Socialist Heritage

The Dissonant Heritage-action was presented at the ISC20C -AGM 2020 as an overarching frame and umbrella term to continue and extend the previous activities of the working group "Socialist Heritage", which focused in particular on the post-war heritage of the post-socialist countries in Central and Eastern Europe (Socialist Realism/Stalinist Architecture or Socialist Classicism as well as Socialist Modernism), but should also include the Russian avant-garde or Russian Constructivism since 1917. Historically, the term "dissonant heritage" also covers other testimonies of war and tyranny in the 20th century, such as the legacy of dictatorship and totalitarian oppression, displacement, persecution and resistance, defense architecture/militarism, fascism and colonialism. Geographically, the umbrella term is intended to include beyond the post-socialist countries in Europe all regions whose past and heritage have been shaped or at least affected by practices that disregarded human rights in the last century. The broader scope eventually also addresses and invites new initiatives, focus on identifying and strengthening values of the dissonant historical heritage by integrating it into urban and regional development and sustainable tourism concepts, thus connecting different heritage sites and opening up integrated approaches and options for its preservation. An online networking event is planned in the frame of the action plan "Dissonant Heritage", initiated and coordinated by the "EU Urban Agenda / Partnership Culture and Cultural Heritage", on 16/17 February 2022. A follow-up event would be conceivable in the context of the Europe Group Meeting of ICOMOS in Estonia in early summer 2023.

Members interested in participating in the dissonant Heritage Action should contact expert member Joerg Haspel and for the Socialist Heritage initiative: vice president Dumitru Rusu.