I have been working as a cultural advisor for over 30 years and specialized at first in culture and development (Culture in Development) and the last 15 years in the protection of cultural heritage in times of conflict. As a heritage risk manager I worked in the conflict areas Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria and provided short-term advise in many other countries. In cooperation with the military, (interim-) governments, (international) NGO’s, multi-lateral organisation and private partners we tried to achieve the best results, each in its own way. In the NGO I started with a Syrian partner ‘Heritage for Peace’ many ideas I developed over the years come together. The most important of which are that we can work to protect heritage during a conflict; that this work, if neutrality is maintained, can contribute to a positive peace as we all work towards the same goal: save heritage whatever our personal politics; that this work only makes sense if heritage professionals include the wider context. In my work I can combine my academic background in sociology, social psychology, anthropology and conservation with my wide experience. Address: Utrecht The Netherlands
By request of the Maidan Museum and The Heritage Emergency Response Initiative a guide on histori... more By request of the Maidan Museum and The Heritage Emergency Response Initiative a guide on historic buildings and fire was developed for use in the present war between Ukriane and Russia. It contains short chapters on Fire Prevention and Mitigation, Fire Response, Fire Recovery and Salvage and completed with Needed Equipment and Literature
Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Heritage, Chapter 14 , 2022
In the Middle East, cultural heritage destruction and rapidly evolving systems of power are alter... more In the Middle East, cultural heritage destruction and rapidly evolving systems of power are altering political and social structures, and in turn directly transforming tangible and intangible cultures. US-European interventions that have addressed heritage in crisis have in recent years been informed by the immediacy to respond and have largely viewed the politics of a country, the evolution of its state institutions and their impact on heritage sustainability as being of less importance. This paper calls for a research agenda that underlines the need to anchor practices of sustainability in heritage as well as heritage destruction within notions of politics as contestation. How the past is put into use for political ends, managed and concomitantly practiced as well as the broader impact of political systems can also tell us much about the future of cultural heritage. An Iraq focused case study is introduced by examining key turning points and ruptures over the past century to better understand the entwined connections between heritage, politics and cultural continuity.
Today, 50 years ago the Hmong in northern Thailand produced their own bamboo paper. The majority ... more Today, 50 years ago the Hmong in northern Thailand produced their own bamboo paper. The majority of the Hmong arrived from Laos in the 1970s and soon stopped the production of bamboo paper. Instead they started to purchase saa paper from a nearby village and in addition, Chinese gold and silver offering papers. A short visit to the Hmong village Ban Huai Numrin in 2000 yielded some interesting but rather limited data on the papermaking process as the informant recalled the process purely from memory. The bamboo papers as well as the Chinese papers are exclusively used for burnt offerings in religious rituals. During the visit the author did have a chance, however, to observe how the saa papers were decorated with perforated images that resembled Chinese coins. The people that the author spoke to also disclosed some of the ritual uses of the offering papers. The similarities and differences with the Chinese hierarchal spirit world, and the use of burnt paper offerings, lead to some clarifications.
This blog describes the need for a Code of Ethics for cultural heritage interventions based on th... more This blog describes the need for a Code of Ethics for cultural heritage interventions based on the humanitarian and development principles as laid down in the Sphere Handbook’s Humanitarian Charter.
Association of Critical Heritage Studies. Spotlight Oct/Nov 2021, 2021
The Association of Critical Heritage Studies gave me the oppertunity to explain my career in and ... more The Association of Critical Heritage Studies gave me the oppertunity to explain my career in and my ideas on cultural heritage. I touch on different turning points in my professional life and who/what is important practising heritage and peace.
