Paper short abstract:

Heritage is a result of knowledge. This paper discusses the impact of various levels and forms of knowledge in the process of heritage-making by analyzing the metacultural and conflict-laden transformation of a building into an outstanding monument.

Paper long abstract:

In the process of heritage-making knowledge acquires an important role: As a result of metacultural operations, one could argue, heritage is a product of knowledge. It is not only in UNESCO-dominated contexts that scientific knowledge and expertise play a crucial role in identifying heritage and thus in legitimizing efforts of safeguarding. The history of local and national forerunners of an international heritage regime, e.g. the protection of historical monuments, demonstrates how this knowledge can be transformed into normative heritage policy.

In my paper I will analyze a concrete example that demonstrates the impact of knowledge in the process of heritage-making: In 2008 the federal monument protection service of Schleswig-Holstein declared parts of Kiel's university campus, built in the postwar period, a historically and artificially outstanding monument that had to be protected. This incident caused an intense conflict with different actors involved. During this conflict, these actors - students, heritage professionals, politicians etc. - produced different meanings of the place and argued from different points of view. My paper analyzes this process of heritage-making as a process of knowledge production that also resulted in social conflicts. I suggest differentiating various levels and formats of knowledge. In order to contextualize the circumscribed line of reasoning it is also necessary to focus on the history of the preservation of ancient monuments.