European Heritage Research Articles

Forced Migrations as a European Heritage and Resource for Enhancing Intercultural Cohesion

ABSTRACT Social identity theory argues that conflict between groups diminishes if they discover they have something important in common, and if they can build a new hybrid identity together. With this premise in mind, the article demonstrates how present-day experiences of refugees, displaced ethnic groups, political exiles, foreign-born workers, diasporic populations and other migrants may be incorporated into the existing body of predominantly national historical landscapes and stories addressing expulsions, exile and forced displacement experienced by European populations in the twentieth century. It is argued that we should look closer at the compositional processes and orchestration of migrant heritage in Europe as an inherently political concept that may both amplify and interfere with social cohesion. The article discusses the compositional strategies (grafting, bifurcation and suture) that loosen up the structure of representations and have been used experimentally by four cultural institutions in Italy, Spain, Germany and Poland. The article maintains that series of hands-on small- and middle-scale experiments and compositional adjustments may be highly instrumental in enhancing the value of the heritage of forced migrations, not only as a domain of conflicting academic interpretations, but also as a factor of intercultural cohesion in a broader perspective.

Construction of the Chinese Route of Industrial Heritage Based on Spatial and Temporal Distribution Analysis

In the context of cultural routes, in order to achieve overall protection of industrial heritage, the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) was established to organize and promote the entire European industrial heritage. The conservation and utilization of Chinese industrial heritage are currently dominated by individual cases, which limits their potential to contribute to regional sustainable development. There is an urgent need of a conservation system at the regional or national level, to ensure that Chinese industrial heritage conservation effectively contributes to regional sustainable development. This study considers the industrial heritage of China built between 1840 and 1978 to establish the Chinese Industrial Heritage GIS Database (CIHGD). The analysis shows that the distribution of China’s industrial heritage is mainly concentrated in the eastern and southern coastal areas, and the industrial heritage has formed three key regions, 14 key cities, and important railway and water systems located in eastern China. The CRIH facilitates the holistic conservation of China’s industrial heritage and provides basic data for future research on China’s industrial heritage. The objective of this study is to promote the establishment of an information-based management system for industrial heritage in China, and to explore the value evaluation, protection system, and regional tourism of industrial heritage from a national perspective in China.

Access to the European cultural heritage of settlements and towns in the Danube macro-region through interoperable strategies digital transformation

Tangible cultural heritage is a strategic resource for the development of rural and urban settlements. Cooperation with stakeholders from EU countries and regions within the Danube macro-region, such as cultural heritage institutions and competent authorities, allows to agree on the preparation and adaptation of compatible digital innovation strategies in local initiative groups in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as on impact mapping through a set of pan-European socio-economic indicators. Objectives of the study: to analyse the available European best practices and methodology for adaptation in the integration of the regions of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in the interregional innovation partnership on the smart specialisation "Cultural and Creative Regional Ecosystems" (CCRE-S3) [1]. The overall horizontal objective of the integration into the platform should be to add value to the common characteristics of the cultural and creative sector and to create a permanent discovery mechanism that will carry out activities to identify strategic investments and the use of innovation transfer tools. Previous works: previous concept, research and experience are described in the articles [2] and [3]. Approach: European benchmarking, comparative analysis, bibliographic research. Outcome: recommendations aimed at stimulating new ideas and opportunities related to cultural and creative experiences for local communities and residents by involving several groups of professions that use, apply and implement new technologies in the cultural and creative industries sector. The European Programmes provide resources to support their implementation. In this way, the Danube Strategy participating States [4],  by supporting partnerships between the cultural heritage sector and other sectors such as higher education and vocational education and training, creative industries and sustainable cultural tourism, will be able to stimulate innovation for new services and applications in their regions.

Empowering Self-Care: Caring Things in Alice Dunbar-Nelson's 1890s "New Woman" Short Fiction.

