Conservation and Reinvention

This chapter reveals how cultural heritage law, particularly through the World Heritage Convention framework, plays a pivotal role in shaping narratives and promoting transitional justice efforts at sites like Auschwitz-Birkenau (Poland), Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (Japan), and Robben Island (South Africa). It highlights the tension between preserving historical memory and fostering reconciliation, while also exploring the revitalization of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) as a tool for healing in post-conflict societies. The study analyzes legal mechanisms that protect ICH, such as international listing, to safeguard practices like Glasoechko male singing in North Macedonia—endangered due to community dispersal during and after Yugoslav wars—and draws parallels with Colombia's conflict resolution efforts. By examining these case studies, the chapter underscores the potential of heritage conservation to bridge past injustices and foster social cohesion.

(Ed.). (2021). Conservation and Reinvention. Legalized Identities, 55–93. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108769044.003