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REISERAPPORT |
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Daniel
Winfree Papuga, Board member of ICME
Museums, rural regeneration and tourism
ICME 25–30.9. 2003, Sibiu, Romania
With the theme "Cultural Traditions in Danger of Disappearing in
Contemporary Society - A Challenge for Museums", it was natural that
this year's ICME conference would focus on how institutions involve
themselves with both tangible and intangible heritage. Many of the
papers presented at the conference (held at ASTRA museum complex in
Sibiu, Romania, September 26-30, 2003) concerned museum collaboration in
rural reconstruction projects and the revitalization of traditions
OUTSIDE of museum collections and exhibitions.
That museums see their mandates as expanding beyond the walls of their
buildings is nothing new. But in recent decades, it is perhaps the
"eco-museum" movement that has been most active in promoting "in situ"
preservation of cultural heritage - keeping heritage sites alive in ways
that involve local communities - as well as contextualizing history and
function.
One presentation on this topic was by Remus Iancu (from ASTRA museum),
who described the restoration of 22 water mills in the Rudaria region of
Romania. This is one of the few remaining complexes of watermills in the
country, where a whole series of mills operate along a 3-km. stretch of
river. Rather than moving these mills to a museum (ASTRA museum already
has a large collection of non-functional mills set up in their open air
museum), the organizers hope that the restored mills can continue to be
used by the local population - particularly as a tourist magnet during
the summer season.
A similar paper was written by Ligia Fulga, director of the Ethnographic
Museum of Brasov. Her main focus was on museum involvement in the
revival of hydraulic textile industries of the Lisa area of Romania.
Together with local artisans, the Brasov museum took the initiative
apply for EU funding to restore a traditional water mill for blanket
production. This mill would simultaneously serve as a center for
teaching wool production techniques, as a sales point for the textiles
produced there and as a place to enjoy local foods. Somewhat the same
idea as an "agro-tourism" complex. With that in mind, it is not
surprising that the EU country funding the project was Italy, since
Italy has the strongest rural-tourism activity in Europe.
The Ethnographic Museum of Brasov has made an temporary exhibition on
the process of restoring this mill complex - from idea stage, to
techniques and proposed uses. Read more about the project at
http://www.etnobrasov.ro/lisa/en_lisa.htm
Documentation of this project could be useful in helping others interested
in collaborating on the same kind of rural regeneration. Such
documentation could also show some of the pitfalls in tying cultural
heritage tightly to tourism.
As the mill only opened recently, it is too early to see if it will be a
commercial success. It is also difficult to ascertain if the new,
tourist orientation detracts noticeably from the 'authenticity' of the
complex. What is clear, however, is that by keeping the mill running as
a working complex, one creates continuity with the past which would not
be possible by moving the mill to a museum. And by keeping the local
community employed in wool production, the 'intangible heritage' this
weaving tradition represents is much more secure.
Papers from the conference will be published on the ICME website: http://icme.icom.museum
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