B. Hemeier und I. Sabrine (eds.). Kulturraub – Fallbeispiele aus Syrien, Irak, Jemen, Ägypten und Libyen. Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, 2021
„In mehreren Wellen kamen die Plünderer…anschließend brannte das ganze Gebäude“ – so beschreibt R... more „In mehreren Wellen kamen die Plünderer…anschließend brannte das ganze Gebäude“ – so beschreibt René Teijgeler in seinem Beitrag die Vorgänge um die massiven Verluste am Dokumentenerbe des Irak vor allem in Bagdad. Historische Handschriften wie eine frühe Ausgabe der „Geschichten aus 1.001 Nacht“ und wertvolle Bücher, aber auch Akten verschwanden aus den Bibliotheken, Archiven und Handschriftensammlungen im Zuge des Chaos, das 2003 auf die internationale Eroberung folgte. Unklar ist bis heute, ob die wertvollen Handschriften verbrannten oder vorher gestohlen wurden. Fotografien gibt es nur in Einzelfällen, Bibliotheksstempel27 – sofern sie nicht entfernt wurden – sind der einzige Nachweis, dass die Manuskripte zu historischen Sammlungen gehörten. In mehreren Wellen wurde aber auch das Erbe der ‚Wiege der Zivilisation‘ im Irak Opfer der politischen Umstände. Erste massive Verluste erlitt es 1990 nach dem Golfkrieg um Kuwait. Bedingt durch die anschließenden UN-Sanktionen kam es verstärkt zu Subsistenzraubgrabungen in fast allen Landesteilen. Das Jahr 2003 bildete im gesamten Irak einen traurigen Höhepunkt an Plünderungen und Verlusten. Im Nordwestirak wiederholten sich die Ereignisse 2014 dann mit der Eroberung und den Zerstörungen durch den IS.
Before the US-led invasion in 2003 looting did occur but it never went to such extremes as it did... more Before the US-led invasion in 2003 looting did occur but it never went to such extremes as it did after 2003. In spite of the precautions major libraries undertook many lost much of their holdings; they were burnt or stolen. This is illustrated by losses of the Iraq National Library and Archives, the House of Manuscripts, the Central Awqaf Library, the House of Wisdom, other University collections and Public libraries. Till, today the libraries never fully recovered. The library buildings were first stripped of items with an obvious resale value, and later a second wave of well-organized looters stole the precious manuscripts and books. It is unknown where the stolen treasures went to; firstly because of outdated catalogues and secondly because of the loss of a number of card catalogues. Unfortunately, there is very little evidence of Iraqi manuscripts and ancient books appearing in auction catalogues or internet sales.
This is my own English translation with additional data of the chapter 'Irak. Manuskripte und Bücher, verbrannt oder gestohlen?' published in 2021, B. Hemeier und I. Sabrine (eds.). Kulturraub – Fallbeispiele aus Syrien, Irak, Jemen, Ägypten und Libyen. Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Heritage Guidelines for COVID-19. Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, 2020
These are historic times as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an unprecedented impact on al... more These are historic times as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an unprecedented impact on all aspects of the lives of people across the globe. The pandemic is adding to already existing problems in societies, which, under these circumstances, are becoming more visible. Countries in conflict have to deal with a double crisis: Conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. Heritage for Peace drew up guidelines for the heritage sector in times of the COVID-19 pandemic for Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, all countries suffering from a violent conflict. Except for the country overviews the guidelines include chapters on Archaeological sites, Libraries and Archives, Museums and Basic Digital Tools. The chapters offer practical solutions, means to cooperate inside and outside the country, offer many resources and how to use digital tools.
Heritage Guidelines for COVID-19. Heritage Guidelines for COVID-19. Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen , 2020
These are historic times as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an unprecedented impact on al... more These are historic times as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an unprecedented impact on all aspects of the lives of people across the globe. The pandemic is adding to already existing problems in societies, which, under these circumstances, are becoming more visible. Countries in conflict have to deal with a double crisis: Conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. Heritage for Peace drew up guidelines for the heritage sector in times of the COVID-19 pandemic for Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, all countries suffering from a violent conflict. Except for the country overviews the guidelines include chapters on Archaeological sites, Libraries and Archives, Museums and Basic Digital Tools. The chapters offer practical solutions, means to cooperate inside and outside the country, offer many resources and how to use digital tools.
