The Limits of Heritage

The Limits of Heritage - Jacek Purchla

 The Limits of Heritage The second decade of the 21st century is a time for thinking not only about the system of heritage protection itself but also on its significance and philosophy: What is to be protected? How should relations between the present and the past be built? In the context of international and local lists of properties, sites, and forms of cultural heritage, where does this heritage end and when does the present become heritage? The theme of “the limits of heritage” draws our attention to the indefinable and complex relationship between the past and the future. And rightly so, because what cultural heritage in fact means is using the past in order to achieve a contemporary aim. The growing importance of cultural heritage also stems from that belief. The focal point of deliberations held in the volume is Central Europe, whose experience and cultural dilemmas are both unique and universal. Consequently, they illustrate perfectly the on-going contemporary debate carried out not only in Europe but also all over the world. In this debate, our voice must be present and heard! The volume contains over 40 articles from both Central Europe and outside the region. The strong interest in the idea behind the Forum among scholars from all over the world and the range of perspectives (also in geographic terms) represented by the authors of the texts is the best confirmation that the Central European Heritage Forum is an important platform for dialogue and a response to the need for enhanced studies into the region’s heritage.