Alice Dunbar-Nelson is mostly remembered as a poet, activist, and ex-wife of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Her volume The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories (1899) has been largely overshadowed as a result. Yet, the collection contains a portfolio of heroines analogous and contemporaneous to the famed New Woman figure of the fin de siècle. In this article, I consider Dunbar-Nelson's heroines in light of their New Woman-esque agency and autonomy as they find remedies and power in objects and materials steeped in New Orleans's cultural heritage. Ceded neither social nor political self-governance nor domestic comfort, this article reads these transcendental, metaphysical objects as sources of self-care. With close analysis of "The Goodness of St. Rocque," "Tony's Wife," and "Little Miss Sophie," I argue that Dunbar-Nelson's protagonists exert influence over their lives, specifically in the negotiation of romantic relationships, through voodoo charms, Catholic candles, tarot cards, sewing machines, and knitting needles. Covering courtship, break-ups, and unhappy marriages, I demonstrate the ways in which these empowering spiritual objects respond to health concerns, including malnutrition and domestic violence, in turn, situating them as alternatives to patriarchal and historically racist medical institutions. Valorizing the cultural milieu of New Orleans and the customs of the Caribbean and European heritage, and thereby conveying Dunbar-Nelson's resistance to white and male supremacist ideologies in late-nineteenth-century Southern America, the article ultimately assesses the parallels with (predominantly white) New Woman fiction, through shared themes of fraught heterosexual dynamics and women's declining health.

It’s All in the Backfill: Scrap Heaps, Explosives, and Nausea. Stirring the Soil of a Former WWII Military Base

ABSTRACT Within an archaeology of the contemporary, sites and material remains of the Second World War have in recent years been set more prominently on the agenda of European heritage archaeology. This article presents observations made during archaeological site monitoring of the conversion and remediation of a former WWII military base in Germany. In the course of the project, the sensitivity of the site and its find material against the backdrop of the German history of World War II had to be constantly assessed. Archaeological methods and practices had to be adapted to the specific requirements of the site. Conflicting agendas of various actors and stakeholders involved had to be evaluated, as well as the risks posed by the site’s contamination with unexploded ordnance. Indeed, the backdirt itself, just like the find material it contained, turned out to be a contested and hazardous entity.

Manor and Park Estates—Resilience to Transformation and the New Management of Space Due to Political Changes: The Case of Western Pomerania (Poland)

The historical landscape reveals diverse social, economic, political transformations that create an identity of place, one which should be protected for future generations. Manor and park estates have been and continue to be valuable parts of cultural heritage and a distinguishing feature of the rural landscape in Europe. Since 1945, however, they have often failed to resist negative changes, especially in Eastern Europe where, after the Second World War, countries adopted the socialist system, which abolished private property and placed many historical buildings under the management of state institutions for several decades. In this context, it is important to study their current state of preservation. This study analyzes the condition of manor and park estates in Western Pomerania, Poland, that became the property of State Agricultural Farms (PGRs) after the Second World War. For this purpose, it was necessary to determine the extent of their transformation brought about by the State Agricultural Farms from 1949–1991, as well as changes that have occurred in the past 30 years. A qualitative method was used to assess the preservation of historical manor and park estates and to classify them according to their degree of preservation. The results showed that 42% of the estates surveyed have had their original form and spatial composition transformed, and their preservation status is assessed as moderate. Nearly 30% are in poor condition, which is hindering their full revitalization and the restoration of cultural and natural values. Only 28% of manor and park estates are maintained in a very good state. It is a matter of concern that the decline of these estates has been continuous and that restoration efforts have been limited. However, by assessing the current state of preservation, we can identify the measures necessary to stop further deterioration and preserve the cultural heritage of the region. It is clear that the preservation of these estates is essential to maintaining the identity of Western Pomerania. Manor and park estates are historical monuments associated with the people who once lived there. They must be protected to promote sustainable development and preserve a common European cultural heritage for future generations.

Unlocking the genetic diversity and population structure of the newly introduced two-row spring European HerItage Barley collecTion (ExHIBiT).

