How Should We Act? Theory and Ethics of Conservation and its Significance in Practice (Renaissance and Baroque Period)

Historical Roots in the Renaissance and Baroque Periods

The series of courses planned by Prof. Dr. Dipl.-Rest. Ursula Schädler-Saub conveys the significance of theoretical and ethical principles for today's practice of restoration by means of numerous historical and current examples from the most diverse areas of the conservation of art and cultural artefacts. It becomes clear that these principles are indispensable in practice, but are always adapted to the specific requirements of the individual case, in order to do justice to the individual problems of a cultural monument. It also shows the necessity of interpreting and further developing "classical" restoration theories in a contemporary way, in order to find answers to current problems. There is also the question of how the professional profile of restorers and all other professionals working in the field of cultural heritage conservation should be developed to meet current and future requirements. Interviews and contributions by experts from various fields encourage reflection on current positions and views.

Part 1, on the beginnings of restoration work in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, is of striking topicality: basic considerations and practical examples illustrate how experts and citizens of the time were committed to the appreciation and preservation of cultural monuments that were often under threat. Historical restorations, which still shape the appearance and substance of most art and cultural assets today, are therefore an important part of our cultural history. How we can preserve this multifaceted history, despite some technical problems, is a current challenge that we should take up.

The Authors

Prof. Dr. Ursula Schädler-Saub, was full professor at the HAWK, Faculty of Building and Conservation, for the subject area History and Theory of Restoration and Art History, until September 2021. Since then, she has been a lecturer for this subject at HAWK and is leading a DFG research project together with Dr. Angela Weyer.

Dipl.-Rest. Sophie Haake-Harig works as a stone conservator in the Collection of Classical Antiquities of the National Museums in Berlin, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. She studied conservation and restoration with a focus on stone at the HAWK Hildesheim. As a research assistant at the Hornemann Institute, she contributed to the European Wall Painting Glossary, or EwaGlos, and helped develop many terms.

Course Schedule

Every course is supervised by the author herself via e-mail. General and technical questions can also be directed to the tutor of the course series.

Creditability

These courses can be credited as part of the master's degree course "Restoration and Conservation Science" at the HAWK.

Contact

Queries can be sent to: fortbildung@hornemann-institut.de