Republic of Lithuania was initiated to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1991. One of the spheres of activities of this organization – world tangible and intangible protection to future generations. In 1992 Lithuania joined UNESCO convention for World’s cultural and natural heritage protection and in 2004 joined intangible cultural heritage protection convention.
International seminar “Vilnius – World Heritage Site: values of Jewish heritage and its commemoration”
On 7 - 8 December 2009 Department of cultural heritage under the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with Centre for Studies of the Culture and History of East European Jews organized international seminar “Vilnius – World Heritage Site: values of Jewish heritage and its commemoration”.
The main inspiration to hold this seminar was the suggestion of official working group (established under the Prime Minister decree) on rebuilding the old Jewish quarter in Vilnius and former Great Synagogue of Vilnius which were destroyed during World War II. Considering the fact that area of former Jewish quarter was heavily damaged during the II World War and built-up after it, working group and all society in general faced the essential questions – how, why, what should (or shouldn’t?) be rebuild. Those questions indicate such fundamental concepts as authenticity of the heritage demands and needs of society. This caused that Vilnius, as World heritage site (which historically and culturally was strongly influenced by Jewish heritage) was chosen good background to discuss these topics.
During the seminar were presented importance and values of Jewish heritage in Vilnius within the framework of Vilnius, as World Heritage Site. The Seminar also encouraged discussions about cultural and historical factors which created specific Vilnius values and made this city the World Heritage Site. During the Seminar was emphasized the importance of Jewish heritage to Vilnius and significance of Vilnius to Jewish culture. Beside that, it focused on exchanging experiences on common practice, problems and issues in the field of Jewish heritage commemoration.
During the seminar was opened the exhibition “Synagogues in Lithuania” (arranged by Centre for Studies of the Culture and History of East European Jews and Vilnius Art Academy).
Seminar video recording:
I Session
Opening
Rasa Čepaitienė, Relationship between contemporary society and cultural heritage
Faina Kukliansky, Some problems on Jewish property restitution and preservation
Jurgita Verbickienė, The significance of Jewish Vilnius
Discussion
II Session
Ruth Ellen Gruber, New Life in Old Spaces: Budapest's Seventh District
Philip Carmel, Translating the Space. Jewish heritage in the urban context of Kraków and Berlin
Giedrė Mickūnaitė, Cataloguing Synagogues in Lithuania: Project Afterthoughts and Future Perspectives
III Session
Vladimir Levin, Synagogues in the Urban Fabric of Vilnius
Marija Rupeikienė, The Great synagogue of Vilnius: history and iconography
Yulik Gurvitch, Jewish Vilnius and tourists’ expectation
