Cultural heritage

Preservation of Cultural Heritage

Katharina George November 2015

Definition

What can be considered as Cultural Heritage?

Legacy of physical artifacts inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations.

Conservation is our thanks to the past, the joy of the present and our gift to the future.

Again and again a society must discuss what is to be considered as their cultural heritage, which is worth, to take financial efforts for its preservation.

Nowadays we have widened the definition:

Tangible culture: buildings, monuments, landscapes, books, works of art, and artifacts

Intangible culture: folklore, traditions, language, and knowledge

Natural heritage : Historic gardens, culturally significant landscapes, Flora and Fauna (Biodiversity)

Katharina George December 2015 2

Charta of Athens 1931

Definition of 7 Principles:

1. International organizations for restoration on operational and advisory levels are to be established.

2. Proposed restoration projects are to be subjected to knowledgeable criticism to prevent mistakes which will cause loss of character and historical values to the structures.

3. Problems of preservation of historic sites are to be solved by legislation at national level for all countries.

4. Excavated sites which are not subject to immediate restoration should be reburied for protection.

5. Modern techniques and materials may be used in restoration work.

6. Historical sites are to be given strict custodial protection.

7. Attention should be given to the protection of areas surrounding historic sites.


Charta of Venice 1964

International charter for the conservation and restoration of monuments and sites (extract) Monuments are mostly part of an ensemble

Not only great works of art but also more modest works of the past which have acquired cultural significance are considered as worthy of preservation

No new construction, demolition or modification which would alter the relations of mass and color must be allowed.

A monument is inseparable from its place and the setting in which it occurs.

All additions must bear a contemporary stamp.

The valid contributions of all periods to the building of a monument must be respected, since unity of style is not the aim of a restoration.


European Year of Preservation of Monuments in 1975 “Preserve the spirit of the place, the importance of urban environment”

Integrated Conservation New aspects in the recognition of cultural heritage:

1. Importance of the monument’s environment: Architectural heritage consists not only of our most important monuments, it also includes the groups of lesser buildings in our old towns and characteristic villages in their natural or manmade settings.

2. Use of existing resources: Our society now has to husband its resources. Far from being a luxury this heritage is an economic asset which can be used to save community resources.

3. Keeping of social balance: The renewal of old towns must be undertaken in a spirit of social justice and should not cause the departure of the poorer inhabitants. Our old towns favoured social integration. They can once again lend themselves to a beneficial spread of activities and to a more satisfactory social mix.

4. Educational aspect: The survival of cultural heritage will be assured only if the need to protect it is understood by the greatest number, particularly by the younger generation who will be its future guardians.

5. Capacity building: Traditional crafts should be fostered rather than allowed to die out

6. Dangers: Heritage is threatened by ignorance, obsolescence, deterioration of every kind and neglect. Urban planning can be destructive when authorities yield too readily to economic pressures and to the demands of motor traffic.


European Year of Preservation of Monuments in 1975 “Preserve the spirit of the place, the importance of urban environment”

Integrated Conservation

7. Financial aspects: Financial resources made available by public authorities for the restoration of historic centres should be at least equal to those allocated for new construction

8. Participation: Citizens are entitled to participate in decisions affecting their environment.

9. Integration into general urban planning in the sense of preserving renewal instead of demolition and new building: Because of this, conservation must be one of the first considerations in all urban and regional planning.

10. Role of administration: In order to carry out a policy of integrated conservation, properly staffed administrative services should be established.

11. Creation of an European network for Cultural Heritage preservation: The European architectural heritage is the common property of our continent. Conservation problems are not peculiar to any one country. They are common to the whole of Europe and should be dealt with in a coordinated manner


Change of Paradigm

This European Year of Preservation of Monuments in 1975 was the turning point in the policy of dealing with historical urban fabrics:

Deteriorated city quarters were no longer subject of demolition and fanciless new build constructions. Inhabitants which were before send to the outskirts to live in unfamiliar high risers should now be kept in their accustomed environment.

Town centers, which were previously pure shopping centers should be converted into mixed use areas where it is worth to live.

Inhabitants who had been considered as objects or even obstacles in the upgrading procedures should be involved and asked about their opinion.

In various European cities strategies were tested to find a way for this new policies:


ExamplesFrom Germany


IBA* Berlin 1984-1987“Careful Urban Renewal”

International Building Exhibition

Strategic goal “Social, structural and

economical stimulation of

historic city quarters and its

sustainable development as a

mixed use district with

improved living conditions.”

Main Objectives:

Protection and restauration of historical buildings and fabric

Economic and social stabilization

Activation and integration of local communities and activists.

Upgrade of houses and flats

Increase of workstations

Improvement of social infrastructure, public spaces and greens.

