The 2014 film “The Monument Men” directed by George Clooney is an earnest effort at representing the heroism of real-life cultural heritage protectors in World War 2, although the film itself suffers from numerous historical inaccuracies. One of the most drastic flaws is that it underplays the significant achievements of historians, architects and museum professionals, without whom many priceless artworks and sculptures from European history would have been lost to the war. In the Austrian Altaussee salt mine alone, 6500 paintings were uncovered and returned to museum display, among which sat works of Michelangelo, Jan van Eyck and Leonardo da Vinci. Without these preservationist efforts, who could know what may have happened to some of the most brilliant crystallisations of human progress and creativity? And yet, the story of the Monuments Men was lost to time until 1995, when the historian Lynn H. Nicholas discovered documents which recorded their exploits. Why were the Monuments Men not better remembered for their services to humanity? And why do we not think of them, whenever we see a priceless artwork preserved in a museum, or when we see news of modern day cultural monuments at risk of deterioration due to human conflict or natural forces?
Recently, a lecture by the Vice President of the Blue Shield, Peter Stone, raised questions about our modern day obligations to recognise and preserve our cultural heritage. The lecture itself, titled “Protecting cultural property in conflict. Critical responsibility or unnecessary, impossible, distraction?” drew particular attention to the actions of soldiers in war efforts, and the role that soldiers play in ensuring valuable historical and cultural records are not lost due to the violence of war. In Australia, where we rarely consider the threat of warfare on our own soil, there are still many threats to our cultural heritage which are just as potent. Globally, in times of conflict, it is important to protect people and communities first, but the military, education and diplomacy systems should certainly consider the ramifications of their actions on the protection of cultural heritage.
What is CPP?
Developed by experts across many disciplines and backed by a variety of shareholders, CPP or Cultural Property Protection is a set of best practices to raise awareness and create personal responsibility for cultural heritage. The four pillars of the program comprises of: integration of CPP training for all military personnel, designing specific forms of training unique to the locations in which military forces will engage, keeping records and accountability for soldiers so that they do uphold the values of CPP, and assisting local community groups after the conflict has ended to rebuild and restabilise. The Blue Shield Organisation is one of the key groups which have designed this four-tier approach. The Blue Shield has held a pivotal role since 1996, to protect the world’s culturally significant items from all forms of disasters, whether natural or manmade. The Blue Shield Organisation currently also operates in Australia, raising awareness of the challenges that our climate and our local actions pose to the preservation of cultural heritage.
Although we in Australia may not need to fear the threat of armed conflict, our cultural heritage items still face an ever-present risk. In our current day, climate change will threaten the longevity of many public sources of cultural value, as more unpredictable and severe weather patterns will exacerbate natural erosion or damage. Although the progress towards ensuring equitable and reliable preservation of cultural items has been slow since the days of the Monuments Men, international bodies such as the Blue Shield organisations have kept steady reminders of the importance of our cultural history. As long as we remember and cherish the items of our past, we will need to work towards ensuring they are well cared for so that future generations can share these memories, too.
https://kishoreguppta.com/agra-heritage-walk-with-kg/The Agra Heritage Walk Tour is an exciting 4 hours tour of Agra which offers you a great insight into the rich history and cultural heritage of Agra.
Amritsar is a vibrant city famous for its cultural heritage, religion, and cuisine.Travel from Delhi to Amritsar at ₹5379 only with NSG Taxi.Visit us:www.nsgtaxi.comContact :+91-1244077634
Can anything look more royal, more regal than a palace, which truly displays the opulence of rich past deeply immersed in cultural heritage?
Add some glamour and shine to your big day with Laser Cut Palace Theme Shimmer cards from your very own Indian Wedding Card Online Store now!
Get them customised in size, shape and design to suit your liking and order your free sample today.
