THEORY AND PRACTICE IN THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL MONUMENTS IN LATVIA DURING THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE (1919-1923) (Kulturas mantojuma aizsardziba Latvijas Republika (1919-1923))

• Authors: Petersons Rihards
• Languages of publication: LV

Abstracts

EN

During the early years of Latvia's independence, the need to protect the country's cultural monuments was not forgotten. In 1998 we marked the 75th anniversary of the adoption of Latvia's first law to protect monuments (June 15, 1923) by Parliament. The methods that are used in this process are different now than they were back then, but the range of issues which must be considered have remained relatively unchanged: specification of the typology of monuments, differentiation of the value of real estate and movable objects, involvement of the public in the protection of monuments, working out terminology, assembling lists of monuments and publishing them in catalogues, cooperation of government institutions and public organizations in this area, etc. World War I and the subsequent battle for Latvia's independence did great damage to Latvia's cultural environment and the country's artistic treasures. Vandalism and theft, selling off many treasures for speculative purposes - this was very much the typical situation in Latvia soon after the declaration of independence. The Education Ministry was the institution which was charged with protecting the country's movable cultural heritage. The work started in earnest only in the fall of 1919. Deputies to the Latvian Constitutional Convention and members of the public began to work actively in 1920 to create a legal and organizational foundation for protection of the cultural heritage. A wide range of politicians and specialists became involved in the discussions about this issue, among them Aspazija, Karlis Skalbe, Valerija Seile, Karlis Kasparsons, Atis Kenins. The Constitutional Convention rejected the first draft law on the protection of monuments, and this meant that the establishment of the appropriate national institution was delayed for nearly two more years. Among the many specialists who participated in the process, there were representatives of specific areas - Arveds Svabe in history, Pauls Kundzins in architecture, Antons Birkerts in cultural history and Zelmars Lancmanis in regional research.

Keywords

EN

CULTURAL MONUMENTS; INSTITUTIONS; MONUMENT PROTECTION

Discipline

• ARTS_&_ARCHITECTURE: ARTS & ARCHITECTURE

• Publisher: Publishing House 'Neputns', Terbatas iela 49/51-8, Riga LV-1011, Latvia; www.neputns.lv
• Journal: Materiali Latvijas makslas vesturei
• Year: 2001
• Volume: 2
• Pages: 23-33
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Petersons Rihards

• Rihards Petersons, Latvian Academy of Art, Kalpaka bulvaris 13, Riga LV-1867, Latvia

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

01LVAAAA08913