denkmal presents: First aid for cultural heritage
From a global perspective, it is a novelty that will be presented at denkmal in Leipzig. The German Association of Conservators (VDR) is about to finalize its “Handbook for the Restoration of Cultural Property” and will be providing initial insights in Leipzig. Whether paint on canvas, photos, ceramics or plastic: the manual describes specific salvage and first aid measures in the event of damage.
From a global perspective, it is a novelty that will be presented at denkmal in Leipzig. The German Association of Conservators (VDR) is about to finalize its “Handbook for the Restoration of Cultural Property” and will be providing initial insights in Leipzig. Whether paint on canvas, photos, ceramics or plastic: the manual describes specific salvage and first aid measures in the event of damage.
Thanks to the wide-ranging network of the “Association of Restorers” (Verband der Restauratoren), it makes no difference what material the cultural property that has just been hit by a disaster is made of. With the emergency manual, its chances of being rescued are increased. Nadine Thiel from VDR says: “A low-threshold approach was important to us. Imagine the pastor in the middle of a flood disaster, standing in front of his soaked church archive. He needs to know very quickly what he has to do now. The aim of the handbook is to enable people who have no knowledge about the issue to provide “first aid” in a disaster.” However, the handbook is not only aimed at cultural institutions such as museums or small churches, but also at cultural institutions and emergency services. It is therefore only logical that Dirk Aschenbrenner, President of the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection, was involved in its creation since the manual can also be consulted after a fire.
denkmal takes to the podium the measures in event of a climate catastrophe or war
Floods are not the only threat to cultural heritage. At denkmal on Friday, November 8 from 10 a.m., conclusions from past disasters and future scenarios will therefore be debated. The director of denkmal, Mariella Riedel, explains: “It is only logical that we, as a leading European trade fair, are responding to the disaster situation with emergency rescue as one of our five pillars. We are supplementing preventive measures to protect cultural assets, such as climate control - i.e. the regulation of humidity and temperature in buildings - with intervening measures such as evacuation. Both are necessary to preserve cultural property for future generations.”
Ukraine - cultural property under attack
Ukrainian restorer and artist Viacheslav Shulika specializes in icons. Most recently, he worked as a lecturer at Kharkiv University. On February 24, 2022, he was on vacation outside Ukraine. Today, more than two and a half years after the start of the Russian attack on the whole of Ukraine, he works at the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg. From Germany, he coordinates the recovery and evacuation of cultural assets from the collections that are or were under attack, particularly in the east and south of Ukraine. “It is necessary to develop modern standards for the evacuation of cultural assets,” he agrees. In the event of an attack, there are often numerous volunteers who begin to salvage and evacuate entire collections from museums. Shulika coordinates many of the provisional measures remotely and adds his expertise to them. However, there is often a lack of packaging material and safe storage locations. Standards would help with the coordination of aid deliveries. Shulika: “For the European and American partners, it would be clear which material is needed for which cultural assets at which location in Ukraine. Ukrainian restorers, in turn, would know how to use the aid deliveries.”
Nadine Thiel is a volunteer with Blue Shield, an association that works to protect tangible and intangible cultural heritage in conflicts and disasters. For her, it is obvious that the manual should not only be made available in German. Alongside English, Ukrainian is at the top of her wish list.
From November 7 to 9, 2024, VDR will be presenting excerpts of the e-book. On November 20, 2024, the book will be made available in full at the 2nd Forum of the Emergency Alliance for Culture in Düsseldorf.
Development projects and major construction projects do not pose an acute threat to the World Heritage Site, but they can pose an insidious one. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) will therefore be organizing a conference with the Federal Foreign Office on the procedures and mechanisms for strengthening World Heritage protection. Speakers from the USA, Austria, the Czech Republic and numerous other countries are expected to attend the international conference.
Contact for the Press
Carsten Lorenz
Press Spokesman denkmal/MUTEC
Phone: +49 (0)3 41 / 678 65 32
E-Mail: c.lorenz@leipziger-messe.de
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