WWI Underwater Cultural Heritage - forthcoming conference

UNESCO Scientific Conference on WWI Underwater Cultural Heritage

'​The first major event to observe the First World War Centenary will be a special scientific conference and commemorative event on underwater cultural heritage from World War I. The event will include a two-day scientific conference and commemorative day organized by UNESCO and the Government of Flanders. '

'From 2014 onwards, the submerged heritage from World War I will begin to come under the scope of the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. Given the importance of the conflict and its global political implications, UNESCO will take the opportunity to remind the general public of the significance of this heritage by organizing, in cooperation with the Government of Flanders (Belgium), a Scientific Conference on World War I underwater cultural heritage on 26 and 27 June 2014 in the Provincial Courthouse in Bruges. It will bring together expert scientists, academics and relevant NGOs from all over the world to discuss the naval history of World War I, the current state of World War I underwater heritage, and the many dangers threatening it.'

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/underwater-cultural-heritage/world-war-i/meeting-in-bruges-2014/scientific-conference-on-world-war-i-underwater-heritage/


CS

 

As a WW1 Naval History geek, the website alone is a great find. The link to relevant museums and sites is impressive.

As the link is a call for papers there's no agenda yet; but I've not been to a naval conference for a while. And it's in Belgium;I wonder how many Brownie points I need to have...( thinking of a cunning plan).

Thanks for the post CS

4Bn

 

Can't help thinking that the money spent talking about it might be better spent actually preserving something that could be saved like, say, Landfall which will probably be underwater before its qualifying centenary. I know it's the wrong war, but you get the gist...

 

Indeed, putting money into protecting the resource is crucial but as the conference notes state, this objectives here are to raise the profile of the resource, enable international cooperation, and to examine the current state of play. I imagine this is envisaged as some sort of 'kickstarter' to a broader programme of events. I sincerely hope so, anyway.

CS