Outstanding Universal Value: Criteria for the Inscription of Cultural Properties on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the Concept of Authenticity International NGOs forum «Protection of World Heritage Properties» June 22-24, 2012 St.Petersburg, Russia

1. OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE:
CRITERIA FOR THE INSCRIPTION OF CULTURAL
PROPERTIES ON THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE
SITES AND THE CONCEPT OF AUTHENTICITY
Kristina Smolijaninovaite
International Forum
“NGOs in Support of the World Heritage Properties”
June 22-24, 2012,
St. Petersburg, Russia

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
 INTRODUCTION TO THE 1972 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION
 DEFINITION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
 THE CONCEPT OF OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE (OUV)
 WORLD HERITAGE LIST: SELECTION CRITERIA
 EXAMPLES
 THE CONCEPT OF AUTHENTICITY
 UNIVERSAL VERSUS LOCAL VALUE
 CONCLUSIONS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
KRISTINA SMOLIJANINOVAITE

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INTRO CULTURAL OUV CRITERIA EXAMPLES AUTHENTICITY UNIVERSAL VS. LOCAL CONCLUSIONS /
HERITAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention – a global framework to protection
the heritage of all mankind:
- For this purpose the preamble demands “a convention establishing an
effective system of collective protection of the cultural and natural heritage of
outstanding universal value”
KRISTINA SMOLIJANINOVAITE

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INTRO CULTURAL OUV CRITERIA EXAMPLES AUTHENTICITY UNIVERSAL VS. LOCAL CONCLUSIONS /
HERITAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY
DEFINITION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
MONUMENTS (e.g. Taj Mahal) GROUPS OF BUILDINGS (e.g.
architectural works, works of L'viv – the Ensemble of the
monumental sculpture and Historic Centre)
painting, elements or structures groups of separate or
of an archaeological connected buildings
nature, inscriptions, cave Photo source: lviv.travel
dwellings
Photo source: weltwunder-online.de
SITES (e.g. Garden Kingdom of Dessau-
Wörlitz)
works of man or the combined works of
nature and of man, and areas including
archaeological sites
Photo source: ixwin.de
KRISTINA SMOLIJANINOVAITE

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INTRO CULTURAL OUV CRITERIA EXAMPLES AUTHENTICITY UNIVERSAL VS. LOCAL CONCLUSIONS /
HERITAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY
OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE
The Operational Guidelines (2005):
“OUV means cultural and/or natural
significance which is so exceptional as to
transcend national boundaries and to be of
common importance for present and future
generations of all humanity.”
KRISTINA SMOLIJANINOVAITE

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INTRO CULTURAL OUV CRITERIA EXAMPLES AUTHENTICITY UNIVERSAL VS. LOCAL CONCLUSIONS /
HERITAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY
INSCRIPTION CRITERIA
i) a masterpiece
ii) important interchange of values/interests
iii) exceptional testimony to a civilisation
iv) a type of construction or site/typology
v) interaction human/environment
OUV
vi) association with traditions or beliefs
vii) natural beauty/aesthetics
viii) geology
ix) biological/ecological processes
x) biodiversity
KRISTINA SMOLIJANINOVAITE

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INTRO CULTURAL OUV CRITERIA EXAMPLES AUTHENTICITY UNIVERSAL VS. LOCAL CONCLUSIONS /
HERITAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY
EXAMPLES
Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar and Robben island (South Africa)
Dessau (Germany) Date of inscription: 1999
Date of inscription: 1996 Criteria: (iii)(vi)
Criteria: (ii)(iv)(vi) Photo source: whc.unesco.org
Photo source: mindpicnic.de
Rice Terraces of the Philippine
Cordilleras (Philippines)
Date of inscription: 1995
Criteria: (iii)(iv)(v)
Photo source: whs.unesco.org
KRISTINA SMOLIJANINOVAITE

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INTRO CULTURAL OUV CRITERIA EXAMPLES AUTHENTICITY UNIVERSAL VS. LOCAL CONCLUSIONS /
HERITAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY
THE CONCEPT OF AUTHENTICITY
OG (before 2005 revisions)
- the „test of authenticity‟ was referred to
four parameters: design, material, NARA (1994): Emphasis on
workmanship and setting. workmanship rather than material
- It was seen basically in reference to
the tangible material of the heritage.
OG (revised)
-have given a new definition for the „conditions of authenticity‟
-additionally includes: traditions, techniques, language and other forms of intangible
heritage, as well as spirit and feeling or other issues, showing a much broader recognition
of the different aspects of culture and heritage.
KRISTINA SMOLIJANINOVAITE

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INTRO CULTURAL OUV CRITERIA EXAMPLES AUTHENTICITY UNIVERSAL VS. LOCAL CONCLUSIONS /
HERITAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY
UNIVERSAL VERSUS LOCAL VALUE
Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of
Criteria: (i), (ii), (iv) Quedlinburg Criteria: (iv)
- universal value: beauty of the site and - universal values: reflecting medieval history
its significance in relation to ideas of of Europe
enlightenment during the time of - Local significance: like to interpret it from
Frederich the Great and Voltaire. today's perspective of advancement of
- Local significance: stress more in terms women?
of the might of the empire?
KRISTINA SMOLIJANINOVAITE

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INTRO CULTURAL OUV CRITERIA EXAMPLES AUTHENTICITY UNIVERSAL VS. LOCAL CONCLUSIONS /
HERITAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY
CONCLUSIONS
 The 1972 World Heritage Convention is an effort to protect „heritage of all mankind‟,
based on the concept of „outstanding universal value‟. The Convention involves an
important qualifying condition of authenticity under the OG.
 It is not only to mitigate the effects of industrialisation and destruction through war
but to set global standards in heritage protection.
 Challenges: concept of authenticity and misrepresentation of world heritage sites
along the lines of national importance.
 The concept of World Heritage is a dynamic (e.g. the category of cultural landscape
in 1992 and the Nara Document on Authenticity in 1994)
KRISTINA SMOLIJANINOVAITE

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INTRO CULTURAL OUV CRITERIA EXAMPLES AUTHENTICITY UNIVERSAL VS. LOCAL CONCLUSIONS /
HERITAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.international.icomos.org/publications/pdf
http://whc.unesco.org/archive/opguide11-en.pdf
http://whc.unesco.org/archive/nara94.htm
http://rum1.aarch.dk/uploads/media/J._Jokilehto_2006.pdf
KRISTINA SMOLIJANINOVAITE