Kulturarv utan Gränser
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Office for the cultural environment in Kosovo
The first project in Kosovo undertaken by The first project in Kosovo undertaken by Cultural Heritage without Borders was the so-called Kulla-project 2001-02.
In June 2002, an assessment of the project was carried out with representatives from all the involved authorities and organisations in Kosovo. Participants were able to agree that the main problem facing Kosovo's historic built environment is that the structures that once were in place for effective management of its cultural heritage no longer functioned, and that the Kulla-project pointed to a possible way forward. The evaluation resulted in a common desire to continue along this path, but that there was a need to move from individual buildings to larger areas of conservation. In co-operation with Kosovo's Ministry of Culture/UNMIK (United Nations Mission in Kosovo) and the Institute for Heritage, Cultural Heritage without Borders decided to focus on two areas for its continued work, an area in the village of Isniq and the old street in the town of Decan. Grants from Sida for the years 2003 and 2004 allowed these ideas to be realised.
The main aim of the project is to improve levels of skills and effectiveness in the conservation of the historic built environment. And this should be accomplished by developing methods to safeguard areas requiring conservation, training in ways legal powers may be exercised, gaining practical experience from field-work and by getting the various authorities responsible for planning development and heritage management to work more closely together. Part of the project included collaboration with the school of architecture in Pristina.
The local civil community
The project strives at involving the local community, the local trade council, tourist industry, house-owners, religious denominations etc in order to reach as broad a support as possible for the preservation of the area's cultural environment. Younger professionals without any experience of official positions, mostly architects and planners, require training in issues of cultural heritage and skilled local builders, artisans and suppliers need to become involved and trained in the traditional techniques of building.
Continued focus on a local office for the cultural environment
The role of Cultural Heritage without Bordersis to be a motor in this broad project with many concerned parties, who need support for them to carry out their ideas. In the case of the Kulla-project, a local office for the management team was organised during the autumn of 2001 in which two project managers and an economist were trained in how to steer a complex assignment of restoration. The aim of Cultural Heritage without Borders' continued involvement in Kosovo is to concentrate on the local office's uninterrupted work to create a competent project management organisation that can assist the authorities in both carrying out qualified restorations and in any work related to such schemes. The office is also actively involved in training, information and in making contacts with any interested parties that may be able to contribute to a positive development of the project. The office has also undertaken direct responsibility for certain specific restoration projects in partnership with various financiers - an example being that of the work commissioned on the Hadum mosque in Gjakova.
Shared administration of the multi-cultural heritage
The projects in the village of Isniq and town of Decan are part of a larger project called Dukagjin's multi-cultural heritage, which Cultural heritage without Borders is also conducting. The goal is to accentuate the region's diversified multi-cultural values and thus to help in a reconciliation between its different ethnic groups. By creating a vision of the region as attractive for tourists interested in religious, cultural and scenic places within a 5 to 10 year time scale, we are hoping to bring many different forces together to work for a common goal.
Local office in Pristina
Cultural Heritage without Borders
Payton Place, Str. R. Zogoviq No 8
Pristina, Kosovo
Tel/fax: +381-38-243 918
E-post: chwb_ko@hotmail.com
Web site: www.chwb.org/kosovo
Project manager Dick Sandberg, Cultural Heritage without Borders
Donor Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency)
