Lost Culture: How and why the past is weaponised and what we can do about it
Background:
Cultural heritage encompasses the legacy of tangible artefacts such as monuments and the intangible characteristics and practices of a group or society, inherited from the past. Together, they underpin a sense of identity and community cohesion. As Dr Timothy Clack at the University of Oxford so eloquently stated, “cultural heritage is central to a person’s sense of belonging and attachment to place. It anchors, orientates and localises a person, a people in time and space”.
Cultural heritage has increasingly become, however, a battleground for state and non-state actors in their efforts to leverage legal, political, financial and territorial gains. Other modern challenges such as climate change pose a significant threat too. The consequences cannot be underestimated. The erosion, destruction, or irretrievable disappearance of cultural artefacts and practices, adversely affects not only the socio-political and economic stability of affected communities but also historical legacy for future generations.
There are, however, a wide range of mechanisms to protect cultural heritage including a robust international legal framework supported by several international organizations such as UNESCO. To help us gain a deeper understanding of cultural heritage, the frameworks and organisations that protect it, what threatens it today and what else we can do about it,
WIF members had the privilege to engage Professors Lynn Meskell and Patty Gerstenblith on 24 April 2025.
Speakers
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Professor Patty GerstenblithDistinguished Research Professor of Law at DePaul University and Director of its Center for Art, Museum, and Cultural Heritage Law -
Professor Lynn MeskellPenn Integrates Knowledge Professor; Professor of Historic Preservation, Weitzman School of Design; Middle East and Asia Sections Curator, Penn Museum