the Laotians. And compared to other Asian sprawling and mushrooming cities Luang Prabang shines through the absence of ambitions and sky-high aspirations. In short, Luang Prabang is very close to heaven on earth.

But this heaven has to fight tourism, development and the growth in population and the heroine who is fighting the dragon of modernization is Madame Manivone of La Maison du Patrimoine. I visited Madame Manivone who is a director at La Maison du Patrimoine, the institution which oversees the restoration, conversation and development of Luang Prabang in cooperation with UNESCO, the Laotian government and it is funded by the French Government and South Korea, this week to talk with her about the conservation and protection of Luang Prabang. Her responsibility is for example to check any alterations to any structure in Luang Prabang and she then approves or declines the request. In order to appreciate this Herculean task one needs only to look to Siem Reap and Angkor, where mostly Thai money and a government hell-bound on tourism-development have in a few years plastered Siem Reap with hundreds of hotels and destroyed its tranquillity. Especially in such poor countries as Cambodia and Laos tourism means much needed money and jobs and it therefore takes a lot of courage to stand up to cash-rich foreign investors. And La Maison has a track-record in resisting threats to the Luang Prabang heritage: it prevented the building of a three million baht huge luxury hotel by Thai investors on the bank of the Mekong, it banned the noisy long-tail boats from the Mekong River around Luang Prabang and it prevented Thais building a Thai-style temple in Luang Prabang. So far she also has been successful in blocking an enlargement of the existing and tiny airport. Madame Manivone stresses the importance of sustainable development and is currently working on a master-plan for the development of Luang Prabang. But it is not only conservati on and protection that is on Madame Manivone's mind: she wants to protect Laotian culture and traditions and for example bans swimming pools on the heritage area that might disturb the passing monks during alm’s giving. Furthermore she supports land-owners in the restoration process with free wood and advice and she pushes traditional building-techniques as using bricks for driveways and floors that also cool during the summer heat. Next year La Maison will organize a Laotian food festival in order to protect Laotian traditions.

Luang Prabang has been for ten years a UNESCO world heritage site and the cooperation between the French and Laotian government has been very successful. I am sure that Madame Manivone is up against formidable enemies in the form of business men trying to invest in Luang Prabang according to their own liking. In an Asia that is rapidly developing and destroying anything old, Madame Manivone and La Maison du Patrimoine are a laudable exception. I hope she will succeed in protecting Luang Prabang from the negative aspects of tourism-development and at the same time develop this little town in the mountains. May short-term profiteering for once succumb to far-sightedness; for the sake of the magic of Luang Prabang.
reference: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/east_eats_west/2006/04/the_protection_.html

Read the original interview with photos here.

Read more about Luang Prabang as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the website of the World Heritage Centre.

Royal Residence in Luang Prabang photo: WIKIPEDIA, GNU

Conference on Intangible and Tangible Cultural Heritage

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 18:34:47 +0200

At the conference the following questions are asked:

Is the division of tangible and intangible heritage a constructive dichotomy? Should we reinforce or deconstruct this division? Are the codified definitions for intangible and tangible heritage sufficient? On what basis are these boundaries defined and when are they blurred? Does this dichotomy cover all possible manifestations of heritage or are there aspects still ignored?

How do prescribed notions of intangibility translate into policy and practice? How do the current developments affect methods of intangible preservation? Does the act of safeguarding intangible heritage ossify, commodify or otherwise interfere or transform it? Can we identify improved instruments for intangible curation and where might we look for these?

What new questions do current debates about tangible and intangible heritage raise for established concepts such as value, sustainability and authenticity? What are the implications for heritage research, management and museums? Is it constructive to reorient and reappraise the materiality of heritage?

reference:http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/heritage-seminar/

The conference program reads very interesting.

Co-organiser ist the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research of the Cambridge University.

I already reported earlier on the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The articles can be found in the category intangible heritage.

Clare College and King's Chapel of the Cambridge University photo: WIKIPEDIA, GNU

2010 European Capitals of Culture include UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 17:24:03 +0200

The selection panel for the 2010 European Capital of Culture have recommended to award the German town Essen, the Hungarian city of P�cs and Istanbul in Turkey with the Titel European Capital of Culture 2010.

Every selected city has a UNESCO World Heritage Site within it's boundaries:

All three of these cities include World Heritage sites: the Historic Areas of Istanbul (Turkey) inscribed in 1985; the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen (Germany) inscribed in 2001; and the Early Christian Necropolis of P�cs (Sopianae) (Hungary) inscribed in 2000.
Quelle: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/248

More information on the three cities can be found on this websites:

The Website of the World Heritage Centre provides information on the World Heritage Sites:

Informationen on the European Capitals of Culture Program of the European Union together with the report of the Selection Panel can be found here.

UNESCO World Heritage City P�cs in Hungary Photo: Wikipedia, GNU

18. April 2006: International Day for Monuments and Sites

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 16:03:51 +0200

This year the International Day for Monuments and Sites on 18th of April will focus on Industrial Heritage:

(...)
We call on ICOMOS members and professionals in the preservation field to make this day a global success. Industrial heritage, like other cultural heritage sectors, is threatened all over the world. Factories, plantations, forges, mines, railways and other forms of industrial heritage are markers of the workplace and production, having equal importance to the religious and domestic sites which are often given priority. Industrial heritage is, in general, at risk of loss through destruction and abandonment, endangering some of the greatest testaments to the creative genius of humanity.
(...)
reference:http://www.international.icomos.org/18thapril/2006/18april2006.htm

On the ICOMOS Website more information and a calendar of events can be found.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: V�lklingen Ironworks photo: Wikipedia, GNU