Reduction of through traffic


IBA* Berlin 1984-1987“Careful Urban Renewal”


12 Principles for Cautious Urban Renewal1. Urban renewal must be planned and – fundamentally – realized

with the current residents and entrepreneurs.

2. Planners must reach an agreement with residents and entrepreneurs about the aims of the renewal measures. Technical and social plans will go hand in hand.

3. The special character of the Quarter must be preserved. In parts of the city that are under pressure, confidence must be reawakened. Fundamentally threatening damage to housing should be redressed immediately.

4. The careful change of floor plans will enable new housing types.

5. The renewal of houses and buildings must be gradual and must be completed little by little.

6. The physical situation must be improved by minimum demolition, by green development in courtyards, and by the decoration of facades.


I

BA* Berlin 1984-1987“Careful Urban Renewal”


7. Public facilities such as streets, squares and parks must be renewed and preserved in accordance with public needs.

8. The rights of participation and tangible rights of persons affected by the social planning must be settled.

9. Decisions about urban renewal must be made in an open way and preferably be discussed on location. The participation of affected people is to be reinforced.

10. After confidence has been generated, urban renewal needs solid financial commitments. Money must be available quickly.

11. New forms of project responsibility must be developed. The responsibility for the commissioning and the responsibility for the actual work of the renewal measures must be separated.

12. Urban renewal according to this concept must be secured for the citizens.


Berlin“Careful urban Renewal”

Implementation of a long-term process of social regeneration and stabilization

Installation of citizen councils

Commissioning of an agency to evaluate wishes of the inhabitants

Facilitation of self-help projects

Craft trainings for self-helpers

Making available shops or other spaces for social activities and participation

Organization of social events


Leipzig Guardian Buildings

An important prerequisite for the preservation of a monument is that it

should be used continuously. If a building is empty for a longer time,

damages occur and make it difficult to reuse.

Building preservation via occupancy

Tenants become guardians and pay only operating costs. They provide repair and maintenance costs.

Owner save the accruing upkeep costs


Leipzig Guardian Buildings An local consulting agency is providing related services:

It brings owner and tenants together

It has developed different forms for rent contracts

Six possible concept variations are created (e.g. for ateliers, shops, etc.)

Consultancy services for other cities is provided

Is supported by the city

Until today 25 Guardian houses are reused.





Advantages:

Space for activities and initiatives.

Preservation of heritage on a low level

Fresh impulse in problematic urban quarters

Vacant shops are reused

Contribution to local economy

Prevent vandalism

Disadvantages:

Low standards

More tenants than houses

Owners often prefer degradation than maintenance

Contract terminations


Practical SolutionsManuals or Urban Design Codes

Some cities or institutions offer manuals or Urban Design Codes for professionals (like architects or craftsman) investors or laymen to give a guide for the renovation of old houses.

GIZ Manual for Lviv


Practical SolutionsManuals or Urban Design Codes


Practical SolutionsManuals or Urban Design Codes*

*Leipzig 1994

Technical and design requirements:

Reconstruct historic eaves cornice

The streetscape (edge - line of the street ) should be kept

The reconstruction concept has to consider the urban environment

The original colors and materials should be considered

Large wall panels should be avoided

Windows should be homogenous, division should be kept

Entrance doors need to keep their original dimension and material

Shop windows and lettering should be integrated in an over all design concept

Roof shape and inclination should not be changed

Satellite bowls must be posted at invisible places.


BerlinStudent ‘s Competitions

With different initiatives the Berlin Monument Authority has aimed to mobilize many activists to develop strategies for the future of innovative conservation and conservative conversion.

To strengthen the public and specialist debate, strategic competitions for students are initiated.

Fostering the co-operation of monument owners, architects, town planners and monument "fosterers" these competitions are open to future generations of planners.

Since 2002, these student ideas competitions organized in a Public Private Partnership, have proved to be a successful way of promoting conservation as well as integrating a new generation of planners.

Here, town planning students are given an opportunity to work on a concrete project with the topic reuse of a historic site and are also able to sharpen their minds for the needs of the conservation.

The worked out concepts show manifold possibilities, such as how industrial monuments can have their lives extended through new perspectives for their use.


Legislation

Council of Europe: Has given General Guidelines

Germany as a federation guarantees the cultural sovereignty to every federal state , so they have their own legislations.

Inside the federal state, cities can define their own policies to deal with this laws.


Organizatione.g. Berlin

Head

of Conservation for

the Berlin region

Monument Preservation

Preservation of Historic Gardens

Archeology

Inventarisation and PR

Legal Matters

UNESCO World Heritage

Office Management

Organigram of the Department Berlin Monument Authority


Preservation of Cultural Heritage

Thank you for your attention!

Basic information available in English on :

http://www.icomos.org/en/

http://www.haushalten.org/de/index.asp

http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/index_en.shtml

http://english.leipzig.de


Presentations & Public Speaking

Cultural heritage