Webinar “The invincible city. Society in cultural heritage recovery"

The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland and the National Institute of Cultural Heritage together with the World Heritage Centre UNESCO, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) are pleased to invite you to take part in a webinar on 21 October 2020, organized to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the reconstruction of the Historic Centre of Warsaw, epitomizing the revival of the identity of the Polish society, and to mark the 40th anniversary of the entry of the Historic Centre of Warsaw on the UNESCO World Heritage List (1980), as a symbol-city brought back to life at the will of the nation.

During discussions of experts in the protection of the world heritage, we will talk about international experience in the revival of historical cities destroyed during 20th-century wars and about contemporary challenges facing the endangered heritage. The webinar "The Invincible City. Cultural heritage in post-war recovery of society" is also intended to be an expression of solidarity of the Polish nation with the cities whose heritage has been destroyed as a result of armed conflicts and natural disasters.

Participation in the event has been confirmed by:

• Mechtild Rössler (UNESCO WHC)
• Lazare Eloundou Assomo (UNESCO WHC)
• Joseph King (ICCROM)
• Marie-Laure Lavenir (ICOMOS)
• Bogusław Szmygin (ICOMOS)
• Amra Hadžimuhamedović (Bosnia International Forum)
• Wojciech Kozłowski, (Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor)
• Shadia Touqan (ARC-WH)

The related issues will be discussed in two thematic panels:

Panel 1. Ruins, bricks and dust. International experience of the recovery of historic cities.

The discussion will focus on the experience acquired over the period of the past 75 years since the reconstruction of war-ravaged cities and on the changing relationship between the historic preservation officer and the society in the reconstruction process. We will look into the supporting role of international organizations in understanding the concept of authenticity of the destroyed cities and we will analyze their role in the historical process of formulating recommendations that make it possible to restore the lost heritage. What message can be conveyed, what are the lessons learnt from the symbolic dimension of the rebirth of society as a result of its determination to restore the destroyed material heritage that bears testimony to its cultural identity?

Panel 2. Ruin towards future. How to plan a recovery process? Solidarity with Beirut.

In a gesture of solidarity with Beirut, we will discuss contemporary problems, challenges and possibilities of protecting heritage against destruction. We will also discuss universal guidelines on the course of action to be taken when heritage sites are destroyed. We will talk about a vision of the future and a new approach to the heritage restoration process with mutual support of international expert groups for local communities affected by tragic events.

The webinar will be conducted in English.We look forward to your active participation in this important event and in the discussion, held in the form of a chat discussion.

Participation in the webinar is free of charge but requires registration. A link to the event will be sent to the e-mail address provided in the registration - the day before and on the day of the conference.