http://museum-security.org/
securma@xs4all.nl
SITE MAP
April 13, 1999
CONTENTS:
information about damaged cultural property
From: "BORISLAV SURDIC" <surda@EUnet.yu>
To: <securma@xs4all.nl>
Subject: information about damaged cultural property
===========================================
moderator's message:
The (revised) text of the 2nd Potocol to the Hague Convention,
adopted on 26 April, is now available on the UNESCO web site.
You will find it under Legal Instruments & then Conventions.
http://www.unesco.org/
T.C.
============================================
Appeal:
The Seminar for Museology and the Protection of the Cultural Heritage
Faculty of Philosophy, Belgrade University, Cika-Ljubina 18-20, 11000
Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Belgrade, 5th April, 1999
stop the destruction of the world's and national cultural and natural
heritage in federal republic of yugoslavia before it's too late
TO THE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY AND THE PROTECTION OF HERITAGE WORKERS
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
Please Raise Your voice against the destruction of the World's and
National Cultural and Natural Heritage in the NATO Alliance agression
on Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which started on 24th March, 1999!
Every armed conflict is, in advance, the danger to the cultural and
natural heritage. Since the bombing in Yugoslavia is not stopping for
a moment, and the targets are proved to be not only military, every
single cutlural and natural property is threathened by devastation. We
are expressing our protest and deepest dissapointment with the
destruction of the cultural heritage in Yugoslavia, as well as our
protest against the silence of our colleagues from all over the world,
including UNESCO with all its Councels and Committees for the
protection of the cultural and natural heritage. The testimonial
culturo-historical significance of the cultural and natural heritage
of Yugoslavia, inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO, is well
known, and yet there is not a single voice, a single thought from our
colleagues about the immunity of the cultural property and granting it
a special protection. We remind You that the following monuments are
inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO:
Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor in 1979,
Stari Ras and Sopocani in 1979,
Durmitor National Park in 1980,
Studenica Monastery in 1986
and are likely to be destroyed if the bombing continues. "When a
cultural or natural site is placed on the World Heritage List, that is
not the end of the story. If it is to stay on the List, the
characteristics and qualities that justified its inscription must be
preserved." We are very concerned, in the same way, about the numerous
monuments of National Cultural and Natural Heritage. Without their
testimony it is impossible to write not only Yugoslav, but also the
Balkan and the European history. Archeological, historic and natural
sites, urbanistic architectural ambients, churches and monasteries, as
well as the moveable cultural property in more than 300 museums in
Yugoslavia, are all seriously endangered by this agression. These
cultural and natural sites constitute a common heritage to be
treasured as unique testimonies to the enduring past. Their
disappearance would be an irreparable loss for each and every one of
us. The preservation of this common heritage concerns us all.
At this moment, we are already confronted with serious devastation of
the monasteries which represent the Medieval heritage of Serbian and
Byzantine culture:
a.. The Church of The Holy Virgin near Kursumlija, 12th Century,
endowment of the founder of the Serbian dynasty of Nemanjic, the
monuments of the great significance,
b.. Gracanica monastery, 14th Century, King Milutin's endowment,
the
monument of the exceptional significance, and is placed in Kosovo,
c.. Devic and Zociste, Medieval monasteries, 14th Century Medieval
endowments of the Serbian lords, the monuments of the great
significance, placed in The Province of Kosovo,
d.. The Patriarchate of Pec, the complex of monastery buildings
mades
during 13th - 14th Centuries, the endowment of Serbian Kings and
Archiepiscopes, the monument of the exceptional significance, placed
in The Province of Kosovo,
e.. The "Carska" Mosque in Pristina, monument of the great
significance, The Province of Kosovo,
f.. Rakovica, Medieval Monastery in Belgrade, the monument of the
great
significance,
g.. The Complex of the Monasteries on the mountain of Fruska Gora,
16th
to 19th Centuries, monument of the exceptional significance, and The
Fortress of Petrovaradin, 18th Century, the monument of the
exceptional significance, The Province of Vojvodina,
h.. the architectural monuments in the bombed cities - Zemun,
Pancevo,
i.. The Church of The Archangel Michael, 18th Century, Zemun, the
monument of the great significance,
j.. many explored archeological sites (prehistorical and antique,
as
Roman site Ulpiana near Pristina, Novo Brdo near Pristina), as is
probable that many of the unexplored sites were devastated during the
severe bombing,
k.. culturo-historical complexes,
l.. memorial places,
m.. moveable cultural property - The Regional Museum of
Vojvodina, Novi Sad, The Province of Vojvodina; The Museum of Prizren
League, Prizren, The Province of Kosovo.
We are calling Your attention to the International Conventions and
Other Instruments released as Legal Instruments by UNESCO, especially
the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of
Armed Conflict, Hague, 14th May, 1954, entered in Force on 7th August,
1956. We are also calling on the Recommendation concerning the
Safeguarding of the Beauty and Character of Landscapes and Sites, of
1962, Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and
Natural Heritage, of 1972, and the Recommendation concerning the
Safeguarding and Contemporary Role of Historic Areas, of 1976.
We are also calling Your attention to the ICOM and ICOMOS Statutes.
"...preserving cultural property and rendering it accessible
constitute... means of encouraging mutual understanding among peoples
and thereby serve the cause of peace..." Recommendations concerning
the Preservation of Cultural Property Endangered by Public and Private
Works.
The Initiators of the Appeal:
Seminar za Muzeologiju i zastitu kulturnih dobara Filozofskog
fakulteta Univerziteta u Beogradu / The Seminar for Museology and the
Protection of the Cultural Heritage, Department of Art History, The
Faculty of Philosophy, Belgrade University (Mr Dragan Bulatovic,
Lecturer, ICOM member, Angelina Milosavljevic, Teaching Assistant,
ICOM member)
Prof. Dr Irina Subotic, ICOM Member
Dr Gojko Subotic, Member of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences
Prof. Dr Ivan Djordjevic, The Head of the Department of Art History
Dragan Vojvodic, Teaching Assistant
Prof. Dr Slobodan Mijuskovic, Seminar for The History of the Modern
Art
Petar Kosanovic, Student of Art History, Acting President of the
Association of the Students of Art History
Sasa Brajovic, Teaching Assistant
Oliver Tomic, Teaching Assistant
Milica Milic, Postgraduate student
Main Indexpage