Perspectives on Industrial Heritage

While international heritage protection organizations today are trying to find ways in which the preservation of cultural heritage can promote climate action and highlight the role of heritage as a driver of sustainable development, some countries in the region fail to recognize the significance of industrial heritage, which represents undeniable evidence of the process of industrialization—the greatest economic and social revolution in human history.
This category of cultural heritage remains neglected. Its historical, social, scientific, and aesthetic values are still not recognized by the public, official policies, or conservation organizations as an integral part of the cultural tradition, as evidenced by the current list of national monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The demolition of one of the most significant industrial monuments, the Electric Power Plant in Sarajevo, calls for the academic community to urgently act in highlighting the importance and value of this cultural heritage.

The round table brought together professionals and scholars from countries in the region with which Bosnia and Herzegovina shares a part of its industrial past. The main goal is to establish high-quality cooperation and networking in the exchange of experiences and knowledge in the field of industrial heritage protection. The planned academic discussion represents the first step in shaping the Bosnian-Herzegovinian public’s perception of this significant heritage as part of both the national and universal heritage.