Promotion of the heritage conservation as a multidisciplinary process on the example of historic houses administered by the National Heritage Institute
Abstract
The heritage conservation is a very specific field, adored but also heavily criticized. In the Czech Republic it is guaranteed by the National Heritage Institute, the organization established and run under the Ministry of Culture. Under current laws it is entrusted with a number of specialist tasks related to state heritage conservation. Besides mentioned tasks this institution runs about hundred of stately owned historic places, complexes of historic buildings and gardens. The way how this Institute preserves, manages and presents state properties represents an exemplary attitude of heritage conservation, restoration and rehabilitation.
Conservation, operation and administration of historic houses is a multidisciplinary task involving architects, landscape designers, art historians, restorers, craftsmen and many others disciplines. These specialists are followed by curators of arte xhibitions, guides, gardeners and maintenance staff and many other professions hidden to public. However, the key role in this process is played by the administrators of these monuments, castellans who, in addition to the overall coordination, and perhaps one could say orchestration, guarantee this continuous process of ongoing so-called low maintenance, which is the basis of exemplary care of the monument.
Whether and how it is possible to promote monument care on the example of monuments administered by the National Heritage Institute we've asked one of the leaders in the field PhDr. Pavel Slavko, castellan of the castle and chateau in Český Krumlov, the monumental complex on the UNESCO list. Questions have been asked by Milan Svoboda, former castellan of Lobkowicz family chateau in Nelahozeves (1993-2001), deputy manager of Director General of the National Heritage Institute in 2008-2009, with the responsibility for stately owned historic houses and currently the PhD student at the Institute of Ethnology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University.