Owning the patrimony

As I left a seminar on Europe and cultural heritage, i noticed that someone, possibly an art student, had laid claim to the building.

The seminar itself had been interesting. If you are interested, read on (apologies for the length - i've used the blip as my aide memoire - and any mispellings or errors).

Otherwise, just take my word for it.

John Lowrey (Edinburgh University, ESALA) on the ideas which drove the development of Edinburgh's New Town, and questioning the assumption that it was the Enlightenment that was their source.

Robert Belot (St Etienne) on the principles underlying Freemasonry - anti-fanaticist, universal rights, passivism - which so attracted men like Schiller, Beethoven, Goethe, Bartholdi, Pfeffel, Coudenhove-Kalegri (our own Burns didn't make the list), and how this influenced leaders in the USA (check the Statue of Liberty and the dollar bill). Ended with a plea that Europe remember that 1930s fascism saw Freemasons as the enemy.

Roel Ding(?) (Netherlands) on Bonding, Bridging and Linking Cultural Heritage. This was a setting out of the importance for Europe of bridging between amd linking cultures, and the role of tourism in the co-creation of what is important in any particular culture i.e. we understand ourselves better when we see our reflected selves in encounters with each other. I could see where he was going with this, but think he needed to acknowledge more the dangers of chasing the tourist pound/euro/dollar - commercialised, debased and essentially 'lost' cultural patrimony.

Radu...(Romania, Cluj-Napoca) on the reality of Romania's place in Europe. And it isn't Dracula!!! Traced the trade, marital and dynastic links between the Moravian and Wallechian (?) and other European families, including our own MQofS and the current QE2(1). England had a trade deal with Moravia in 1588 which gave it a 75% lower tax! And Moravia was Europe's biggest source of wheat in the 1820s-30s. He ended with the curious fact the Prince Charles holidays in Transylvania every May and this has encouraged the Romanian state to value its environmental and low-impact tourist industry as much as its urban, mass tourism.

Laurier Tungean(?), Canada talked of beer, Europe's central role in its development, production and consumption. Recent resurgence of craft brewing (brewery numbers have doubled since 2010) was linked to 'heritigization' e.g. ads like Heineken's 'taste Holland', names like 'tastyNess', images of iconic landscapes on labels and ads, museums, brewery tours etc. Ended by telling us Belgium has applied for UNESCO Intangible Heritage designation for its beer industry.