How can we address places and buildings whose history is politically, socially or ethically contested? Examples include Nazi-era buildings, socialist heritage and the legacies of colonialism. Such sites often pose particular challenges for municipalities and local actors, while at the same time opening up new opportunities, including for engaging with history and democracy.
The newly published toolbox “Dissonant Heritage in Europe – Approaches for local actors” was produced by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) as well as the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) and supported by a large European network of experts and institutions (Dissonant Heritage Action Group). It provides practical tools, methods and strategies for addressing such sites. Particular attention is paid to smaller towns, peripheral areas and lesser-known heritage sites of the 20th century. The tools presented in the publication support an open-ended, integrated, participatory, and sensitive engagement with individual sites and their histories, particularly at the local level and during the early stages of project development. They offer flexible methods that can be adapted to local conditions and specific challenges and can be combined as needed. Case studies illustrate how the tools can be applied in different contexts.
The toolbox is available in German and English as a PDF, in print, and in an Open Access format that can be used for further translations (Nota bene: the licence covers the text, but not the illustrations; further conditions are specified in the imprint. Those interested in translating the text into another language are kindly asked to notify the BMWSB).
The publication was developed in the framework of the Urban Agenda for the EU‘s Partnership on Culture and Cultural Heritage (2019–22) and its Action ‘Integrated Approaches to Dissonant Heritage’.
Further information and links
- Order link: https://www.bmwsb.bund.de/SharedDocs/downloads/DE/publikationen/stadtentwicklung/dissonant-heritage.html?nn=42910 (Please note: The order information is in German. For ordering copies in EN, please follow these steps: 1) Click on the button with the symbol of the cart “Dem Warenkorb hinzufügen” 2) Chose number of copies, then click on “Bestellen” (order), 2) Enter name and address, 3) Submit order by clicking on the button “Bestellen”)
- Project website of the research projects “Integrated Approaches to Dissonant Heritage in Europe”: https://dissonant-heritage.eu
- Website of the European “Dissonant Heritage Action Group” network, with regular online meetings held in English. If you are interested, please feel free to sign up for the mailing list: https://dissonant-heritage.info