Zprávy památkové péče 2017, 77(6):649-655

The issue of the essence of historical heritage, and the perception, recognition, and defense there of from the point of view of heritage care practice

Lubomír Zeman

NPÚ, ÚOP v Lokti

As part of developing the theory and methodology of heritage care, questions of the theory of heritage value and the assessment of properties that are cardinal in terms of the direct impact of practical heritage conservation are quite often discussed. Equally important, however, is the concept of the essence of heritage, whose investigation and finding are an essential step in the optimal protection of monuments. Heritage value is a set of subvalues that complement each other and evolve over time. They are, therefore, variable. Based on the theory that the individual meanings and values of a heritage property comprise comprehensive heritage value, but with a certain hierarchization, we conclude that they even form the very essence of the heritage property. The properties of the values are variable, however, while the essence of the structure is perceived rather as permanent (although it may not necessarily be so). With regard to the international charters on cultural heritage, the 1979 Burra Charter specified the material essence of a structure to be all physical material of a site, including all its parts, inventory, equipment, and structures. The material essence of the structure includes the interiors of buildings and remnants beneath the surface as well as the extracted material. The material essence of a structure defines its spaces, and these can represent important elements of the meaning of the site. The new concept of cultural heritage, promoted as a dynamic phenomenon and a progressive process of recognizing values, leads to the creation of a postulate of new typological groups of structures that become the subject of heritage protection. It creates completely new concepts of the heritage landscape, places of local importance, and intangible cultural heritage. Their heritage essence, however, remains for the most part hidden. The problem of it not being sought out may be sad for practical heritage care, especially for those typological groups of properties that are specific and distinctive in a certain way. An example would be the Kaiserbad Spa (Císařské lázně - Spa I) in Karlovy Vary, built in 1893-1895 with a unique layout, declared a national cultural monument in 2010. The heritage essence of the building lies not in its beautifully designed "theater" architecture, but in the spa operation, which is absolutely unique and is paramount for the building. Yet this basic function of the building was neglected and overlooked. An insufficient knowledge of the property, with its real values and heritage essence itself, threatens it with irreversible damage. This similarly concerns other technical monuments, industrial aggregates, industrial architecture, etc. As part of the typological broadening of the subject of heritage protection and the broadening of its range of values, the individual heritage values must be examined and the heritage essence itself must be appropriately postulated. The essence of a heritage property is not just a simple value. It is a much deeper meaning based on the inner structure of the work. The essence of the property, a human work, can be understood as a basis, as a foundation of the very existence of the subject of interest which is a source of historical testimony and a witness to the past. It is the nucleus filled with certain physical properties of the function for which the structure originated. As a sum of these properties, it emits signs which create meanings. The essence of these meanings, in retrospect, then gives testimony of the "inner" structure, the substance of the work. The core of the heritage essence, then, lies in the material building substance which is very tightly bound to the functional contexts of the property (form and original idea). To ensure the correct process of recognition and heritage conservation, one must know and understand the property in its entirety, also meaning the nature of its existence to prevent its endangerment and the loss of cultural values.

Keywords: heritage essence, theory of heritage care, Kyselka Spa

Published: December 1, 2017  Show citation