Cultural heritage is a collective legacy of human cultures. It consists of tangible and intangible cultural assets.
Cultural Heritage is a valuable resource that can contribute to democratizing access to culture, community and peacebuilding, local economic development and environmental sustainability.
What defines something as heritage varies across contexts and times, depending on a variety of factors.
What is it?
Cultural heritage is the collection of traditions, values and beliefs that a society or community deems worthy of passing on to future generations. This can include both tangible objects like buildings, works of art and archaeological sites as well as intangible ones such as oral tradition and language.
The term is often used in reference to cultural property protected by national laws and international conventions such as the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This defines cultural heritage as “artifacts, sites and areas of exceptional historical, aesthetic or scientific value” – essentially, those things considered to be important to humanity’s shared history and identity.
Whether tangible or intangible, heritage is important to individual communities and must be protected by laws and supported by institutions. But protecting this heritage requires resources to carry out essential tasks such as transcription, digitisation and research. That’s where Transkribus comes in. The tools we provide make it possible to preserve the past and understand the complex meaning woven into the fabric of our heritage.
Who owns the past?
The definition of cultural heritage stretches beyond tangible artifacts to intangible practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities, groups and individuals recognize as their own. This intangible heritage is what UNESCO calls a culture’s “non-physical intellectual wealth”—think folklore, music and dance, architecture, traditions, cuisine and languages.
These intangible elements can be as important to a society as the buildings, historical places and works of art that make up its tangible heritage. They form the very identity of a people and provide a sense of continuity for future generations.
Why is it important?
Cultural heritage is a window into our shared history. It encompasses a wide range of things from buildings and monuments to traditions, languages, music, art and folklore. It is important for a variety of reasons such as maintaining cultural diversity, inspiring creativity, and building a sense of identity.
It is also a source of economic value and provides jobs for many people who work in the tourism and conservation sectors. It is a global resource and often transcends national borders, making international cooperation vital.
Finally, it is important to preserve and protect our cultural heritage because it is a reminder of the past that can inspire us for the future. It is a symbol of our common humanity and reflects the values, beliefs, and way of life that we share. By understanding our cultural heritage, we can learn from it and share its richness with the world. *
How can we save it?
As anthropologists, sociologists and historians we know that cultural heritage – both tangible and intangible – is constantly under threat. Despite being important for the identity and well-being of communities, heritage is at risk from several factors: financial (when there is no money to maintain it), environmental (climate change) or due to conflict and terrorism (like the destruction of Palmyra).
Saving our cultural heritage requires more than just building or restoring monuments and sites. It also involves building sustainable conservation programs that include empowering local communities to become stewards of their monuments and traditions and helping other people experience them. This act of experience, sometimes called cultural tourism, can also bring economic benefits that can help to fund preservation activities.
Globalization is bringing the world together at an unprecedented speed, enabling more and more people to experience different cultures in person. But balancing the benefits of this increased accessibility with protecting our cultural heritage is no easy task.