The Destruction of Cultural Assets and Conflict Strategies of Making Things Visible and Invisible

Recent Cases of Systematic Violence in West Asia.

In many armed conflicts, the actors involved attack not only military targets, but also religious and cultural sites. The damage and destruction of cultural property should be understood as part of conflict strategies with which the actors attempt to gain an advantage in pursuing their goals. Why, how, and with what effect do state and non-state actors attack religious and cultural sites? The lecture highlights two current cases of large-scale destruction of cultural property in West Asia: the globally staged acts of violence by the organization “ISIS” against cultural and religious sites in Syria and Iraq, and the large-scale destruction of cultural heritage in Gaza by the Israeli armed forces. Hanna Pfeifer's lecture focuses both on the strategic significance of the destruction itself and on the strategies used to make destruction visible and invisible: while ISIS deliberately staged the destruction for a global audience, the Israeli government attempts to conceal the visible damage in Gaza with uncertainty and deny its responsibility. Based on post-conflict strategies for dealing with the violent destruction of cultural property, the lecture ultimately asks the question: Where do we go from here?

A lecture by Hanna Pfeifer (Die Junge Akademie / AGYA, University of Hamburg) with a response by Academy member Michael Zürn (Berlin Social Science Center, WZB). Moderation: Academy member Anita Traninger (spokesperson for the annual theme).

Registration is required at: www.bbaw.de/veranstaltungen/veranstaltung-die-zerstoerung-von-kulturguetern-und-methoden-der-sichtbar-und-unsichtbarmachung-als-konfliktstrategie.

🔊 - DE