Your message puts me in an existential crisis: my standpoint is that I should not allow the mailinglist to become a platform of political discussions. On the other hand I hate to be the only one to decide what is the right subject matter for the list. This list is not mine, but really belongs to all subscribers. Today I have made a separate page on the MSN site on which I will assemble all messages I receive about this subject (excluding the two-word reactions -that I respect as well- of which I received quite a few). This page can be reached via a link on the MSN homepage. All information about and photographs of damaged cultural objects I received this far from Yugoslavia seem to be about collateral damage. On the one hand this proves museums do suffer damage, on the other hand it shows that the NATO bombardments are not aimed at cultural objects. So both sides will be able to use this information to sustain their point of view.
best regards
Ton Cremers
From: "Susan Wallis" wallis@arches.uga.edu
Subject:
thank you for your recent kind and swift response after war damage report from Novi Sad, Yugoslavia, published at your web-sites.
I am not happy having to react again, upon A Museum Appeal from Serbia text, published at Museum Security Bulletin (http://museum-security.org/99/004.html) as well as in Global Museum '99 News (http://members.tripod.com/~DrDrum_2/Globe4.html).
Every damage to the cultural heritage in Yugoslavia, and to its innocent civilians in the first place, is regretfull and must be univocally condemned. I doubt about value of talk about possible threats for heritage while hundreds are actually slaughtered.
Yet, I find the Appeal mentioned somewhat selective:
-there is no mention that the Museum of League of Prizren, the house which hosted assembly to give birth to modern Albanian nation in 1878, was endangered much earlier, by ordering to change its premises into a refugees' camp. All of its important archives were intended for removal (9/95), and after the condemnation of Association for the Preservation of the Cultural-Historical Heritage in Prizren, backed by other colleagues and many other instances, left to stay inside the building. Historical center of Prizren, including the Museum, is registered as the heritage under state protection. Its heritage was recognized and reported to UNESCO in 8/1976 by Planque and Sonnier. Unofficial and unconfirmable news before the most recent turmoil indicated that the Museum of League of Prizren is burned. The archives' fate are not known.
-also, other non-Orthodox Christian monuments are scarcely included in the Appeal. Other reporters mentioned damages done to the Djakovica's St. Anthony Franciscans' church and monastery, probably by the Allied rocket because it is near the local garrison (priests and nuns were expelled). Flock from Pec's St. Catherine church (some 80-200, according to various reports) was besieged at the Sunday mass 3/28/1999 and deported from their homeland; the destiny of the church (built in 1928, parish from 14th cen.) is not known.
-at 4/11/1999 Washington Post published a insightfull review of the Serbian state activities before the current Allied campaign, containing heavy accusations of Serbian conservational and museum authorithies which allegedly had their part in the pogrom's preparation doing timely heritage removal. Article could be reached at http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-04/11/200l-041199- idx.html, and did left our colleagues under doubt of the professional code's integrity. What had happened to the Albanian and Turkish Muslim and Catholic removable monuments? Were they treasured from the scene of war-to-come also? I think I have the right to complain: my very Museum had sheltered the Orthodox Christians' collection of icons left in the nearby Skradin's church abandoned by its priests in 1991 (this church was really bombed afterwards by the Yugoslav Army).
-just shortly I can add that many of Croatian monuments from the UNESCO world heritage list were directly and repeatedly attacked from 1991 to 1995 (Dubrovnik, Split and Plitivice Lakes, all list-included in 1979) without the public word of protest of our Yugoslav colleagues. The difference is that their words of protest could really weight as outspoken in the city from where those hits were ordered.
Staying sincerely yours,
Jadran Kale------------------------
Zupanijski muzej, HR-22000 Sibenik Croatia:385(0)22/213-880,fax213-355 http://pubwww.srce.hr/muzej_sibenik
-----------------------------------
-------------JadraNet--Vas omiljeni dobavljac morskih ideja------------
ADDIS ABABA, April 14 (Reuters) - Ethiopian historians are pushing for Britain to return important religious and historical treasures looted by a British army expedition against Ethiopia's emperor 131 years ago. The artifacts were taken from Ethiopian Orthodox churches and include gold and silver crosses, golden crowns belonging to Emperor Tewodros, a gold chalice and religious manuscripts. They was so much bounty the British needed 15 elephants and 200 mules to cart it away. Most of the treasures are now located in the British Library, the British Museum and the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. But a group of Ethiopian academics this week formed a group to press for their return. The Association for the Return of the Maqdala Ethiopian Treasures ``seeks the restitution of treasures forcibly taken from Ethiopia to Britain,'' Professor Andreas Eshete told a news conference in Addis Ababa on Tuesday. British army commander Sir Robert Napier led a force to Ethiopia to secure the release of British subjects detained by Emperor Tewodros. They captured Maqdala, the Emperor's mountain capital in the north, on April 13, 1868. Tewodros committed suicide to avoid falling into enemy hands, according to Aleqa Walde Mariam, a palace chronicler. Clement Markham, a leading British historian of the expedition, said British forces on entering the citadel ``swarmed around the body of the deceased monarch and began to pull and tear his clothes to pieces.'' ``The troops seized whatever valuables they could find in and around the citadel. They dispersed all over the mountain top and the Emperor's treasury was soon entirely rifled,'' Markham wrote. Richard Pankhurst, a historian and member of the new association, said on Tuesday that British military authorities then transported the loot to nearby Dalanta plain in northern Ethiopia and held a two-day auction to raise prize money for the troops. ``This officially organised sale raised a total of 5,000 pounds, which assured each enlisted man (received) a trifle over four dollars,'' Pankhurst said.