The public outcry against the looting of Egypt’s National Museum and several archaeological sites... more The public outcry against the looting of Egypt’s National Museum and several archaeological sites underlines the concern of the international heritage community over the safety of Egypt’s heritage. As common in times of unrest and chaos the information coming from the conflict zone is often contradictory and not always reliable. To make at least a little sense of the information it has to be put in its context. What is the socio-political and economical context of the recent plundering? What is the role of Egypt’s cultural heritage in this ‘Lotus revolution’?
ICA Nieuwsbrief (Instituut voor Culturele Antropologie en Sociologie der Niet-Westerse Volken, Leiden) , 2012
De grote filosoof en pacifist Bertrand Russell schreef in 1952 over de relatie tussen wetenschap ... more De grote filosoof en pacifist Bertrand Russell schreef in 1952 over de relatie tussen wetenschap en oorlog. Hij haalt Archimedes aan die voor zijn neef en tiran van Syracuse oorlogsmachines bouwde om in 212 v.Chr. de stad tegen de Romeinen te verdedigen. Het mocht niet baten, Syracuse viel. Russell haalt nog meer historische voorbeelden aan van technisch wetenschappelijke ondersteuning van oorlog. In de loop van de vorige eeuw zijn echter ook de sociale wetenschappen bij het oorlogsbedrijf betrokken geraakt.
This report is based on public accessible information primarily obtained through the internet. Al... more This report is based on public accessible information primarily obtained through the internet. All international professional organizations were contacted. ICA and IFLA shared the little information they had, ICOMOS could not share a list of archaeological sites as they promised not to release the information to others, while ICOM did not provide their Museum Watch List on Libya. Neither were the results available of the seminar in July in Caserta organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Ministry for Heritage, with the backing of UNESCO, to discuss the future of the important archaeological sites in Libya. For more than one reason this report is not comprehensive or exhaustive. It should only be considered as a serious exercise of what the search for information on cultural heritage from a country in conflict using public sources only, will yield
P. Stone (ed.). Cultural heritage, ethics, and the military, The Boydell Press, Woodbridge. , 2011
The discussion is about the controversial question of whether archaeologists should work with the... more The discussion is about the controversial question of whether archaeologists should work with the military, principally in Iraq. Originally published as a Forum discussion in Papers from the Institute of Archaeology (PIA). Participants are IAIN SHEARER (forum editor), JOHN CURTIS, JON PRICE, MIKE ROWLANDS, LAURIE W RUSH and RENÉ TEIJGELER. John Curtis in the end answered to all of them.
By request of the Maidan Museum and The Heritage Emergency Response Initiative a guide on histori... more By request of the Maidan Museum and The Heritage Emergency Response Initiative a guide on historic buildings and fire was developed for use in the present war between Ukriane and Russia. It contains short chapters on Fire Prevention and Mitigation, Fire Response, Fire Recovery and Salvage and completed with Needed Equipment and Literature
Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Heritage, Chapter 14 , 2022
In the Middle East, cultural heritage destruction and rapidly evolving systems of power are alter... more In the Middle East, cultural heritage destruction and rapidly evolving systems of power are altering political and social structures, and in turn directly transforming tangible and intangible cultures. US-European interventions that have addressed heritage in crisis have in recent years been informed by the immediacy to respond and have largely viewed the politics of a country, the evolution of its state institutions and their impact on heritage sustainability as being of less importance. This paper calls for a research agenda that underlines the need to anchor practices of sustainability in heritage as well as heritage destruction within notions of politics as contestation. How the past is put into use for political ends, managed and concomitantly practiced as well as the broader impact of political systems can also tell us much about the future of cultural heritage. An Iraq focused case study is introduced by examining key turning points and ruptures over the past century to better understand the entwined connections between heritage, politics and cultural continuity.
