Two Centuries of the Natureculture Conservation in Czechia: What Next?

abstract

English

The paper underlines the key aspects of the history of heritage conservation in Czechia that might be inspirational for current Culture-Nature Journeys while looking for incentives based on experiences from elsewhere. In the former Kingdom of Bohemia, the ‘wild’ natural areas virtually disappeared a long time ago. Yet, the way that people treated nature was sensitive in general; there are many examples of harmonious cultivation of land from pre-modern times, some of them internationally recognized as world heritage sites (Kladruby, Lednice). After the arrival of industrialization, a surprisingly large amount of people start to evaluate the landscape as a ‘heritage’ that should be explored, preserved, or just enjoyed. At the end of the nineteenth century, so-called homeland protection movement, hand in hand with numerous tourist associations, managed to turn the conservation matters into a true political agenda. The natural, cultural and intangible assets of heritage were considered as one, and their protection became one of the rare examples of peaceful cooperation between otherwise quarrelsome nations of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This positive legacy was emulated later on in Czechoslovakia during the period of communism, when conservation acts were passed by the parliament, followed by the establishment of one state institutional body unifying researchers and field workers of both directions. In the 1990s, after the change of regime, the ways of heritage conservation and nature conservation split both on the institutional and governmental level. Nevertheless, 30 years later, the voices that regret this separation are rising. Facing complex and universal threats like the environmental pollution, biodiversity and cultural diversity loss, over-tourism, or large building projects, conservationists are looking for mutual inspiration as well as for more political influence and public support. What lessons can we learn from history and what can we share with contemporaries from other parts of the world?

Heritage Protection; Nature Conservation; History; Theory; Czech Lands

HORÁČEK, M.

21. 6. 2022

ICOMOS International

Sydney

978-2-918086-61-1

ICOMOS 2020 Scientific Symposium Sydney, Australia, 5-9 October 2020 Selected Abstracts

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https://www.icomos.org/images/DOCUMENTS/Secretariat/2022/GA2020/ICOMOS_GA2020_Abstracts_FINAL_20220621.pdf