Online webinar 'The invincible city: Society in cultural heritage recovery'

The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland and the National Institute of Cultural Heritage together with experts from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) are pleased to invite you to take part in a webinar on 21 October 2020. Organized to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the reconstruction of the Historic Centre of Warsaw and epitomizing the revival of the identity of the Polish society, it will mark the 40th anniversary of the inscription of the Historic Centre of Warsaw on the UNESCO World Heritage List (1980), as a symbolic city brought back to life through the will of the nation.

Through discussions by experts in the protection of the World Heritage, we will talk about international experience in the revival of historical cities destroyed during 20th-century wars and about contemporary challenges facing heritage in danger. The webinar “The Invincible City: Society in cultural heritage recovery” is also intended to be an expression of solidarity of the Polish nation with the cities whose heritage has been destroyed as a result of armed conflicts and natural disasters.

Participation in the event has been confirmed by: Mechtild Rössler (UNESCO World Heritage Centre), Lazare Eloundou Assomo (UNESCO Culture and Emergencies), Joseph King (ICCROM), Marie-Laure Lavenir (ICOMOS), Bogusław Szmygin (ICOMOS), Amra Hadžimuhamedović (Bosnia International Forum), Wojciech Kozłowski (Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor) and Shadia Touqan (ARC-WH).

The related issues will be discussed in two thematic panels:

Panel 1. Ruins, bricks and dust. International experience of the recovery of historic cities.

The discussion will focus on the experience acquired over the period of the past 75 years since the reconstruction of war-ravaged cities and on the changing relationship between the historic preservation officer and the society in the reconstruction process. We will look into the supporting role of international organizations in understanding the concept of authenticity of destroyed cities and we will analyze their role in the historical process of formulating recommendations that make it possible to restore lost heritage. What message can be conveyed, what are the lessons learnt from the symbolic dimension of the rebirth of society as a result of its determination to restore the destroyed material heritage that bears testimony to its cultural identity?

Panel 2. Ruins towards the future. How to plan a recovery process? Solidarity with Beirut.

In a gesture of solidarity with Beirut, we will discuss contemporary problems, challenges and possibilities of protecting heritage against destruction. We will also discuss universal guidelines on the course of action to be taken when heritage sites are destroyed. We will talk about a vision for the future and a new approach to the heritage restoration process with the support of international expert groups for local communities affected by tragic events.

We look forward to your active participation in this important event and in the discussion, held in the form of a chat discussion. The webinar will be conducted in English.

Participation in the webinar is free of charge. Please register for the event at: https://app.evenea.pl/event/theinvinciblecity/.
Confirmation will be sent after registration. The link to the event will be sent the day before the conference and on the day of the conference.