Civil Society Action in the Field of Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Cultural heritage policies are no longer the sole monopoly of sovereign states. Therefore, this article investigates the need for a European civil society in the field of cultural heritage according to the analysis of policy documents and published literature. The article finds that European policies in the field of cultural heritage before 1990 were oriented towards the formation of a common European identity. In the 1990s a paradigm shift emerged: cultural heritage now reflects the cultural diversity of the common European heritage or "unity in diversity." Simultaneously, the value of heritage for society and the need to engage civil society in maintaining, promoting, and safeguarding cultural heritage has received more emphasis. This new approach is reflected in the concept of "heritage community," as articulated in the 2005 Faro Convention of the Council of Europe. Moreover, the European Community promulgated its desire to involve civil society more closely into its activities in the field of culture with its 2007 "A European Agenda for Culture" (European Union 2007). Although a European civil society in the field of cultural heritage is still in its infancy, the road to its establishment has been paved.