Today, 50 years ago the Hmong in northern Thailand produced their own bamboo paper. The majority ... more Today, 50 years ago the Hmong in northern Thailand produced their own bamboo paper. The majority of the Hmong arrived from Laos in the 1970s and soon stopped the production of bamboo paper. Instead they started to purchase saa paper from a nearby village and in addition, Chinese gold and silver offering papers. A short visit to the Hmong village Ban Huai Numrin in 2000 yielded some interesting but rather limited data on the papermaking process as the informant recalled the process purely from memory. The bamboo papers as well as the Chinese papers are exclusively used for burnt offerings in religious rituals. During the visit the author did have a chance, however, to observe how the saa papers were decorated with perforated images that resembled Chinese coins. The people that the author spoke to also disclosed some of the ritual uses of the offering papers. The similarities and differences with the Chinese hierarchal spirit world, and the use of burnt paper offerings, lead to some clarifications.
This blog describes the need for a Code of Ethics for cultural heritage interventions based on th... more This blog describes the need for a Code of Ethics for cultural heritage interventions based on the humanitarian and development principles as laid down in the Sphere Handbook’s Humanitarian Charter.
Association of Critical Heritage Studies. Spotlight Oct/Nov 2021, 2021
The Association of Critical Heritage Studies gave me the oppertunity to explain my career in and ... more The Association of Critical Heritage Studies gave me the oppertunity to explain my career in and my ideas on cultural heritage. I touch on different turning points in my professional life and who/what is important practising heritage and peace.
B. Hemeier und I. Sabrine (eds.). Kulturraub – Fallbeispiele aus Syrien, Irak, Jemen, Ägypten und Libyen. Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, 2021
„In mehreren Wellen kamen die Plünderer…anschließend brannte das ganze Gebäude“ – so beschreibt R... more „In mehreren Wellen kamen die Plünderer…anschließend brannte das ganze Gebäude“ – so beschreibt René Teijgeler in seinem Beitrag die Vorgänge um die massiven Verluste am Dokumentenerbe des Irak vor allem in Bagdad. Historische Handschriften wie eine frühe Ausgabe der „Geschichten aus 1.001 Nacht“ und wertvolle Bücher, aber auch Akten verschwanden aus den Bibliotheken, Archiven und Handschriftensammlungen im Zuge des Chaos, das 2003 auf die internationale Eroberung folgte. Unklar ist bis heute, ob die wertvollen Handschriften verbrannten oder vorher gestohlen wurden. Fotografien gibt es nur in Einzelfällen, Bibliotheksstempel27 – sofern sie nicht entfernt wurden – sind der einzige Nachweis, dass die Manuskripte zu historischen Sammlungen gehörten. In mehreren Wellen wurde aber auch das Erbe der ‚Wiege der Zivilisation‘ im Irak Opfer der politischen Umstände. Erste massive Verluste erlitt es 1990 nach dem Golfkrieg um Kuwait. Bedingt durch die anschließenden UN-Sanktionen kam es verstärkt zu Subsistenzraubgrabungen in fast allen Landesteilen. Das Jahr 2003 bildete im gesamten Irak einen traurigen Höhepunkt an Plünderungen und Verlusten. Im Nordwestirak wiederholten sich die Ereignisse 2014 dann mit der Eroberung und den Zerstörungen durch den IS.
Before the US-led invasion in 2003 looting did occur but it never went to such extremes as it did... more Before the US-led invasion in 2003 looting did occur but it never went to such extremes as it did after 2003. In spite of the precautions major libraries undertook many lost much of their holdings; they were burnt or stolen. This is illustrated by losses of the Iraq National Library and Archives, the House of Manuscripts, the Central Awqaf Library, the House of Wisdom, other University collections and Public libraries. Till, today the libraries never fully recovered. The library buildings were first stripped of items with an obvious resale value, and later a second wave of well-organized looters stole the precious manuscripts and books. It is unknown where the stolen treasures went to; firstly because of outdated catalogues and secondly because of the loss of a number of card catalogues. Unfortunately, there is very little evidence of Iraqi manuscripts and ancient books appearing in auction catalogues or internet sales.
