• Current opened records

  • The role of the UNESCO World Heritage List in the commemoration of World War II

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  • Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the Genbaku Dome, in Japan are two cultural heritage sites that “bear witness” to the atrocities of the Second World War. Rooted in emotion, the decisions to preserve Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Genbaku Dome were extremely controversial. The decisions to inscribe both sites onto the UNESCO World Heritage List on the basis of their “outstanding universal significance” required consideration of both the collective memories associated with the war sites and the needs of the local populations. This essay will examine the development of UNESCO as a direct response to the damage and looting of cultural heritage by the Nazis during the Second World War and how the World Heritage List was developed within the framework of UNESCO. Second, it will explore the specific preservation and conservation efforts employed to safeguard Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial for future generations. Last, it will compare the risk factors that challenge the retention of authenticity at both cultural heritage sites.
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