NET-HERITAGE

Cultural Heritage Context

In Romania, a wide range of institutions are engaged in major direct and indirect activities in the field of the cultural heritage protection, starting with the Ministry of Culture, Universities of Art, Architecture faculties, the Romanian Patriarchy, research institutes and museums set up to develop new technologies and prepare specialists in the study of national cultural heritage. Cultural objects placed in the national cultural heritage are science and technology, archeology, documents, numismatics, ethnography, decorative art, fine art, old books, medal, history.

Cultural Heritage Governance and Policy

The Education forum in Romania for cultural heritage conservation is the Ministry of Culture. It is responsible for the proper performance of involving management in development strategies, distribution of restoration (depending on the state of degradation of historical monuments) the money available, the funds raised from other sources, etc. Departments are involved in the process of restoration of the institutions of art, the museums, architectural institutes, research institutes, etc.

Most of the monuments with historical value, artistic or architectural property is in the public administration and are managed by public entities (local public administration or religious administration). According to a 2005 study, 26,900-historical monuments are in danger (that’s 65% of monuments) and out of these, 35% are degrading. Some exceptional monuments of national cultural heritage are included on the UNESCO list of world heritage (churches with mural painting in northern Moldova,  wooden churches from Maramures, german fortresses from  Transilvania, the historic center of Sighisoara, Orastie Dacian fortresses in the mountains, and in 2007, Sibiu was declared European Capital.  The Ministry of Culture will propose a legal reform that encourages conservation of old historic buildings with a special conservation status. They are the legal representatives and have responsibility to exercise supervisory powers on behalf of the State and apply the law to protect mobile assets, which include religious heritage, foundation-owned properties, etc This applies not only to heritage buildings but to the entire Romanian cultural landscape.

Cultural Heritage Funding

Restoration of historical monuments, restoration of old buildings, rehabilitation of conservation areas, parks and gardens are areas that can be European funded.   Romania attracts viable programs and funds from the EU depending on money from the budget. The Ministry of Religion and Culture, distribute the funds to areas worst affected within the state.  As the Ministry of Culture has an insufficient budget, it can not cover all required needs and it therefore looks to development programs and strategies to attract European funding. Most research money comes from the state budget. Institutions involved in research programs attracting extra-budgetary funds will benefit from the state aid may also be self-financing.

Cultural Heritage Research

Cultural policies and strategies are put into practice through specific regulations contained in a regulatory framework. The development of primary - and secondary - regulation is an important component of cultural policies.  Some common sources for regulating culture are:

1. Binding international legal instruments (treaties, pacts, conventions)
2. Instruments without mandatory power developed by specialized non-governmental international organizations
3. National cultural policies
4. Regulations adopted in other countries, considered as examples of good practice.
   

In Romania, research of cultural heritage in every aspect takes place in the Universities of Art, the Institutes of Architecture, Research Institutes, Museums of History and Art, etc. Shaping cultural and national regulatory framework of culture depends on how the principles, recommendations and guidelines contained in international instruments are incorporated into national legislation and how they are articulated, with the many regulations, to form a coherent whole. In 2000, the international network for cultural diversity, composed of ministers of culture from different countries, developed a catalogue of international principles on culture, expressed in political and legal instruments and classified into 10 categories:

1. Cultural rights;
2. Preservation of cultural heritage;
3. Copyright protection;
4. Circulation of cultural goods and services;
5. Culture as a component of development;
6. Dialogue between cultures and international cooperation;
7. Co-production and dissemination of culture;
8. Cultural policies;
9. Artists and creators;
10. Promoting linguistic diversity.

Cultural Heritage Education and Outreach

In the protection of cultural heritage, education has a major role. Through institutions of art, students are instructed in restoration, monumental art and techniques of mural painting. Through the institutes of architecture, students are instructed in the restoration of heritage property and are able to attend workshops for restoration of museums, including church restoration and specialising in religious painting restoration. Other research institutes focus on the specialization and promotion of young researchers.

Cultural Heritage and preservation is an area that is very broad, including knowledge of the plight of national cultural heritage, the strategy of informing the state institutions and the capacity to bring financial contribution and strategically concrete actions for restoration.

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