This is my own English translation with additional data of the chapter 'Irak. Manuskripte und Bücher, verbrannt oder gestohlen?' published in 2021, B. Hemeier und I. Sabrine (eds.). Kulturraub – Fallbeispiele aus Syrien, Irak, Jemen, Ägypten und Libyen. Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Heritage Guidelines for COVID-19. Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, 2020
These are historic times as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an unprecedented impact on al... more These are historic times as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an unprecedented impact on all aspects of the lives of people across the globe. The pandemic is adding to already existing problems in societies, which, under these circumstances, are becoming more visible. Countries in conflict have to deal with a double crisis: Conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. Heritage for Peace drew up guidelines for the heritage sector in times of the COVID-19 pandemic for Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, all countries suffering from a violent conflict. Except for the country overviews the guidelines include chapters on Archaeological sites, Libraries and Archives, Museums and Basic Digital Tools. The chapters offer practical solutions, means to cooperate inside and outside the country, offer many resources and how to use digital tools.
Heritage Guidelines for COVID-19. Heritage Guidelines for COVID-19. Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen , 2020
These are historic times as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an unprecedented impact on al... more These are historic times as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an unprecedented impact on all aspects of the lives of people across the globe. The pandemic is adding to already existing problems in societies, which, under these circumstances, are becoming more visible. Countries in conflict have to deal with a double crisis: Conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. Heritage for Peace drew up guidelines for the heritage sector in times of the COVID-19 pandemic for Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, all countries suffering from a violent conflict. Except for the country overviews the guidelines include chapters on Archaeological sites, Libraries and Archives, Museums and Basic Digital Tools. The chapters offer practical solutions, means to cooperate inside and outside the country, offer many resources and how to use digital tools.
The public outcry against the looting of Egypt’s National Museum and several archaeological sites... more The public outcry against the looting of Egypt’s National Museum and several archaeological sites underlines the concern of the international heritage community over the safety of Egypt’s heritage. As common in times of unrest and chaos the information coming from the conflict zone is often contradictory and not always reliable. To make at least a little sense of the information it has to be put in its context. What is the socio-political and economical context of the recent plundering? What is the role of Egypt’s cultural heritage in this ‘Lotus revolution’?
ICA Nieuwsbrief (Instituut voor Culturele Antropologie en Sociologie der Niet-Westerse Volken, Leiden) , 2012
De grote filosoof en pacifist Bertrand Russell schreef in 1952 over de relatie tussen wetenschap ... more De grote filosoof en pacifist Bertrand Russell schreef in 1952 over de relatie tussen wetenschap en oorlog. Hij haalt Archimedes aan die voor zijn neef en tiran van Syracuse oorlogsmachines bouwde om in 212 v.Chr. de stad tegen de Romeinen te verdedigen. Het mocht niet baten, Syracuse viel. Russell haalt nog meer historische voorbeelden aan van technisch wetenschappelijke ondersteuning van oorlog. In de loop van de vorige eeuw zijn echter ook de sociale wetenschappen bij het oorlogsbedrijf betrokken geraakt.
This report is based on public accessible information primarily obtained through the internet. Al... more This report is based on public accessible information primarily obtained through the internet. All international professional organizations were contacted. ICA and IFLA shared the little information they had, ICOMOS could not share a list of archaeological sites as they promised not to release the information to others, while ICOM did not provide their Museum Watch List on Libya. Neither were the results available of the seminar in July in Caserta organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Ministry for Heritage, with the backing of UNESCO, to discuss the future of the important archaeological sites in Libya. For more than one reason this report is not comprehensive or exhaustive. It should only be considered as a serious exercise of what the search for information on cultural heritage from a country in conflict using public sources only, will yield
P. Stone (ed.). Cultural heritage, ethics, and the military, The Boydell Press, Woodbridge. , 2011
The discussion is about the controversial question of whether archaeologists should work with the... more The discussion is about the controversial question of whether archaeologists should work with the military, principally in Iraq. Originally published as a Forum discussion in Papers from the Institute of Archaeology (PIA). Participants are IAIN SHEARER (forum editor), JOHN CURTIS, JON PRICE, MIKE ROWLANDS, LAURIE W RUSH and RENÉ TEIJGELER. John Curtis in the end answered to all of them.
