Historic Conservation

Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, in Washington, DC, is an institute of Harvard University dedicated to supporting scholarship internationally in Byzantine, Pre-Columbian, and Garden and Landscape Studies through fellowships, meetings, exhibitions, and publications. Located in Georgetown and bequeathed by Robert Woods Bliss and Mildred Barnes Bliss, Dumbarton Oaks welcomes scholars to consult its books, images, and objects, and the public to visit its garden, museum, and historic house for lectures and concerts.

This article re-examines the theoretical basis for environmental and heritage interpretation in tourist settings in the light of hermeneutic philosophy. It notes that the pioneering vision of heritage interpretation formulated by Freeman Tilden envisaged a broadly educational, ethically informed and transformative art. By contrast, current cognitive psychological attempts to reduce interpretation to the monological transmission of information, targeting universal but individuated cognitive structures, are found to be wanting. Despite growing signs of diversity, this information processing approach to interpretation remains dominant. The article then presents the alternative paradigm of hermeneutics through the works of Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Heidegger and Gadamer, to provide a broader interpretation of interpretation. This not only captures the essence of Tilden's definition but construes heritage interpretation as a more inclusive, culturally situated, critically reflexive and dialogical practice.

Keywords: environmental interpretation; heritage tourism; hermeneutics; Gadamer;
Heidegger; Tilden

This essay traces the evolution of Galle, a coastal multi-ethnic, multi-religious city with a natural harbour in southern Sri
Lanka. It has a population of around 100,000
residents (according to the 2011 census of Sri
Lanka). Boxem and Fuhren, 2011, write that Galle
is globally significant as an outstanding example
of the interaction of European architecture and
South Asian traditions of the 16th to the 19th
centuries. Although its pre-colonial history is less
documented and mapped, Galle has functioned
as a significant shipping port since the 4th
century AD. The city profile of Galle Municipal
Council, prepared by UN-Habitat, highlights that
the Galle port was a meeting point for Chinese
and Arab traders (2006). Habarakada-Liyanage
wrote in 2012: “The earliest recorded history of
the town dates back to 545 AD when Cosmas
Indicopleustes made reference to it in his travel
journal.” The port of Galle was the main natural
marine hub on the Sri Lankan island, used by many
foreign traders in pre-colonial times. Today, Galle
is well known for the historic Galle Fort originally
built by the Portuguese in 1588 after they landed
accidentally in Sri Lanka in 1505. Its historical
and natural appeal have made it one of the most
popular tourist destinations in southern Sri Lanka.

Istanbul is a metropolitan city with rich history which have always been attracted to people. As the population of Istanbul dramatically increased over time, the pressure for transformation in the economically and culturally valuable areas like historic neighbourhoods have become more and the conservation challenges suggested for these places have altered. Starting from Tanzimat Period there has been a series of proposals for the expansion of the urban space and parts of the historic city have become stages for the implementation of these changes. Some of these interventions have sadly opened up the way to the loss of continuity in the collective memory of Istanbul’s inhabitants.
Within this perspective this  article initially aims at illustrating the different interventions put into action during 1950-1970s on public scale that had a direct impact on the historic urban fabric, like the construction of Sultanahmet Palace of Justice (1951-1955) and the demolishment of important historical buildings like Simkeshane along Divanyolu. It will then introduce the institutions and actors taking role in these interventions, with a specific focus on 3 women conservation-architects, who worked during 1950-70s in conservation field.
Starting from 1940’s, the names of these three women conservation architects started to be mentioned working alongside with other eminent men conservation experts. Cahide Tamer, one of these three architects was responsible of restorations of Rumeli Fortress, Yedikule and Hagia Sophia Museum. She worked long years in Ancient Monument Conservation Council. Another woman was Mualla Eyuboglu (Anhegger), the first rapporteur of the High Council for Historic Real Estate and Monuments. She was the controller of important restorations such as Siyavuspaşa Kiosk and Sultan Tombs in Hagia Sophia Complex. Her reputation grew larger with the restoration of Harem section in Topkapi Palace during 1960’s. Selma Emler, too, deserves to be mentioned as one of these women conservation experts of the same era. Having started her career at Ministry of Education as a state architect and being keen on historic buildings she was later appointed as the conservation architect in Topkapi Palace Museum. All three wrote long articles and books about their work which shed a light today on the conservation history in Turkey. There is no doubt, they deserve to be remembered as leading figures in Turkey’s conservation history.
This paper will aim to contribute to the studies in Turkish conservation history by introducing three women conservation architects from the same period and recalling their valuable efforts in the field.

