Cultural heritage
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"[Culture is] the best which has been thought and said in the world." --Culture and Anarchy (1869) by Matthew Arnold "Forgetfulness, and I would even say historical error, are essential in the creation of a nation."--"What Is a Nation?" by Ernest Renan |
Photo: western face of the Parthenon
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Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by society.
Cultural heritage includes tangible culture (such as buildings, monuments, landscapes, archive materials, books, works of art, and artifacts), intangible culture (such as folklore, traditions, language, and knowledge), and natural heritage (including culturally significant landscapes, and biodiversity). The term is often used in connection with issues relating to the protection of indigenous intellectual property.
The deliberate act of keeping cultural heritage from the present for the future is known as preservation (American English) or conservation (British English), which cultural and historical ethnic museums and cultural centers promote, though these terms may have more specific or technical meanings in the same contexts in the other dialect. Preserved heritage has become an anchor of the global tourism industry, a major contributor of economic value to local communities.
Legal protection of cultural property comprises a number of international agreements and national laws. United Nations and UNESCO deal with the protection of cultural heritage. This also applies to the integration of United Nations peacekeeping.
See also
- Antiquarian
- Collecting
- Conservation and restoration of cultural property
- Culture
- Cultural significance
- Curator
- Film preservation
- Historic site
- Historic preservation
- Inheritance
- Memorial
- Museum
- National memory
- Official culture
