Cultural heritage in South-East Europe: Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of) (original) (raw)
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Landscapes as an archeological heritage
Researching Archaeological Landscapes Across Borders Strategies, Methods and Decisions for the 21st Century, 2019
The publication is divided into two parts and pursues three major questions which must be faced during archaeological project planning:
2015
Preface Nowadays, responsibility for the heritage, broadly understood as human and environmental coexistence, is the most important challenge of humanity. The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage proclaimed in 1972 by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) reinforced and popularized the Western thought that divided the nature and the culture, which had its beginning in the thought of Enlightenment (MacCormack and Strathern 1980). The nature vs. culture dichotomy, understood as contrasting those two qualities, had huge consequences often depreciating the value of the one for the another. In Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention (UNESCO 2005), the criteria allowing for qualifying properties as examples of cultural or natural heritage were defined. Sandra Pannell lists definitions of cultural heritage we can find in Convention as ‘‘monuments’, ‘groups of buildings’ and ‘sites’, the last ones being the ‘works of man or the combined works of nature and of man’’ (Panell 2006). Definitions of natural heritage are put as ‘‘physical and biological formations’, ‘habitats of threatened species’ and ‘natural sites or natural areas’, which are of ‘outstanding universal value’ from the point of view of science, conservation and/or aesthetics’’(Panell 2006). We can also find ‘mixed heritage’ understood as combination of cultural and natural ones. Nowadays UNESCO proclaims a new way of understanding heritage, a new vision which ‘strives to recognize and protect sites that are outstanding demonstrations of human coexistence with the land as well as human interactions, cultural coexistence, spirituality and creative expression’ (UNESCO 2008). That approach wins more and more supporters not only in the scientific world but also in people all over the world. The discussed process is taking place on numerous planes. Starting from the discussion of specialists on universal values and defining the basic notions, through changes in legal regulations e.g.: connected to implementation of the European Landscape Convention, which is to be accepted by every signing country, to a purely social plane connected with popularization of a new way of understanding, viewing and protecting the Heritage. The term ‘Cultural landscape’ is the actual sample of such a new thinking, and therefore we have decided to focus mostly on the elements of cultural landscape. The subject, approached from various perspectives, from a theoretical (defining and situating cultural landscape in the social space) to a practical one (revitalizations of historically and culturally valuable objects, the value of which forms the identity of the region, winning the sources of financing), from the municipal (examples of Cittaslow towns, urban parks, or ‘The Holy Cemetery’ in Romania) to the rural one (‘Village Renewal’), from a French (an excellent sample of the Parc Naturel Régional de la Brenne ) to a Polish one (examples of Warmia and Mazury, as well as Podlasie) constitutes the first part and the core of this publication. The further part deals with the subjects connected with difficult/dissonant heritage basing on the example of Warmia and Mazury, where, due to political and historical conditions, the regional cultural landscape was subjected to ideologization in favour of Polish raison d’état. The authors have presented how important and more and more common it is in that ‘difficult’ environment to discover and build identity of a human being based on the heritage of the region. The final part of the following monograph discusses particular actions taken by various organizational units (the University, societies, funds) to put theory into practice. We let those who make that theory work in practice speak. Launching the cultural and natural studies as well as the Centre for Cultural and Natural Heritage at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, together with work of specific people in associations and organizations show us how important it is to be aware of and to take care for the cultural heritage and what difficult this work it is. The collected examples, however, prove that it may be done successfully. We realize that we have not discussed in this publication numerous important issues and areas of heritage or we have not devoted as much time to them as they deserve. Our intention is to inspire with the expertise and experience of this book as much people, organizations, and self-governments to notice the cultural and natural heritage and to take measures for its protection. The international exchange of experiences presented in this publication would not be possible without personal involvement by the authorities of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, the Association France-Pologne de l'Indre and the management of the Parc Naturel Régional de la Brenne. We believe that that every initiative to be born under the influence of this publication, which aims at showing how it is possible to take care together for heritage understood according to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre as ‘our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. They are our touchstones, our points of reference, our identity’ (UNESCO 2008), is to serve well for the local societies building, at the same time, a relation with the place of living. M. Śliwa, K. Glińska-Lewczuk
História: Questões & Debates
A Conferência da Associação de Estudos Críticos de Patrimônio de 2016, ocorrida em Montreal, Canadá, colocou uma questão “O que o patrimônio muda?”. A sessão organizada por Allison Bain e Réginald Auger teve como objetivo analisar os aspectos arqueológicos sob o título “O que o patrimônio muda? Estudos de caso na Arqueologia.” Os artigos apresentados, de escopo internacional, passam uma mensagem comum: arqueologia contemporânea serve melhor a humanidade quando os governos protegem sítios arqueológicos com legislação, financiamento e gestão; quando a propriedade patrimonial é reconhecida; pesquisa comunitária é realizada; e quando arqueólogos estabelecem parcerias de longa duração com a comunidade local. Arqueologia pode se tornar um instrumento de mudança no mundo contemporâneo, em especial para o bem-estar das comunidades locais.
Rural communities in Europe are at significant risk since they face socioeconomic problems such as depopulation, singular dependence on mono-agriculture or resource extraction, high unemployment and lack of viable economic opportunities. Cultural heritage and historic landscapes can be powerful drivers of rural development they make places unique, create a sense of home, and link communities to their past. However, for many communities, the potential for their heritage and landscape is unknown, underappreciated, or underutilized. It requires discovery and implementation through study, identification, and the transfer of good practice examples as models for innovative management.
The complexity of heritage and societal development - The example of Gjirokastra, Albania
Ecocycles, 2015
Albania is formerly the most closed country in Europe and has suffered from severe economic and political problems during the last two decades. In the southern part lies Gjirokastra, birthplace of former dictator Enver Hoxha, and home to diverse communities of Albanians and Greeks. Gjirokastra Old Town, proclaimed "Museum City" by the regime in 1961 and later turned into a UNESCO World Heritage City, climbs the steep western side of the Drinos valley. During the communist era the city was heavily industrialized with a metal work factory as well as factories for products such as shoes, refrigerators, and umbrellas. On the eastern side is the archaeological site of the ancient city of Antigonea, thus defining a landscape with long historical processes and a multitude of narratives and interpretations. In recent years this landscape has witnessed increased efforts to secure what are perceived heritage values, focusing on the older structures i.e. the world heritage part of the city and the archaeological site. However, the structures of postwar era of Albania contribute significantly to the full context of the landscape, but since the mid-1990s and the collapse of Albanian post-communist economy the former industrial sites are increasingly deteriorating. Parallel with severe economic problems with massive volumes of unemployed, a criminally based economy on drug trafficking is increasing. This paper will discuss the societally based problems in securing different heritage assets for a positive societal development.