In the last century, breeding programs have traditionally favoured yield-related traits, grown under high-input conditions, resulting in a loss of genetic diversity and an increased susceptibility to stresses in crops. Thus, exploiting understudied genetic resources, that potentially harbour tolerance genes, is vital for sustainable agriculture. Northern European barley germplasm has been relatively understudied despite its key role within the malting industry. The European Heritage Barley collection (ExHIBiT) was assembled to explore the genetic diversity in European barley focusing on Northern European accessions and further address environmental pressures. ExHIBiT consists of 363 spring-barley accessions, focusing on two-row type. The collection consists of landraces (~14%), old cultivars (~18%), elite cultivars (~67%) and accessions with unknown breeding history (~1%), with 70% of the collection from Northern Europe. The population structure of the ExHIBiT collection was subdivided into three main clusters primarily based on the accession's year of release using 26,585 informative SNPs based on 50k iSelect single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array data. Power analysis established a representative core collection of 230 genotypically and phenotypically diverse accessions. The effectiveness of this core collection for conducting statistical and association analysis was explored by undertaking genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using 24,876 SNPs for nine phenotypic traits, four of which were associated with SNPs. Genomic regions overlapping with previously characterised flowering genes (HvZTLb) were identified, demonstrating the utility of the ExHIBiT core collection for locating genetic regions that determine important traits. Overall, the ExHIBiT core collection represents the high level of untapped diversity within Northern European barley, providing a powerful resource for researchers and breeders to address future climate scenarios.

Między odrzuceniem a uznaniem: podejście do dziedzictwa niemieckiego w Katowicach i Metzu

Katowice and Metz were subject to intensive urbanisation and industrialisation from the second half of the 19th century until the beginning of the First World War. The German authorities were the initiator of the dynamic development of both these cities. The effects of these activities are still visible in the cities’ urban spaces, and constitute part of the cultural heritage. As such, they are becoming a part of the identity narratives jointly shaping the contemporary visions of the cities. Questions posed by this article include that concerning the place that traces of this “German” past occupy in the collective consciousness of these cities’ residents. What processes and stages allowed the gradual integration of these “traces” into the residents’ overall tangible and intangible collective memory? Which social groups, institutions, and organisations are the bearers of the memory of this part of the past? And finally, what needs to be done for German heritage to cease being a difficult heritage, and what role could reference to European heritage play here?

Materials and Climate Change: A Set of Indices as the Benchmark for Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment for Tangible Cultural Heritage in Europe

Among the issues most related to climate change, the built environment is also subjected to short- and long-term risks. Referring to tangible cultural heritage, materials and buildings are subjected to different types of damage that require adaptive risk prevention and containment strategies, currently missing from conventional risk assessments. Thus, there is an increasingly urgent need for scientific and technical knowledge, tools, and solutions aimed at solving critical issues in cultural heritage due to climate change. In this context, the aim of this study is to study the mechanisms of impacts brought about by climate change and the formulation of a possible set of indices as benchmarks to measure climate change’s effect on cultural heritage buildings. The study is structured on a methodology that identifies three sections: the first and second parts systematize and critically interpret data on impact mechanisms and indices for climate vulnerability and risk assessment; the third part, data processing, reports the perspective findings. The main intermediate indices, contributing to a comprehensive damage index, were identified, and a procedural protocol was developed. Finally, through the correlation of indices, a potential case study could be analyzed, and benchmarks made effective. The study reports partial results of one of the “Ecosystems of Innovation” pilot projects funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The study is still a work in progress and needs advancement and deepening to verify case study indices.

