Theme:
6. Contested Pasts & Presents
Session format:
Session with keynote presentation and discussion
Title:
CANCELLED From Combat to Friendship around a Historic Alpine Lodge. Heritage and Peace-Building on the Border of Italy, Slovenia and Austria
Content:
Since Roman times and even before that the mountain regions of the Alps were a place of conflict and border disputes. Since the end of World War II and the creation of the EU, historic places and traditions have formed the basis of peaceful relationships in former conflict zones. One example is the alpine lodge “Annahütte” where for the past 30 years, civil society groups and ordinary people from the three bordering countries (Austria, Slovenia, Italy) have been using the site for remembrance and joint festivities. In an annual “peace walk” pilgrimage, groups from the three countries meet at the pinnacle. They also organize an annual festival with music, food, dancing and a hiking and bike tour that follows the Alpe-Adria Trail. This is an example of grass-roots, self-organized socio-political activism on a border that has seen much bloodshed and now symbolizes unity. The site now symbolizes friendship and shared values, with many new traditions arising. We propose to explore this phenomenon of actively repurposing historic sites and traditions to overcome long-standing animosities. Other examples include the Alpe-Adria Trail which emphasizes a shared experience of nature and of precarious Alpine ecology, and the Walk of Peace, a UNESCO-nominated 320 km long course that connects structures associated with the Isonzo Front, one of the bloodiest battle lines of World War I. The ability of heritage and common values around nature, similar shared customs and joint new challenges such as protecting a shared environment, can unite people across borders in organic and lasting ways. In the socio-political landscapes around the border regions of the Alps, the past, the present and the future are becoming a platform for the message of peace and tolerance. We invite papers on the phenomenon of purposing historic and archaeological sites related to conflict, to overcome long-standing animosities.
Keywords:
Preservation of Shared European Heritage, Peace-building, Cross-Border Community Building, Environmental Protection, Civil Engagement, Heritage and Reconciliation
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
Main organiser:
Cheryl Benard (United States) 1
Co-organisers:
Karl Moschitz (Italy) 2
Marietta Ulrich-Horn (Austria) 3
Sophia Schultz (Germany) 4
Affiliations:
1. President, ARCH International
2. President, Kanaltaler Kulturverein
3. President, ARCH-Europe
4. Director of International Programs, ARCH International
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