A Century of Heritage Conservation

The purpose of this paper is to provide a personal overview on what has been accomplished in the field of heritage conservation over the past hundred years, what are the current concerns, and the issues to be dealt with in the future. During the twentieth century, the principle of conservation of cultural heritage has become accepted by governmental and community policies in most countries of the world. Our century has developed and refined the instruments required for safeguarding; nevertheless, heritage remains an issue of cultural assessment and motivation by the people who are in charge. Often, it seems to become more valuable when there is a serious risk of being deprived of it. This has been the case with our century; even though much has been achieved at the national and even at the international level, the longevity of heritage resources is continuously challenged.