‘They abscond’: migration and coloniality in the contemporary conjuncture in Europe

ABSTRACT Over the past decade, the public sphere in Europe has become increasingly ‘culturalised’. Ideas about European heritage and culture have been used as a way to exclude people, notably migrants. My intention is to understand how at this time the cultural, political and economic are articulated together in Europe. I do so by examining the trope of ‘migrants absconding’ which is a prominent concern of the European Commission, as reflected in legal innovations and in media and far-right generated moral panics. By focusing on the social, political and legal relations around ‘migrants absconding’, I read from the ground up value regimes that animate and organize the European social formation at this conjuncture. This social formation is made up of articulations along political, economic and cultural grounds, which allow for incorporating the themes of populist far right groups into the very core of the European Commission. This fosters and legitimizes value regimes bent on culturally cheapening migrants as incompatible, deviant or dangerous outsiders with a very limited right to social and political participation, much less an independent social reproduction. This then allows for their labour power to be also cheapened, super exploited and disposable. This type of value regime centring on culturally cheapening people deemed outsiders, controlling their social reproduction, and making them available as cheap labour was also a key feature of the colonial social formations of the mid 19th to mid 20th centuries, where concerns about ‘natives’ absconding tended to also be prominent. That there is something colonial about the contemporary conjuncture may be seen in the cultural-political-economic articulations dominant in Europe and their cultural and economic cheapening strategies. To abscond is to leave value regimes. Absconding is transgressive, it is to deliberately step out of place, and to attempt to pursue an independent social reproduction.

The Influence of the Bertolt Brecht System on Traditional Chinese Theater

Introduction. The article is devoted to the phenomenon of modern Chinese theater and aims to explore the ways of its evolution – from imitation of European avant-garde forms of theatrical art to the formation of an original artistic language. An important goal is also to identify the factors that have determined the unique aesthetic and meaningful characteristics of modern Chinese theater.Methodology and sources. As a result of the application of the comparative analysis method, the article compares the theatrical concepts of Ibsen, Stanislavsky and Brecht, which influenced the image of modern Chinese theater.Result and discussion. The special role of the European theatrical avant-garde is shown, namely, the concept of Brecht's dialectical drama, which became widespread in China at the end of the XX century. Over a twenty-year period (from 1959 to 1979), three so-called «Brecht booms» took place in China, radically transforming Chinese traditional theater. However, despite the high popularity of Brecht's ideas, the Chinese Theater did not turn into a literal translator of the European avant-garde, but formed its own artistic style based on traditional structures of audience perception. The key role in this process was played by the national cultural context – socio-political and mental – which determined the specific forms of adaptation of the cultural meanings of the European theater. The history of Chinese avant-garde theater lasts for more than forty years and began in the early 1980s. After experiencing a period of direct borrowing, Chinese theatrical figures came to rethink the European heritage in the context of their own culture. As a result, it was the middle path of Chinese theater development that turned out to be the most productive – a path that absorbed the outstanding artistic ideas of Stanislavsky and Brecht, the modern Western avant-garde, but also without rejecting traditional artistic principles. This is how Chinese theatrical culture has developed with its own unique style.Conclusion. The 20th century became the era of the interchange of Eastern and Western theatrical traditions, which largely shaped the world cultural landscape, in which the interaction of Brecht's theory and traditional Chinese culture forms a special topos.

Traditions of French Constitutionalism in Polish Constitutional Thought

The influence of French constitutionalism on the Polish legal order is still present in the studies and analyses of the doctrine of constitutional law. Indeed, the French constitutional tradition forms part of the European legal heritage to which the founders of Polish statehood readily referred. The present text outlines the main thoughts and ideas which, over a period of more than two hundred years – from the second half of the 18th century to the present day – have influenced the constitutional shape of the Polish state either by way of recapitulating or negating various institutional solutions.

From Primary Data to Ethnopharmacological Investigations on Achillea erba-rotta subsp. moschata (Wulfen) I.Richardson as a Remedy against Gastric Ailments in Valmalenco (Italy).

