Regulating Transnational Heritage: Memory, Identity and Diversity

Transnational heritage is a vast body of international and national law that regulates cultural heritage, but it remains blind to the transnational heritage. This is heritage where there is no community recognized in law that can be directly attributed to and responsible for its safekeeping and preservation. It challenges the idea of monolithic, mono-cultural, ethno-national states and can be items of heritage where the claim of ownership is disputed between two or more peoples or communities. This book explores the regulation of transnational heritage, discussing many cases and the problems that arise due to the lack of regulation. It emphasizes that transnational heritage also directly affects wider matters of law such as citizenship, human rights, sovereignty, and the movement of people and cultural goods.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 156 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Cultural heritage is governed by a vast body of international and national laws, yet the current regulatory framework remains largely oblivious to the concept of transnational heritage. This encompasses heritage that lacks a recognized community in law, making it challenging to establish responsibility for its preservation and protection. It can also involve disputes over ownership claims among multiple peoples or communities. Transnational heritage challenges the notion of monolithic, mono-cultural, and ethno-national states. Numerous examples exist, such as the Buddhist Bamiyan statutes in Afghanistan, the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria, the rich Jewish heritage of Iraq, and various artifacts held in large, often Western, museums as a result of colonial practices. This book delves into the regulation of transnational heritage. By examining numerous cases of transnational heritage and the challenges posed by the lack of regulation, the book analyzes how memories and constructions of communities are shaped through heritage. It specifically focuses on the concept of community, exploring how communities are constructed within cultural heritage law and what falls outside its definitions. The book emphasizes that the issues surrounding transnational heritage extend beyond a mere communal right to culture. It argues that transnational heritage also impacts broader legal matters, including citizenship, human rights, sovereignty, and the movement of people and cultural goods.

Weight: 262g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032080598