Potres koji je pogodio Zagreb 9. 11. 1880. godine, čija se jačina procjenjuje na 6,1-6,3 stupnjeva prema Richterovoj ljestvici jedna je od najvećih prirodnih katastrofa koja je kroz povijest pogodila ovaj grad. U arhitekturi i urbanom razvitku Zagreba potres je odigrao iznimno značajnu ulogu. Cilj je ovoga teksta na prvom mjestu prikazati način na koji su hrvatske vlasti organizirale sanaciju građevina u Zagrebu neposredno nakon toga potresa, u studenom i prosincu 1880., s kojim su se financijskim i drugim ograničenjima suočavale te tko je konkretno bio angažiran na izvedbi i kontroli radova. Tekst se temelji na dokumentaciji središnjih organa vlasti Trojedne Kraljevine (Predsjedništva i Unutrašnjega odjela Zemaljske vlade) te vijestima iz onodobnih zagrebačkih novina, provladinih Narodnih novina i Agramer Zeitunga te opozicijskog Obzora.
Obnovu grada i okoline nadzirao je Građevni odsjek Unutarnjeg odjela hrvatske Zemaljske vlade, no bile su uključene i brojne druge institucije, na prvom mjestu Gradsko poglavarstvo Grada Zagreba tada na čelu s gradonačelnikom Matijom Mrazovićem (sa svojim Građevnim odjelom), zatim Zagrebačka županija te vlada tada još uvijek postojeće Vojne Krajine, na čelu s generalom barunom Franjom Filipovićem.
Iako je sustav javnih službi u Zagrebu bio vrlo složen zahvaljujući čemu je je velik broj građevinskih inženjera bio zaposlen u raznim institucijama i iako je u gradu djelovao cijeli niz raznih arhitekata, graditelja i drugih majstora, u cjelini gledajući Zagreb u tom trenutku nije raspolagao s dovoljno stručnoga osoblja niti s dovoljno radnika da se saniraju sve nastale štete.
U pomoć Hrvatskoj pritekle su tako vrlo brzo nakon potresa središnje institucije iz Beča, na prvom mjestu Ministarstvo rata iz Beča, jedno od rijetkih ministarstava nadležnih za cijelo područje Monarhije nakon Austro-ugarske nagodbe 1867. Uz blagoslov vladara u pomoć Zagrebu su stigle već 12. 11. dvije satnije – Inženjerska i Pionirska.
Obnovu javnih zgrada vodile su javne institucije u čijemu su se vlasništvu nalazile. Obnovu stambenih i stambeno-poslovnih, dakle privatnih zgrada, najčešće su vodili sami vlasnici, no nadzirale su ih gradske vlasti. Nakon što se neposredno nakon potresa u glavnim crtama dobila slika o razmjeru šteta, na sjednici Gradskog poglavarstva je 11. 11. 1880. formiran gradski Građevno-eksekutivni odbor na čelu s gradskim zastupnikom Josipom Siebenscheinom. Odbor je zasjedao u vijećnici, gdje je zaprimao molbe i raspoređivao povjerenstva za uviđaje, a vodio je računa i o osiguravanju potrebnih materijala za radove. Uz spomenuti Građevno-eksekutivni odbor Grad je formirao i odbor za pomoć stradalnicima u potresu kojemu je predsjedao Ivan Buratti.
Gradsko poglavarstvo je, nadalje, već dan nakon potresa kako bi pomoglo kućevlasnicima čije su zgrade bile oštećene i kako bi spriječilo špekulacije koje su se javile neposredno nakon potresa donijelo odredbu o ograničenju cijena građevinskog materijala i građevinskih radova.
