Introduction

This book uses the Historic Urban Landscape — the most recently codified notion of international urban heritage conservation — to demonstrate why it is necessary to demarcate history from cultural heritage and what consequences the increasing popularity of the latter have on history.

It also demonstrates how the history of cultural heritage can be constructed as a historical problem.

Conceptual History of Urban Heritage Preservation

First, the conceptual history of urban heritage preservation – based on the standard setting instruments of international organizations – reveals the fundamental elements of the current concept of urban heritage.

The HUL Approach and Vienna

Second, this concept, as worded in the HUL approach, is investigated through the analysis of Vienna, which played a crucial role in the establishment of HUL.

Constructing Cultural Heritage as a Historical Problem

These examples are used to show how the evolution of cultural heritage can be constructed as a historical problem.