Max Dvořák: Catechism of Conservation for the twentieth and twenty-first centuries?

Abstract

Max Dvořák’s Catechism of conservation [Katechismus der Denkmalpflege], first published during the 1914–18 war, is considered a milestone in the history of heritage conservation. The book emerged out of specific political circumstances, as part of the political agenda of Archduke Franz Ferdinand d’Este, heir to the Austrian imperial throne. Although the archduke’s involvement may complicate the book’s legacy, the mission of the Catechism is humanistic and open to general audiences regardless of nationality, citizenship or class affiliation. The paper examines Catechism of conservation from the standpoint of its relevance for contemporary heritage conservation. Do Dvořák’s main concerns differ from the concerns of the current generation of conservationists? Which of Dvořák’s points seem outdated, and which are still relevant? How does Dvořák’s approach to heritage value meet current challenges?