DEVELOPMENTS IN APPROACHES TO HERITAGE IN ESTONIA: MONUMENTS, VALUES, AND PEOPLE

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to look at the ways in which heritage isapproached, based on the conceptual framework of critical inheritanceresearch. In case of approaches to inheritance, I distinguish betweenobject-based, value-based, and people-centered approaches –depending on which aspects of the heritage are at the heart of theinheritance management process. I use different case studies fromthe Estonian context as examples. I am particularly interested in thechanges in heritage management in the time frame of the 1970s and1980s to the present day.In order to describe object-based heritage management, I willuse Kalvi Aluve’s book “The story about architectural monuments”(1983). It is a popular work targeted for the general public, which iswhy many of the views and concepts that are obviously used on adaily basis by those involved in the matter and have often becomean invisible part of the work culture, are explained in detail anddefined. Value-based inheritance management sets at the heart ofheritage the values attributed to heritage by the various stakeholdersin society. While in object-based heritage management people act asgroups against the backdrop of monuments, this approach shifts thevalues that people attach to heritage objects and heritage phenomenato the forefront.