Rebuilding to remember, rebuilding to forget: the tangible and intangible afterlife of architectural heritage destroyed by acts of war

Aggressors have often attacked sites of valued architectural heritage, believing such destruction will demoralize the targeted nation‟s people and irreversibly shake the foundations of the marginalized culture. Of architectural structures that have been specifically targeted and fell victim to enemy attacks over the past decades however, many have been rebuilt in some capacity. This study considers the cases of Old Town Warsaw, the Stari Most in Mostar, and the former World Trade Center site in New York City to understand the ways in which local citizens engaged with the monuments tangible presence and intangible spirit prior to acts of aggression, during the monuments‟ physical destruction, and throughout the process of rebuilding. From this analysis, it is concluded that while the rebuilding of valued sites of architectural heritage often reaffirms a culture‟s resilience, there is no universal way to deal with the aftermath of the destruction of built heritage. Instead, the choices of if and how to rebuild are directly influenced by the political and economic conditions of a city after it experiences such architectural loss. By considering UNESCO and field standards on authenticity, cultural heritage, and preservation methods, this study seeks to understand the various ways in which a society may choose to redevelop a site of architectural importance, embracing and exalting carefully selected memories after its intentional destruction during acts of war.M.A.Includes bibliographical referencesby Lauren J. Kan