Syria Heritage: We are all responsible – Tagesspiegel

For two days, the Foreign Office about 230 Syrian and international experts on the protection of the Syrian cultural heritage. While at the political level talks falter, going from Berlin – to the influence of all those involved – in this way a character. So Markus Hilgert, Director of the Near Eastern Museum Berlin says: “The fact that it has managed to get all the parties to the table, is already the biggest gain. And that flouts the discussions on political and religious boundaries, is not self-evident “

The welcoming together with Unesco Minister of State Maria Böhmer is satisfied -. Despite the unimaginable scale of the destruction. “Syrians and Exilsyrer have talked to each other and understood each other. A common spirit of responsibility has emerged. As a Syrian participant asked a fellow countryman, the group to which he belonged, was the answer: to Syria. This spirit has prevailed. “

Markus Hilgert believes that it is important to extend the debate to all sectors of civil society. The conference, he says, have shown that there are many local initiatives of people who are worried about their cultural heritage. Therefore, the protection of cultural assets must be supported especially there. This requires a good education, money and infrastructure: “cultural asset protection is only possible with the human factor.” However, one must look closely at concrete measures what and whom you support, and who controls the area in question. But so Hilgert how support groups financially who are not NGOs? Where money is not the main problem, but the designation of priorities and people who could implement the plans. The general idea is for him initially to damage assessment and securing ruins, only to restoration and reconstruction.

A conference long before the “zero hour”

Also Stefan Weber, Director of the Museum of Islamic Art, it looks as a success that this conference was long “0 hours” held against possible: “Otherwise, you usually reacts too late. Now we talk to each other before we can be active at all. This has never before dreamed. “It is positive that various parties have spoken of, the head of the Department of Antiquities in the liberated zone and the Syrian Antiquities DGAM. In the fields there are different structures, even in the construction of databases.

You must now bind to Syrian foundations and municipalities. Bosra need help, but also a monument Register of Aleppo is urgently needed. “I met three young people from Aleppo, which could help us – even the young Syrians are very committed.” It is important that the Unesco pressure on governments performers, so in the forthcoming World Bank projects culture is taken into account: “So far, the culture unanchored to the world Bank budget, “says Weber.

” the destruction of the world heritage is a war crime and must be prosecuted, “said Maria Böhmer. “At the same time we need to intensify efforts to restrict the trade in illicit cultural goods and thus dry up terrorist financing. But Third, we must – as with the Berlin Conference – strengthen the cultural identity of the people of Syria and with it the basis for a territorial unitary state Syria. “She adds:” The Syrian people need signals that the common culture affects identity. This Syrian identity is also a prerequisite for a political solution. Although we do not know when we reach it. “

The conference participants agreed on concrete action for historic towns, archaeological sites, museums, movable objects and intangible cultural heritage, in the action plan for Syria 2014 to be included. The world is in agreement, to protect the Syrian heritage – and the Syrians of all parties are too. “Perhaps we have something historic in Berlin experienced,” said a Unesco staff member. The Syrians and the world would be happy.