Heritage: A Conceptual Paper Toward a Theory of Cultural Heritage in Humanitarian Action

This conceptual paper deals with definitions of and approaches to cultural and natural heritage and discusses functions of heritage and culture as elements of sustainable peace-building. The paper assumes the necessity of a longer-term strategic thinking. A fundamental question occupying heritage research is why some parts of the human Lebensraum are singled out and marked as a cultural heritage and why this need for preserving, protecting and capturing in time and space is escalating globally. Some researchers argue that this is a consequence of that we seem to be living in a fragmented, post, post-modern society where no coherent story is told and people and places are regarded as texts and isolated narratives open for interpretations and re-interpretations. Some others argue that the Drang for heritage is based on economic interests and connected to the booming tourist industry, while others refer to the politicizing of place. The conceptual discussion will be exemplified with the ethnographic case of The Museum of Terror/ Terror Haza in Budapest in order to show the complexity of heritage as elements of reconciliation and transition.Transition, Memory and Reconciliation - inquiry into the Roles and Functions of Cultural and Natura