The Rise of Heritage: Preserving the Past in France, Germany and England, 1789–1914 (New Studies in European History) - Softcover

Swenson, Astrid

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1107595584 ISBN 13: 9781107595583

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2015

Synopsis

Where does our fascination for 'heritage' originate? This groundbreaking comparative study of preservation in France, Germany and England looks beyond national borders to reveal how the idea of heritage emerged from intense competition and collaboration in a global context. Astrid Swenson follows the 'heritage-makers' from the French Revolution to the First World War, revealing the importance of global networks driving developments in each country. Drawing on documentary, literary and visual sources, the book connects high politics and daily life and uncovers how, through travel, correspondence, world fairs and international congresses, the preservationists exchanged ideas, helped each other campaign and dreamed of establishing international institutions for the protection of heritage. Yet, these heritage-makers were also animated by fierce rivalry as international tension grew. This mixture of international collaboration and competition created the European culture of heritage, which defined preservation as integral to modernity, and still shapes current institutions and debates.

About this title

Book Description:

This richly illustrated book explains the origins of our modern fascination with heritage. Drawing on archival sources from Germany, France and Britain, it uncovers for the first time the fascinating story of international competition, rivalry and collaboration which lay behind the rise of preservation in Europe and the world.

About the Author:

Astrid Swenson is Lecturer in European History at Brunel University, London. Her previous publications include From Plunder to Preservation: Britain and the Heritage of Empire, c.1800-1940 (co-edited with Peter Mandler, 2013).

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1107595584
• ISBN 13: 9781107595583
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432