Edition: Biblioteca Nacional, Publicações Técnicas BN / Colecções BN. Publicações Técnicas sobre P&C.Publisher: Biblioteca Nacional (Portugal)Editor: Maria Teresa Costa Guerra (translator)ISBN: 972 565 389 0, 2007
The English publication was issued by the International Council on Archives, The National Archive... more The English publication was issued by the International Council on Archives, The National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia and the National Archives of the Netherlands on the occasion of the international conference The Preservation of Archives in Tropical Climates, which was held in Jakarta 5-8 November 2001. It contains an extensive overview of currently available resources on issues in relation to preservation and conservation in tropical climates, focusing on books and writing materials, building and storage facilities, disaster preparedness and integrated pest management. The second part of the book consists over 1400 literature references.
Paris, The Hague, Jakarta: International Council on Archives, National Archives of the Netherlands, National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia, 2001
This publication was issued by the International Council on Archives, The National Archives of th... more This publication was issued by the International Council on Archives, The National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia and the National Archives of the Netherlands on the occasion of the international conference The Preservation of Archives in Tropical Climates, which was held in Jakarta 5-8 November 2001. It contains an extensive overview of currently available resources on issues in relation to preservation and conservation in tropical climates, focusing on books and writing materials, building and storage facilities, disaster preparedness and integrated pest management. The second part of the book consists over 1400 literature references.
This consultancy is a follow-up of the reports from 1999 and 2000. Its main aim was to further im... more This consultancy is a follow-up of the reports from 1999 and 2000. Its main aim was to further improve the quality of waterhyacinth paper in response to new data and reports from Bangladesh.
This is a follow-up consultancy from the January 1999 report. The main aim was to find ways to im... more This is a follow-up consultancy from the January 1999 report. The main aim was to find ways to improve the quality of waterhyacinth paper in the laboratory as well as in the field.
The aim of this consultancy was to improve the handmade paper production and the paper products i... more The aim of this consultancy was to improve the handmade paper production and the paper products in three projects in Bangladesh.
The aim of this consultancy was to improve the handmade paper production and the paper products a... more The aim of this consultancy was to improve the handmade paper production and the paper products at Salay Handmade Paper Industry (SHAPII) in Salay, the Philippines
The aim of this consultancy was to introduce a more eco-friendly way to make paper by hand for se... more The aim of this consultancy was to introduce a more eco-friendly way to make paper by hand for several handpapermaking projects that were supported by Y-Development, a NGO in Chiangmai, Thailand. This way they could continue to sell their products on the European market. It also included a bookbinding course at the main office of Y-Development.
At the 3 days ECHO event: European Humanitarian Forum from 21-23 March 2022, I was invited to giv... more At the 3 days ECHO event: European Humanitarian Forum from 21-23 March 2022, I was invited to give a presentation in connection with The role of the private sector in fostering local identity and culture: emergency preparedness, relief and reconstruction. For the entire program see https://humanitarian.forum.europa.eu/programme_en and for the webstream see The role of the private sector in fostering local identity and culture: emergency preparedness, relief and reconstruction
René talks about his experience in Iraq with a focus on Libraries and Archives, the Ministry of C... more René talks about his experience in Iraq with a focus on Libraries and Archives, the Ministry of Culture and Museums. He worked as a Senior Cultural Advisor at the US Embassy from 2004-2005 (7 months) during the Iraq War. Mehiyar Kathem from the Nahrein Network interviewed him for 3 hours. It was a long stretch so that is why Mehiyar split the YouTube version up in 3 parts
A 15 minute presentation at SESSION 4: CONFLICT, POLITICS AND THE DESTRUCTION OF CULTURAL HERITAG... more A 15 minute presentation at SESSION 4: CONFLICT, POLITICS AND THE DESTRUCTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE. Reshaping society and politics. Firstly, it is about questioning the static division in pre-conflict - peri (during)-conflict and post-conflict. When does a conflict begin and when does it end? Secondly, it questions the Heritage at Risk framework that stands at the basis of much Heritage Thinking and Practice. One main point of criticism is the fact WHO DECIDES when, where and what heritage is ‘at risk’.