(1) Background: Within the framework of the European Interreg Italy-Switzerland B-ICE & Heritage project (2018-2022), this study originated from a three-year ethnobotanical survey in Valmalenco (Sondrio, Italy). Following a preliminary work published by our group, this research further explored the folk therapeutic use of Achillea erba-rotta subsp. moschata (Wulfen) I.Richardson (Asteraceae) for dyspepsia disorders, specifically its anti-inflammatory potential at a gastrointestinal level. (2) Methods: Semi-structured interviews were performed. The bitter taste was investigated through molecular docking software (PLANTS, GOLD), while the anti-inflammatory activity of the hydroethanolic extract, infusion, and decoction was evaluated based on the release of IL-8 and IL-6 after treatment with TNFα or Helicobacter pylori. The minimum inhibitory concentration and bacterial adhesion on the gastric epithelium were evaluated. (3) Results: In total, 401 respondents were interviewed. Molecular docking highlighted di-caffeoylquinic acids as the main compounds responsible for the interaction with bitter taste receptors. The moderate inhibition of IL-6 and IL-8 release was recorded, while, in the co-culture with H. pylori, stronger anti-inflammatory potential was expressed (29-45 μg/mL). The concentration-dependent inhibition of H. pylori growth was recorded (MIC = 100 μg/mL), with a significant anti-adhesive effect. (4) Conclusions: Confirming the folk tradition, the study emphasizes the species' potentiality for dyspepsia disorders. Future studies are needed to identify the components mostly responsible for the biological effects.

DEVELOPING ENHANCED AND ENRICHED 3D MODELS OF CULTURAL HERITAGE ASSETS AS PART OF THE EU CO-FUNDED 5DCULTURE PROJECT

Abstract. 5Dculture is a 24-month collaborative project co-funded by the European Union. It includes twelve partners from diverse sectors of cultural heritage, including archaeology, museums and fashion. It aims to enrich the offer of European 3D digital cultural heritage assets in the data space and fosters their reuse in important domains such as education, tourism and the wider cultural and creative sectors towards socially and economically sustainable outcomes. In particular, the project will deliver high-quality 3D content by identifying and engaging existing datasets from partners’ collections focusing on topics of fashion, archaeology and architecture, all of which occupy a central place in the vast cultural heritage of Europe. It will also develop several reuse scenarios, which will experiment with the aforementioned assets in their complexity (from high-quality to derivatives).The Discovery Programme has a long research interest in 3D digital documentation and has participated in collaborative projects in the past, notably 3D-ICONS. However, opportunities and challenges in the reuse of 3D archaeological content exist, including the reuse of 3D content to enhance visitors experience at archaeological sites and the ability to exploit 3D surrogates for different sectors (tourism, education, gaming, the arts, conservation and heritage management).This paper will present the research that has been undertaken in this context, through the development of an enhanced processing pipeline to improve the quality of 3D models of cultural heritage assets, resulting in their improved re-use. It will present the approaches to improving model geometry, generating and applying enhanced textures, creating rich and functional metadata and strategies for persistence and archiving.A core component of our research has been the development of the processing pipeline to improve 3D model appearance through the application of parametric materials in the development of synthetic textures which artificially enhance the visualising of cultural heritage objects. Through the visual enhancements of 3D content improvements to the interpretation and aesthetic appearance of monuments and artefacts can be achieved, adding value to the original surveyed data. The paper will detail the processing pipeline, working from prime survey data in survey specific software, through 3D modelling techniques, and finally visualising and presentation approaches which enable increased accessibility and usability.The paper will conclude with a discussion of deliverables, particularly in the context of value to conservation. The Discovery Programme works together with many of the state agencies in Ireland on heritage and conservation projects, and it is the delivery of enhanced but practical outputs that their archaeologists and architects require. These include the Office of Public Works, National Monuments Service & the Heritage Council.

Indoor air pollutants and their seasonal monitoring in European museums

The monitoring of indoor air pollutants is an important part of the management of heritage collections. In this work, acetic acid, formic acid, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and NO2 were measured with passive samplers along with temperature and relative humidity once per season in seven European institutions of different sizes with different types of objects. The measurements were carried out in a variety of locations, from modern and old display cases in exhibition rooms of different sizes to storage rooms and their enclosures for different types of objects. The results were evaluated based on the characteristics of the sampling locations and the extent to which the changing seasons affect pollutant concentrations were estimated. The dataset obtained from this study can be a valuable asset as a snapshot of the current state of the environment in European heritage collections.