Već prve odredbe Zemaljske vlade o popravcima nakon potresa pokazuju kako se kao ključan problem javio nedostatak sredstava. Ban je privremeno odlučio da će se troškovi sanacije podmirivati iz zaklada koje javnim institucijama stoje na raspolaganju s tim da je napomenuto da „što veću štednju pred očima imati valja.“
Ukupna šteta nastala potresom bila je procijenjena na 3,275.544 forinti, od čega se na Zagreb odnosilo 2,153.108 forinti. Kako je u tim godinama proračun Trojedne Kraljevine Hrvatske, Slavonije i Dalmacije tek počeo prelaziti 3,5 milijuna forinti, dok je proračun grada Zagreba u 1880. godini iznosio 586.453 for., hrvatske autonomne i zagrebačke gradske vlasti suočile su se s golemim izazovom s kojim sredstvima pokriti obnovu Zagreba i okolice.
Štete na građevinama u Zagrebu procjenjivale su se prema tadašnjoj metodologiji obzirom na njihov udio u ukupnim prihodima koje su zgrade godišnje donosile. Najveći dio stambeno-poslovnih građevina u Zagrebu činile su, naime, najamne zgrade, podignute kao investicija pojedinaca, obitelji ili tvrtki, koje su se potom donosile prihode od najamnina. Prema procjenama Građevnog odsjeka Gradskog poglavarstva u potresu je 845 zgrada u Zagrebu bilo toliko oštećeno da šteta nadmašuje njihov godišnji dohodak, preko 400 je bilo oštećeno preko 40% bruto godišnjega dohotka, dok je procijenjeno da na 400 kuća ima samo manjih šteta.
Obnovu Zagreba pomogla je financijski i Zemaljska vlada i ugarska vlada u Budimpešti. Ban je dodijelio iz hrvatskih autonomnih sredstava 50.000 forinti beskamatnog kredita, a toliko je dao i ministar predsjednik Ugarske István Tisza. Nadalje, Ugarski sabor je četiri mjeseca nakon potresa, sredinom ožujka 1881. godine, na osnovi zakonskog članka IX. odobrio milijun forinti zajma. Od toga je iznosa dodijeljeno 100.000 forinti u vidu beskamatnih zajmova, a ostatak su bili krediti s kamatama od 4% na različite rokove otplate (15, 20 i 30 godina).
Spisi Predsjedništva Zemaljske vlade otkrivaju da su u pomoć Zagrebu nakon potresa pritekli brojni građani gotovo svih dijelova Austro-Ugarske Monarhije, ali i ostatka Europe. Ukupno je bilo skupljeno nešto više od 235.000 forinti, što je bio golem iznos za onodobni Zagreb i Hrvatsku. Kako se moglo vidjeti iz prethodnog dijela teksta riječ je o gotovo 40% godišnjega proračuna grada Zagreba iz 1880., te o 7% iznosa na koji je procijenjena ukupna šteta od potresa.
Osim donacijama i kreditima građanima Zagreba nakon potresa država je pomogla i kroz porezne olakšice. Kućevlasnici su dobili oslobođenje od plaćanja poreza od 3 do 12 mjeseci u postotku ovisnom o stupnju oštećenja zgrada, a ban je uspio ishoditi od Ministarstva financija i da se oni zagrebački investitori koji se odluče na izgradnju novih zgrada 16 godina oslobode od poreza.
Usprkos nedostatku sredstava u samo mjesec dana od potresa završena je nužna obnova gotovo svih javnih zgrada, tako da su sve škole, zavodi i druge javne institucije mogle započeti s radom. I velik dio stambenih zgrada saniran je u dovoljnoj mjeri da se mogao koristiti za stanovanje. Predstojali su samo još veliki radovi na obnovi crkava, od kojih će neki biti završeni već tijekom 1881. (na crkvi svete Katarine), dok će na pojedinim građevinama trajati nekoliko desetljeća (na katedrali, franjevačkoj crkvi).

