Abstract
"The monuments at Patan Durbar Square in Nepal have been conserved, recovered, and reconstructed with enormous effort, following the damage and devastation caused by a series of earthquakes in 2015. Collaborative work by the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, the Nepalese Department of Archaeology, the Institute of Conservation at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, and local craftsmen, working with the local community, has made a significant contribution in this respect. Several factors are decisive for the recovery of cultural heritage after a natural disaster: the availability of craftsmen familiar with traditional construction techniques and of heritage preservation professionals, comprehensive surveys and assessments, building materials, pre-disaster documentation, and the long-term commitment of financial support. How have these factors influenced efforts and progress in the case of Patan Durbar Square? What were the challenges and how were they solved? In Patan, tangible and intangible cultural heritage are closely linked and related to each other. The living culture is an essential characteristic of Patan and of Nepal more generally and so also a major criterion in the site’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage is just as important as the preservation of tangible artworks and sites. This article examines to what degree craftsmanship, religious practices, and festivities and traditions (cyclical renewal) have represented an advantage or an obstacle for conservation and reconstruction efforts in Patan. The analysis is illustrated with selected case studies, while field-tested solutions for reconciling the preservation of both tangible and intangible heritage are pointed out."
Published Version
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