The Role of cultural heritage for local communities: insights from recent research
ENAt the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the paradigm of heritage protection changed significantly. At the same time, the idea took root that it is important to include communities (heritage protectors ‘from below’) in heritage preservation processes, and not only include them, but treat the communities as an equal – or even the most important – factor and actor in heritage protection. What exactly those communities are, which in this context are sometimes called heritage communities, is open to broad interpretation and can be defined in the context of specific countries and cases. The subject of the present study is those local communities which are officially established and registered in Lithuania and which operate in accordance with the Law on Associations. This is probably the largest group of official communities in Lithuania. They are not usually established for the purpose of heritage preservation. However, this study aims to establish to what extent theories or assumptions about the importance of heritage for the sense of community within groups or for their identity are well-founded. And also to what extent heritage is important for their self-perception and their activities in general, and to what extent they naturally have the potential and will to be heritage communities. The findings of this research question the importance of heritage for local communities and reveal a specific perception of the benefits of heritage, when action within the sphere of heritage is primarily related not to the preservation of the heritage itself, but to the benefits of the heritage to the community. Heritage is not a value in itself. It is important to the extent that it can contribute to the realisation of the basic needs of the community. Key words: local communities, cultural heritage, role of heritage, importance of heritage, Lithuania.
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