The importance of restorers
Humanity's cultural heritage is invaluable. A lot of art and cultural assets are unique and irreplaceable. In order to preserve them for posterity, restorers, among others, ensure their preservation. Without careful work, the objects would decay over time due to biological, chemical and physical effects. Professional restoration is therefore a central element of cultural heritage conservation.
The restoration process
Not only do restorers classify objects, they also document their current condition, draw up plans for any necessary restoration work and record the exact procedure and the result on paper and in electronic archives. The work on the object also becomes part of its history, which is important for posterity. The everyday work of a restorer can therefore be very varied.
Conservation is the most common task within the conservation of cultural assets
More often than not, restorers are concerned with the conservation of objects rather than with their restoration. In fact, slight signs of decay tell us a lot about their history, which is why they are accepted to a certain extent. Thanks to conservation measures such as fire protection or controlling temperature or humidity, objects remain in their present condition for longer.
Events around the preservation of cultural assets
However, the importance of preserving testimonies of our history is also made clear by the many events. For example, the European Commission had declared 2018 to be the "European Cultural Heritage Year" in order to bring Europe's history and values to the attention of the public and to strengthen them. In addition, the "1st European Day of the Restoration" took place on 14 October 2018 and the "European Week of the Restoration" from the 8th to the 14th of October 2018.
