Műemlék-helyreállítások tegnap, ma, holnap (A 27. Egri Nyári Egyetem előadásai 1997 Eger, 1997)

Előadások - The phylosophy of monument restoration Debate – moderator: András ROMÁN

the monuments. And what would I like to reach? It is a personal question. I would like some more restorations which are better than the erlier ones. Tamás Fejérdy I would like to return to the restoration as we have already talked a little about the monument protection. I'd like if there were restorations. If there are, they must not cause damage. Maybe it sounds strange, but several times we destroy values in the name of restoration. We must not let anything be destroyed. Finally I hope that we are approaching to some kind of synthesis. The history of monument protection is not too long. It started in the middle of the last century and lasts till nowadays. I think that the past had an idea, the near past had one, too. And now I'd like an idea which does not over emphasize the past values in the renovations and does not complete them as perfectly as they could have been. On the other hand, these ideas must not overemphasize the work of the restorer by didactic solutions to show that these things were done by the restorers, these things are some kind of additions. I would like if monument renovation had a kind of organic continuity. We should find that synthesis in which authenticity has an important role and in which there is balance between the original and the authentically added parts. I would like to see an integrated solution in restoration. I do not want a solution which means to pour down the parts of the monument with a colourless, odourless liquid to preserve them or to repair the monument in a way that later we cannot modificate. I would like an integrated solution which gives back the continuity and the life of the monument and emphasize its values. András Román I would like to modificate the question for myself. My question is that when would I be satisfied with the future renovations? I would like to apoligize to our foreign guests, because mainly the Hungarians will understand my answer, those who know the Hungarian monuments. I would be satisfied if at least four out of ten restorations were like the Church of Csempeszkovács, the Diósgyőr Castle, the Synagogue in Úri Street in Sopron. And I would be happy if there were six or seven of them. Erzsébet Szabó There was a sentence in the answer to the first question which said that the public should be involved in defining the values. The context was that there was less and less money for renovations and this would give the reason for this step. I would like to ask you to talk about it in details. Is not it dangerous? Maybe the values will not be saved in such a large quantity as they were until now, if the public decides about them. But perhaps I misunderstood something. Herb Stovel It's a question that conservation professionals always ask when they focus on this subject of the public. I think we always begin and I can include myself in this with same suspicion of what it means to involve the public. And I think in the answer there are two principles. First of all we don't have the right to judge the ability of the public to express what to define their values. Because their values it's not our values. We are not an elite who have been given any privilage to look after the values of the public. They heriled the values we talk about belong to the public not to us. I think that's an important principle. We can debate it but for me it's a fundamental principle.