A Step Further in the History of Protection of Romanian Heritage

Abstract

Museums in Romania have cared for their cultural property for a long time. In recent years, however, conservation and protection of heritage has made major step changes and is following new directions. In this context, focus is shifting from restoration of objects to preventive conservation of collections. This is an important concept change in our country which has previously considered mostly treating individual objects as the first option for improving preservation of heritage. In this regard, two important events brought to Romania were the International ICCROM Course Reducing Risk to Collections, as well as the Directions in Preventive Conservation international conference, both held in 2007 at ASTRA Museum in Sibiu. At the national level, they were meant to introduce the most recent knowledge in this field and to create a starting point for specialists to adopt or adapt new ideologies and strategies in their museums. For our museum it was a very good gantry as the case studies which were carried out during the ICCROM course clearly revealed deficiencies in the storage conditions for our collections. It also offered us a tool for expressing the urgent need of changing the past situation as well as for making possible successful application for external funds for building a new storage facility. The ASTRA Centre for Heritage has been established and is functioning as an example for many other museums in Romania.