Like many other cities around the world, at the end of the twentieth century, Manchester was reimagined as post-industrial space. This research draws on Lefebvre's spatial triad focusing primarily on the struggles that this generated both within official public sector representations of space and between public sector representations and the representations of key amenity societies. The paper presents the findings of a case study analysis that reveals how the 1970s saw differing interests lay claim to the right to determine the spatial meaning and future of city-centre industrial space. The research deconstructs the (re)production of the Grade I listed Liverpool Road Station, the first train station in the world, and its conversion into the successful Museum of Science and Industry. The conclusions show that the 1970s (re)presentation of the station site facilitated its (re)production as a site of revalorised industrial heritage. The consequences were the “rediscovery” of the Castlefield area of the city, and the later reimagining of post-industrial Manchester in the 1990s, which continues in the twenty-first century.
. . . countries in the throes of rapid development blithely destroy historic
spaces—houses, palaces, military and civil structures. If advantage or profit is
to be found in it, then the old is swept away . . . Where the destruction has not
been complete, “renovation” becomes the order of the day . . . In any case what
had been annihilated in the earlier frenzy now becomes an object of adoration.
(Lefebvre, 1991, p. 360).

Without preventive maintenance, small problems at monuments and buildings can quickly grow into critical issues. Monitoring is crucial for preventive conservation, but often overlooked for lack of a simple, straightforward process.

Using low-cost digital tools, and building upon more than fifteen years of experience of Monument Watch of Flanders, this KNOWHOW booklet outlines a practical, easily-replicable process for keeping an eye on buildings and monuments. This approach makes use of simple computer fi eld collection forms, digital photography, and databases to appropriately and systematically monitor and maintain heritage places. Both the well-tested monitoring process and the operational structure of this innovative Belgian not-for-profit are explained in order to help others learn from their success.

Given the globalisation and free movement of capital and people, global cities compete with others not only as tourist destinations but also for the attraction of investors, skilled labour and well-educated citizens. In this research, the image of the historic city of Florence is investigated from the perspective of tourists and residents to assess the feasibility of joining historic cities to the global world. The sample size included 384 people who were randomly selected in the historic centre of Florence and answered the research questionnaire. The data was then analysed by descriptive statistics and logistic regression test. The findings show that although appropriate environmental qualities have made Florence highly successful in attracting tourists, what can promote the sustainability level of this historic city in the globalisation era is the organisation of urban planning in order to gain a part of global economic and human capital by creating the precise and unique image of the city.

This paper contributes to a critical understanding of the production of space through an exploration of notable spatial moments in the 1990s work of the Central Manchester Development Corporation (CMDC), particularly its role in the creation of new public space. Henri Lefebvre's ideas regarding the production of urban space provide rigorous theoretical grounding for the empirical research. Two chronologically overlapping 20th century discourses: the inner city urban policy discourse from the 1960s and the modernist city planning discourse that peaked in the era of technological optimism after World War Two are shown to be vital for a critical understanding of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) regime. The paper unravels the as yet unproblematised origins of UDCs and CMDC and shows how the reorientation of the 1960s Urban Programme by the Labour government laid the ground for some of the subsequent Conservative government's urban policy shifts. New evidence from archival sources, supplemented by interviews with key informants, is presented which challenges and disrupts some conventional wisdoms regarding UDCs and CMDC. Research findings point to the crucial role of CMDC in stimulating the creation of significant new public spaces akin to differential space, which remain of great importance for Manchester. CMDC's deployment of large scale resources compounded the spatial practice of the previous decade leading to the production of unanticipated public space potentials and the politicised appropriation of urban space. In closing, the paper highlights the unintended and inadvertent legacies of the CMDC for public space in the 2000s.

