Vol 12 (2012): Cultural heritage “excess baggage” of daily life?
Can we talk about "excess baggage" in the context of cultural heritage? Can historical, cultural, religious - spiritual and material values, which constitute, after all, a social good, be at the same time a burden in the context of everyday life? The metaphor of "excess baggage" in relation to cultural heritage turned out to be extremely apt, as evidenced by the texts published in the Vol. 12 of "Studia Etnologiczne i Antropologiczne". Many authors note that the process of inheritance, including cultural inheritance, is complicated, multidimensional and ambiguous, as evidenced, for example, by the attitude towards the German "inheritance" in Lower Silesia, Opole Silesia, Warmia and Mazuria. This existing legacy was undoubtedly a kind of "excess baggage" for the resettlers, who became its heirs as a result of political actions. The metaphor of cultural heritage as "excess baggage" takes on a different dimension in the context of contemporary trends related to tourism, contemporary exhibition practices or organisation of domestic space. In the attitudes of consumerism and because of the need to accumulate sensations and consciously choose a lifestyle, references to cultural heritage as unnecessary ballast are observed.
The publication is complemented by terminological considerations on cultural heritage as part of personality, an element of regional education, politics and its valuation. Activities for the preservation of cultural heritage, undertaken by international institutions, universities and associations, are also discussed.