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.
-----Original Message-----
From: novine novine@spanit.com
Date: 1999. travanj 12 03:48
Subject: O V E R V I E W oF CIVILIAN DESTRUCTION
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA FEDERAL MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS DIRECTORATE FOR INFORMATION
ANNEX
LIST OF ENDANGERED CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE
(Updated April, 8, 1999)
On the territory of the FR Yugoslavia there are 2787 registered monuments of cultural and architectural heritage, out of which only 1300 are situated in Kosovo and Metohija. Apart from that, 1700 monuments of natural heritage protected by various international programmes, are endangered, as well. On the UNESCO World Heritage List there are:
Monasteries: Studenica, Sopocani, Stari Ras, as well as the ancient city of Kotor and the National Park of Durmitor.
Decani (monastery) and the National Park Biogradska gora are nominated for the same list.
The file on the cultural monuments from Kosovo and Metohija has been sent to UNESCO with request for special protection.
Prizren
Monastery of Virgin Ljeviska (XI cent.)
Church of St. Nicholas (XIV cent.)
Church of St. Savior (XIV cent.)
Sinan Pasha's Mosque (XVII cent.)
Hamam, Turkish Bath (XVII cent.)
Kaljaja Fortress (XI cent.)
Decani
Monastery (XIV cent.), nominated for World Heritage List
Djakovica:
Terzije Bridge (XV cent.) (directly hit, the missile destroyed
before reaching the target)
Hadum Mosque (XVI cent.)
Djurakovac
Church of St. Nicholas (XIV cent.)
Kosovska Mitrovica
Fortress Zvecan (XII century)
Novi Sad
Monasteries of Fruska gora
Uzice:
Medieval fortress
Hydroelectric power plant (XIX cent.)
Old downtown
Kadinjaca
Kablar
Monastery Nikolje (XV cent.)
Pancevo:
Monastery Vojlovica (XV cent.)
Smederevo:
Medieval Fortress
Churches 15th, 19th cent.
Cetinje
Old town
Beograd:
Complex of monuments in Topcider
Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul (XIX cent.)
It was like any other day for the man neighbors called "Daddy Don" when Donald Thomas took his security post at the LDS Church's Family History Library. But only a few hours into his shift, about 11 a.m. on Thursday, Thomas was pronounced dead at LDS Hospital of a gunshot wound to the chest, killed by a gunman who had calmly walked into the Salt Lake City building and randomly began firing. Thomas had worked for church security for the past 28 years and was to retire in June. The 62-year-old Thomas leaves behind his wife, Konadee, who uses a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis, four children and 12 grandchildren. The couple lived in West Jordan with their daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren. "Their dad is a hero," said Jeffrey Hill, the family's LDS bishop. "He spent his whole life protecting his family, and that's the way he died -- protecting people." The Thomas family was not alone in its grief. Patricia Irene Frengs of Pleasant Hills, Calif., was also fatally shot Thursday. Police said the 55-year-old woman's husband, Jack, identified her. Two Laketown, Utah, women -- a mother and daughter -- were wounded. On Thursday, the mother, Theda Weston, 71, was at the library with her daughter Chris Webb, 45. Weston was shot near her left eye. The bullet circled around the side of her face and lodged in the back of her head, causing severe sinus damage, said University Hospital spokesman John Dwan. She was in serious condition, but was alert and talking with doctors. "Theda is very sweet," said Pamela Rhees Weston, her next-door neighbor in the small northern Utah town. "She likes to knit and quilt, and she really likes genealogy. I was just thinking, though, her house burned down last winter, and she was telling me how horrible it was to lose all of her photos -- and now this." Webb, 45, was shot through the shoulder, and the bullet entered her lung. She was in fair condition at Salt Lake Regional Hospital. Weston, a great-grandmother, raised five children on the family's ranch before passing it along to one of her sons. Webb has three children. Said Kae Weston, a distant relative: "It's a small town. We know everyone here -- so everyone is pulling for them." Weston's grandson Josh Weston, 16, was called out of school in the early afternoon and told of the shooting. "We just cried all the way home," said Char Weston, Josh's cousin. "I just love being around her," Josh Weston said of his grandmother. "I've already gotten calls from a bunch of people offering to help out." Another victim, Nellie Neighton, 80, had been serving a Mormon temple mission since March 1998. Neighton, originally from Oakland, Calif., was shot in the cheek and was in fair condition late Thursday. "She's a very nice lady," said Neighton's Salt Lake City neighbor, Leroy Sommer. "Her daughter Judy does our taxes back in California and asked us to look for her, so we were just delighted to find her right next door." "We are saddened by the terrible tragedy which occurred at our Family History Library this morning, in which three people were killed, including an employee of the church," said a statement from the LDS Church's governing First Presidency, composed of church President Gordon B. Hinckley and his counselors, Presidents Thomas S. Monson and James E. Faust.