Maria Inês Pinho, Sérgio Veludo, Maria Fátima Lambert: CULTURAL HERITAGE AS A TARGET IN CONFLICT SCENARIOS
Scientific paper
Maria Inês Pinho, School of Education of Polytechnic of Porto
Sérgio Veludo, School of Education of Polytechnic of Porto
Maria Fátima Lambert, School of Education of Polytechnic of Porto
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59014/HLZP8057
Keywords:
armed conflict, cultural heritage, cultural property, NATO, UNESCO
Abstract
The focus of this paper is on increasing challenges that Europe faces when it comes
to the defense and security of cultural heritage under the legal framework developed
by the United Nations (UN) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and based on the Hague Convention of 1954.
Cultural heritage has been, for a long time and in diverse circumstances, both a
strategic war target and a hostage in conflicts such as the Balkan Wars and conflicts
in the Middle East, and now in Ukraine. Heritage has been intentionally destroyed
or threatened, among others, by sophisticated military technologies such as drones,
thermobaric explosive devices and in ultima ratio the nuclear weapons threat, which
has had severe psychological and physical effects on the people. The growth of the
asymmetrical military conflicts in Europe is observed due to the new technologies of
war. How does this make cultural heritage a desirable target? Are there mechanisms
created by international organizations to act in defense of heritage in the event of an
armed conflict?
In order to answer these research questions, the research methodology used in this
paper will start with a review of literature about threatening processes in European
conflicts, and continue with the collection of data on institutional platforms in order
to create the basis for a proposal, an observatory for this theme.
The final conclusion is that cultural heritage is in itself powerful, but also deeply
symbolic and fragile at the same time. This power becomes an identity enforcer of a
nation and can be considered as a morale booster.
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