Cover Text
(UNESCO World Cultural Heritage - Preventive Conservation and Conservation Perspectives)
The conference proceedings deal with current monument conservation issues of World Heritage sites, with an introduction to the legal framework in Germany, where the World Heritage Convention has not been implemented in national law, but has nevertheless had binding effect since 1977. Five contributions are devoted to current measures at the World Heritage Site of the conference venue, including the repair and conservation work in the interior space of St. Michael's Church and the restoration of the Hezilo chandelier in Hildesheim Cathedral. The range of problems at other German World Heritage Sites extends from general acceptance as a monument (gardens and industrial monuments), continuous building maintenance with documentation (Cologne Cathedral), setting up a museum in a monument (Trausnitz Castle) to "sensible process moderation" with a European dimension (Berlin Museum Island) or preservation of wall paintings through climate control (Wieskirche, Lübeck). Three papers reported on experiences with the preservation of famous World Heritage sites in Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. In Prague and Venice, for example, the issue is the proper preservation of entire city ensembles whose sensitive original substance is exposed to massive tourist use and is often threatened by structural changes.