Kaya (Ayhan) – Populism and Heritage in Europe. Lost in Diversity and Unity.  – Londres, Routledge, 2019. 280 p . Bibliogr. Index.

Kaya (Ayhan) – Populism and Heritage in Europe. Lost in Diversity and Unity.  – Londres, Routledge, 2019. 280 p . Bibliogr. Index.

Cultivating a capability for empathy in the Bologna system—the shortcomings of economics and the importance of the civil

Abstract A central aim of the original Bologna Declaration in 1999 was to give the opportunity of advancement in education to every European citizen. According to the Declaration, this goal is worth achieving not simply in order to provide better-qualified workers within the European Union, rather, the aim of higher education within the European Union is understood in a holistic sense as a prerequisite for the composition of a well-functioning European civil society. How can such an ambitious goal be achieved? In this article, we propose that the core capability at stake is that of empathy which, for this reason, should be central to programmes of European higher education. Empathy is not regarded as just a property of specific individuals but as an attribute which must be ascribed to specific forms of civil intercourse. Therefore, what is needed in European higher education is the provision of a social environment for students which allows for civil-cultivation, and for processes of self-cultivation. Self-cultivation, as described here, means more than a refinement of manners; rather, it refers to the development of a civil mode for approaching others: a mode that is sensitive and self-aware at the same time, and which can be regarded as arising out of a shared European heritage interconnecting rhetoric and sociability.

Perceptions of Contested Ottoman Heritage in Europe: An International Study among Students

ABSTRACT The paper applies a quantitative approach to investigate students’ perceptions of Ottoman heritage in five countries (Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, and Hungary) along a recently developed cultural route of Ottoman heritage in Europe. It deals with overall perceptions of Ottoman heritage and its subjective recognition as part of the common cultural heritage on a national scale, within the Balkans, and in Europe. The study is conducted online with 627 students in various professional fields and different levels of study. Findings partially support existing literature that highlights the unfavorable situation of Ottoman heritage in the Balkans due to historical reasons, political connotations, and problems of public acceptance. The study reveals generally restrained perceptions of Ottoman heritage but also attitudes becoming more positive when it is closer and clearer related to tourism. Interesting distinctions based on the participants’ nationality and profile are uncovered. Conclusions are drawn about the contested nature of Ottoman heritage and the opportunities for its utilization for cultural tourism development, which is strongly connected not only to the historical past but also to the current policy that should not serve dubious geopolitical agendas but show mutual respect and reciprocity in support of true diversity, pluralism, and tolerance.

Civil Law as a Common European Heritage, Challenges for Law and Economics and for Comparative Law

Civil Law as a Common European Heritage, Challenges for Law and Economics and for Comparative Law

Inclusive cultural heritage in Europe: co-designing an accessible user experience for digital architectural conservation

ABSTRACT The lack of accessibility to the information associated with European built heritage is a significant factor of exclusion that precludes many European citizens from appropriating a shared cultural heritage. Nowadays, three-dimensional scanning, modelling, and rendering technologies provide many highly effective tools to virtually access the available digital heritage of many European buildings in different historical periods through images, videos, texts, libraries, or specific databases of information associated with historical-scientific knowledge. However, several factors, such as the availability of human, economic, and technical resources, the heterogeneity of the standards and the lack of regulations, still hinder the possibility of translating data into usable content for a wider audience and the chances of creating collaboration between professional experts and scholars. Considering that, the paper focuses on defining the User Experience (UX) of INCEPTION’s web platform, a European-funded multidisciplinary research project that has adopted new web technologies to develop open-source three-dimensional models of cultural heritage buildings for digital architectural conservation. The paper evaluates the importance of adopting a User-Centred Design (UCD) approach and involving stakeholders and end-users throughout the design development process, as they actively contributed to fostering more accessibility and inclusiveness for the final INCEPTION’s web configuration.