Manifesto for the heritage protection in Romania

The European Cultural Heritage Summit is the annual gathering of Europe’s cultural heritage stakeholders. It is organised by Europa Nostra, a pan-European federation of heritage NGO’s, which counts some 250 member organisations together with more than 100 associate organizations, representing 5 million citizens. Every year, in addition to the flagship European Heritage Awards Ceremony, the summit includes a meeting on European public policies in the field of cultural heritage. Every year, Europa Nostra undertakes to debate and then draw public policy guidelines for the European institutions. This year, the theme of the meeting was quality principles in heritage conservation, emphasising the need for clear frameworks of action to ensure quality results in cultural heritage practice at European level.

The Romanian organizations active in relation with Europa Nostra, at the initiative of Pro Patrimonio Foundation and the Romanian Order of Architects, have mobilized for the first time in a very large number – over 60 organizations – to produce a manifesto related to cultural heritage in Romania. An important argument are the new mandates starting this year at all administrative levels in Romania. It is also an important moment for a synchronized action with Europa Nostra to communicate the expectations of Romanian civil society concerned and active in the protection of cultural heritage to the Romanian decision makers.

The conclusion emerged from the discussions that took place on Saturday, October 5, 2024, when non-governmental organizations and professionals involved in cultural heritage preservation gathered for the first time in Bucharest, in a round table, on the margins of the European Cultural Heritage Summit on October 6-8, to discuss the experiences they had in their projects and to agree on common priorities for action for the protection of cultural heritage in Romania.

The demands and priority principles for action were included in a Manifesto for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Romania, which was presented in its final form at the Public Policy Agora, which took place during the European Cultural Heritage Summit on Tuesday, October 8.

Acknowledging that:

1. Heritage is a natural part of citizens’ daily life;
2. Heritage defines the cultural identity and collective memory of communities;
3. Heritage is a valuable economic resource, contributing to the creation of a large number of direct and indirect lucrative jobs;
4. Heritage is a factor for sustainable urban development in the context of resilience to the climate crisis;
5. Heritage is a fundamental factor for culture and education;

Civil society in Romania calls on the central and local public administration authorities to urgently implement a plan consisting of five actions, which will contribute to the improvement of the framework for the protection and capitalization of Romanian heritage:

1. Adopt and apply European quality standards in cultural heritage practice, in all public and private initiatives and programs.
2. Include environmental and cultural heritage impact assessments in the evaluation of the opportunity to demolish existing buildings.
3. Drive an interdisciplinary and international working group to revise and update design standards for seismic protection and energy efficiency improvement for heritage buildings.
4. Make a pilot project on sustainable urban development through heritage (industrial, spa, etc.) conservation and capitalization as an example of best practices with national impact.
5. Implement a pilot project centered on a heritage trade school in international cooperation

Signatory organizations and people concerned in cultural heritage

1           Asociația CasApold

2           Fundația Biserici Fortificate

3           Fundația Pro Patrimonio

4           Asociația Biserici Înlemnite

5           Asociația Artis Peritia

6           Kraft Campus

7           Art Conservation Support (ACS)

8           Nod Makerspace

9           Asociația Front la Dunăre

10         Asociatia Ivan Patzaichin Mila 23

11         Human Made Art/ Cronicari Digitali

12         Universitatea Națională de Arte-București

13         112Patrimoniu – GL Patrimoniu al OAR București

14         Asociația Youth Vision for Society

15         Asociatia ARA – Arhitectura. Restaurare. Arheologie

16         Grupul Civic Piața Veche Craiova

17         Asociația GEYC

18         Asociația 37

19         Rafinăria la prezent

20         DE-A ARHITECTURA, SYAA ARHITECTURA, CUMULUS

21         Asociația Pro Noviodunum

22         Asociația Gaspar, Baltasar & Melchiror/Școala de la Piscu

23         Asociația Ideilagram

24         Asociația Unda Verde

25         Librariile Cărturești

26         Raluca Chițimia

27         MKBT: Make Better

28         Asociația Re:Rise

29         Asociația Profesională a Urbaniștilor din România (APUR)

30         Asociația Studio Zona

31         Asociatia Maria

32         Asociatia Monumentum/Ambulanta pentru monumente

33         Asociatia Inima Olteniei

34         Asociația ARHAIC / Ambulanța pentru Monumente Sălaj

35         Asociatia ACTUM

36         Asociatia De-a Arhitectura

37         ATU – asociația pentru tranziție urbană

38         Zero Positive Architecture SRL

39         Baza. Deschidem orașul

40         Asociatia Rosia Montan in Patrimoniul Mondial

41         Asociația culturală Aici A Stat

42         Asociația Laborator Zero Pozitiv Oradea

43         Asociația Petrus Italus Trust- Alianța pentru patrimoniul bistrițean

44         Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Optolectronica INOE 2000

45         Bogdan Simona-Loredana

46         Timișoara verde-albastră

47         UAUIM, OAR, DOCOMOMO_ROMANIA

48         Fundația Mihai Eminescu Trust

49         ICOMOS – Comitetul Național Român

50         Atelierul de Patrimoniu

51         Asociația Tri

52         Asociația ARTA în dialog (UrbanEye Film Festival)

53         ArhipeisajStudio.srl

54         Asociatia Salvati Conacul Zarifopol

55         Asociația pentru Arheologie Industrială – AIR

56         Studiogovora

57         Rencontres du Patrimoine Europe-Roumanie

58         Asociația Culturală „Patrimoniu pentru Viitor”

59         Asociația de Dezvoltare Intercomunitara Zona Metropolitana Bucuresti (ADIZMB)

60         ARCEN

61         Uniunea Arhitectilor din Romania

62         Ordinul Arhitecților din România

63         Revista Arhitectura

64         Asociația Prin Banat

65         Asociatia Locus / HerculaneProject

66         Nod Makerspace

67         Asociatia EDUCATIE , ARTA , ECOLOGIE

68         Asociatia Istoria Artei

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