Uploads
Papers by Rene Teijgeler
Vorgänge um die massiven Verluste am Dokumentenerbe des Irak vor allem in Bagdad. Historische Handschriften wie eine frühe Ausgabe
der „Geschichten aus 1.001 Nacht“ und wertvolle Bücher, aber auch Akten verschwanden aus den Bibliotheken, Archiven und Handschriftensammlungen im Zuge des Chaos, das 2003 auf die internationale Eroberung folgte. Unklar ist bis heute, ob die wertvollen Handschriften verbrannten oder vorher gestohlen wurden. Fotografien
gibt es nur in Einzelfällen, Bibliotheksstempel27 – sofern sie nicht entfernt wurden – sind der einzige Nachweis, dass die Manuskripte
zu historischen Sammlungen gehörten. In mehreren Wellen wurde aber auch das Erbe der ‚Wiege der Zivilisation‘ im Irak Opfer der politischen
Umstände. Erste massive Verluste erlitt es 1990 nach dem Golfkrieg um Kuwait. Bedingt durch die anschließenden UN-Sanktionen kam es verstärkt zu Subsistenzraubgrabungen in fast allen Landesteilen. Das Jahr 2003 bildete im gesamten Irak einen traurigen Höhepunkt an Plünderungen und Verlusten. Im Nordwestirak wiederholten sich die Ereignisse 2014 dann mit der Eroberung und den Zerstörungen durch den IS.
This is my own English translation with additional data of the chapter 'Irak. Manuskripte und Bücher, verbrannt oder gestohlen?' published in 2021, B. Hemeier und I. Sabrine (eds.). Kulturraub – Fallbeispiele aus Syrien, Irak, Jemen, Ägypten und Libyen. Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Vorgänge um die massiven Verluste am Dokumentenerbe des Irak vor allem in Bagdad. Historische Handschriften wie eine frühe Ausgabe
der „Geschichten aus 1.001 Nacht“ und wertvolle Bücher, aber auch Akten verschwanden aus den Bibliotheken, Archiven und Handschriftensammlungen im Zuge des Chaos, das 2003 auf die internationale Eroberung folgte. Unklar ist bis heute, ob die wertvollen Handschriften verbrannten oder vorher gestohlen wurden. Fotografien
gibt es nur in Einzelfällen, Bibliotheksstempel27 – sofern sie nicht entfernt wurden – sind der einzige Nachweis, dass die Manuskripte
zu historischen Sammlungen gehörten. In mehreren Wellen wurde aber auch das Erbe der ‚Wiege der Zivilisation‘ im Irak Opfer der politischen
Umstände. Erste massive Verluste erlitt es 1990 nach dem Golfkrieg um Kuwait. Bedingt durch die anschließenden UN-Sanktionen kam es verstärkt zu Subsistenzraubgrabungen in fast allen Landesteilen. Das Jahr 2003 bildete im gesamten Irak einen traurigen Höhepunkt an Plünderungen und Verlusten. Im Nordwestirak wiederholten sich die Ereignisse 2014 dann mit der Eroberung und den Zerstörungen durch den IS.
This is my own English translation with additional data of the chapter 'Irak. Manuskripte und Bücher, verbrannt oder gestohlen?' published in 2021, B. Hemeier und I. Sabrine (eds.). Kulturraub – Fallbeispiele aus Syrien, Irak, Jemen, Ägypten und Libyen. Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Firstly, it is about questioning the static division in pre-conflict - peri (during)-conflict and post-conflict. When does a conflict begin and when does it end? Secondly, it questions the Heritage at Risk framework that stands at the basis of much Heritage Thinking and Practice. One main point of criticism is the fact WHO DECIDES when, where and what heritage is ‘at risk’.