State-led heritage conservation which was first seen in Tanzimat Period in Ottoman Empire continued until 1950’s in the Turkish Republic times. The general approach toward conservation of these early period was the maintenance and safeguarding of single historic buildings that had been regarded as monuments. After the foundation of Republic in 1923, the few conservation architects in the nation started taking responsibilities of such buildings in different governmental institutions and bodies. Following this period, in 1950’s, the names of three women conservation architects had started to be mentioned working alongside with other eminent men conservation experts like Sedat Çetintaş, Macit Kural, Süreyya Yücel, Ali Saim Ülgen.
Cahide Tamer, one of these three architects took the responsibility of restorations of Rumelihisarı, Yedikule and Hagia Sophia Museum. She worked long years in Ancient Monument Conservation Council. Another woman conservation architect of this period was Mualla Eyüboğlu (Anhegger), who was the first rapporteur of the High Council for Historic real estate and monuments. She was the controller of important restorations such as of Siyavuşpaşa Kiosk, different buildings of Süleymaniye Complex and Sultan Tombs in Hagia Sophia Complex. Her reputation grew bigger with the bold decisions she took for the restorations of some buildings in the Harem-Topkapi Palace. Selma Emler deserves to be mentioned as one of these three women conservation experts of the same era, as well. She started her occupation at Ministry of Education as an architect and being keen on historic buildings she continued her career in Topkapi Palace Museum. By coincidence, these three women were in charge of the restorations of Rumelihisari and Topkapi Palace harem at dfferent periods. All three wrote long articles and books explaining their work which shed a light today on the conservation history.
These three women worked around the same period in Istanbul and throughout their careers, they had conflicts and sometimes even competed with eachother. There is no doubt, they deserve to be remembered as figures that strained to receive the best education they could get at their time and thus succeeded in playing leading roles at the restorations that they undertook.
This paper aims to contribute to the studies of the conservation history in Turkey by introducing three women conservation architects; the theoretical discussions and the institutions that were dominant in the field of protection of historic buildings at their time.

La teoría de los campos permite detectar los elementos y las acciones principales que entran en juego en un ámbito social específico. En este artículo es empleada como herramienta
analítica para entender el funcionamiento de un área de conocimiento: la conservación y restauración del patrimonio cultural mexicano.

L’opera di Flavio Magno Aurelio Cassiodoro Senatore, illustre rappresentante dell'antica aristocrazia romana ma anche della nascente cultura cristiana, è l'espressione d'una nuova sensibilità per la conservazione e il restauro delle eredità del passato. È proprio, infatti, dal sincretismo fra il diritto romano e la cultura cristiana che si svilupparono già  a cavallo fra V e VI secolo significative anticipazioni di quel moderno sentimento di conservazione, restauro e trasmissione al futuro delle autentiche vestigia del passato a cui Cassiodoro dedicò tutta la sua vita e che, ancora oggi, caratterizzano il contributo italiano e, più in generale, quello dell’intera cultura occidentale, alla disciplina del restauro.

Two types of fireproof flooring systems commonly encountered in the 19th century are the ‘‘jack arch floor’’ and ‘‘the filler joist floor’’. A proper evaluation of their fire resistance requires reliable information of the thermal and mechanical properties of their construction materials, namely cast iron, wrought iron, mild steel, ‘‘early’’ concrete and masonry, at elevated temperatures. This paper collates temperaturedependent thermal (i.e., thermal conductivity and specific heat) and mechanical properties (i.e., yield strength, tensile or compressive strength, Young’s elastic modulus and thermal expansion) of the metals as well as the temperature dependent thermal properties of the ‘‘insulation’’ from literature. The collated data are then compared with Eurocode’s mathematical expressions for contemporary materials to assess
the applicability of the Eurocode expressions for the 19th century fireproof flooring systems.

Given the globalisation and free movement of capital and people, global cities compete with others not only as tourist destinations but also for the attraction of investors, skilled labour and well-educated citizens. In this research, the image of the historic city of Florence is investigated from the perspective of tourists and residents to assess the feasibility of joining historic cities to the global world. The sample size included 384 people who were randomly selected in the historic centre of Florence and answered the research questionnaire. The data was then analysed by descriptive statistics and logistic regression test. The findings show that although appropriate environmental qualities have made Florence highly successful in attracting tourists, what can promote the sustainability level of this historic city in the globalisation era is the organisation of urban planning in order to gain a part of global economic and human capital by creating the precise and unique image of...