The right of access to, and enjoyment of, cultural heritage is enshrined in human rights norms and the devastating effects of armed conflict on cultural heritage are well documented, with the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage having been an integral part of warfare throughout history. Culture now, once again, finds itself on war’s frontline Marking the 70th anniversary of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, and in the current context of devastating conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, among others, Heritage at War – Plan and Prepare brings together military, academic,and heritage practitioners’ voices from across the Euro-Atlantic, North Africa and the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific to explore how lessons learned from past experiences of conflict can inform approaches to the safeguarding of cultural heritage today. Emerging from and building upon an international conference held at the V&A Museum in February 2023, the book addresses how the military, the heritage sector and other stakeholders in Human Security can, and must, collaborate to give primacy to people and protect tangible and intangible cultural heritage under attack. The volume’s case studies highlight interdisciplinary efforts to protect heritage in conflict zones, drawing out guidance for those working in the Heritage Sector in these contexts, with specific relevance to those engaged in cultural heritage protection and those working in related interdisciplinary fields. Reviewing the historic relationship between heritage and armed conflict, and offering lessons for present-day practitioners, Heritage at War shows how, in different contexts, heritage can be a catalyst and target of conflict, an obstacle to stabilisation, and yet also a potential vector of peace-building and the return to normality.
Mark Dunkley is a Visiting Fellow at Cranfield University, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and an Associate of the Security Institute. A Field Officer in the British Army Reserve, he has published widely on the relationship between culture and warfare and is co-editor of Cultural Heritage in Modern Conflict (2023).
Anna Tulliach is a Research Fellow in Museum Studies at the University of Leicester and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She has published extensively on the safekeeping of museum collections during conflict, art looting and vandalism in World War II, and the museological practices adopted between the two World Wars (1921–44).
Lisa Mol is an expert in heritage stone deterioration, in particular that associated with active combat, at the University of the West of England. She leads funded projects, including ‘Heritage in the Crossfire’ and ‘Partnership for Heritage’, and supports initiatives and colleagues in conflict zones in the documentation and remediation of damage to built heritage.
CONTENTS
Foreword Tristram Hunt, Director – Victoria and Albert Museum
Preface Peter Stone, UNESCO Chair in Cultural Property Protection and Peace – Newcastle University
Introduction: Heritage at War – Plan and Prepare Mark Dunkley, Anna Tulliach and Lisa Mol
Part I: Learning from the Past
1. Rome and the Second Temple: Early Imperial Roman Attitudes Toward Cultural Heritage During Armed Conflict Kevin Malmquist
2. Lessons from the Past: Land Warfare and Cultural Heritage in World War II Italy: The Role of the MFAA Carlotta Coccoli
3. Cultural Property Protection Issues Past and Present: Current UK Approach and Delivery Roger Curtis and Mark Dunkley
4. Challenges and Practices for Protecting Cultural Property in Armed Conflict: A Case Study of Korea Chang-hun Yang
5. From Scientific iIvestigation to Evidence: Investigating Armed Conflict Damage to Immovable Heritage Lisa Mol
Part II: Preparing for the Present
6. The Hague Convention and Beyond: Cultural Property Protection in the Netherlands Ankie Petersen
7. Peace-time Preparations for a Museum Near the Occupation Line: NGO-led Efforts Manana Tevzadze
8. On the Art Frontline: The Experience of French Conservation Officers in Protecting Cultural Property on Operations Tim Le Berre
9. The Role of NGOs in Rescuing and Promoting Recovery for Cultural Heritage and Cultural Bearers in Times of Crisis and War Amira Sadik Aly
10. Culture in Crisis – Supporting the World’s Cultural Heritage and Communities that Suffer Cultural Loss through Conflict Vernon Rapley
Publication date, 15 October 2024; 200 pp. ISBN 978-1-912186-86-0 (HB) £65 eISBN 978-1-912186-87-7 (eBook)
