Cultural Tourism and Social Resilience

Cultural Tourism and Social Resilience: Discourse of Historic Cities in East Germany, the Case of Gotha and Eisenach Younkyoung Sung Cultural Tourism and Social Resilience: Discourse of Historic Cities in East Germany, the Case of Gotha and Eisenach Dissertation to conferral of the academic degree Doctor of Philosophy At the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Submitted by Younkyoung Sung Reviewers Prof. Dr. Frank Eckardt, Bauhaus Universität Weimar Prof. Dr. Melanie Kay Smith, Budapest Metropolitan University Prof. Dr. James Kennell, University of Greenwich Date of the Disputation 24th January 2020 Abstract Cultural Tourism and Social Resilience: Discourse of Historic Cities in East Germany, the Case of Gotha and Eisenach This thesis explores how cultural heritage plays a role in the development of urban identity by engaging both actively and passively with memory, i.e. remembering and forgetting. I argue that architectural heritage is a medium where specific cultural and social decisions form its way of presentation, and it reflects the values and inter- ests of the period. By the process of remembering and forgetting, the meanings between inhabitant and object in urban environment are practiced, and the meanings are created. To enable the research in narrative observation, cultural tourism management is chosen as the main research object, which reflects the alteration of interaction between the architectural heritage and urban identity. Identifying the role of heritage management, the definition of social resilience and the prospects of cultural heritage as a means of social resilience are addressed. Case region of the research is East Ger- many, thereby, the study examines the distinct approaches and objectives regarding heritage management under the different political systems along the German reunifica- tion process. The framework is based on various theoretical paradigms to investigate the broad research questions: 1) What is the role of historic urban quarters in the revitalisation of East German towns? 2) How was the transition processed by cultural v heritage management? 3) How did policy affect residents’ lives? The case study is applied to macro level (city level: Gotha and Eisenach) and micro level study (object level: specific heritage sites), to analyse the performance of selective remembering and making tourist destination through giving significance to specific heritage. By means of site observations, archival research, qualitative interviews, photographs, and discourse analyis on printed tourism materials, the study demonstrates that certain sites and characteristics of the city enable creating and focus- ing messages, which aids the social resilience. Combining theory and empirical studies this thesis attempts to widen the academic discussion regarding the practice of remembering and forgetting driven by cultural heritage. The thesis argues for cultural heritage tourism as an element of social resilience and one that embraces the historic and cultural identity of the inhabitants. vi Zusammenfassung Kulturtourismus und soziale Resilienz: Diskurs historischer Städte in Ostdeutschland, der Fall von Gotha und Eisenach Diese Arbeit untersucht, wie das kulturelle Erbe bei der Entwicklung der städ- tischen Identität eine Rolle spielt, indem es sich aktiv und passiv mit dem Gedächtnis beschäftigt, z.B. dem Erinnern und Vergessen. Ich argumentiere, dass das architektoni- sche Erbe ein Medium ist, in dem bestimmte kulturelle und soziale Entscheidungen seine Darstellungsweise bestimmen und dass es die Werte und Interessen dieser Zeit widerspiegelt. Durch den Prozess des Erinnerns und Vergessens werden die Bedeutun- gen zwischen Bewohner und Objekt im städtischen Umfeld eingespielt und die Bedeutungen werden geschaffen. Um die Forschung in der narrativen Beobachtung zu ermöglichen, wird das Kulturtourismusmanagement als Hauptforschungsobjekt ausgewählt, das die Verände- rung der Interaktion zwischen dem architektonischen Erbe und der städtischen Identität widerspiegelt. Die Rolle des Kulturerbes, die Definition der sozialen Resilienz und die Perspektiven des kulturellen Erbes als Mittel der sozialen Resilienz werden angesprochen. Fallregion der Forschung ist Ostdeutschland, dabei untersucht die Studie die unterschiedlichen Ansätze und Ziele hinsichtlich des Kulturerbemanagements unter den verschiedenen politischen Systemen im deutschen Wiedervereinigungsprozess. Der Rahmen basiert auf verschiedenen theoretischen Paradigmen, um die brei- vii ten Forschungsfragen zu untersuchen: 1) Welche Rolle spielen historische Stadtviertel bei der Revitalisierung ostdeutscher Städte? 2) Wie wurde der Übergang zur Verwal- tung des Kulturerbes durchgeführt? 3) Wie hat sich die Interaktion zwischen Politik und Bewohnern verändert? Die Fallstudie wird auf Makroebene (Stadtebene: Gotha und Eisenach) und Mikroebene (Objektebene: spezifische Kulturerbestätten) angewendet, um die Leis- tung von selektivem Erinnern und Erstellen von Reisezielen zu analysieren, indem dem spezifischen Kulturerbe Bedeutung beigemessen wird. Anhand von Standortbe- obachtungen, Archivrecherchen, qualitativen Interviews, Fotografien und Diskursanalysen zu gedruckten touristischen Materialien zeigt die Studie, dass bestimmte Orte und Merkmale der Stadt die Schaffung und Verbreitung von Botschaften ermöglichen, die die soziale Widerstandsfähigkeit unterstützen. Durch die Kombination von Theorie und empirischen Studien versucht diese Dissertation, die akademische Diskussion über die Praxis des Erinnerns und Verges- sens im Bezug auf kulturelles Erbe zu erweitern. Die Dissertation argumentiert für den Kulturtourismus als Element sozialer Resilienz, das die historische und kulturelle Identität der Bewohner mit einbezieht. viii Acknowledgement Thank you. This dissertation could not have been accomplished without the contributions and support from a great number of people. I would like to thank you, my supervisor, Prof. Eckardt, for giving me the opportunity of the past years of academic exploration and unforgettable time as a doctoral student. I thank Prof. Smith immensely for her guidance, valuable advice and friendly support. I was very lucky to find you, I felt safe and supported during the difficult phases of the study. Also, special thanks go to Prof. Kennell, who believed and saw the values in this work. Meeting these valuable mentors at conferences was the biggest gift during the PhD journey. Dr. Irmscher and Prof. Spode from HAT Berlin are my dear source of tourism materials and living knowledge. I sincerely thank Gerlinde for all her sincere help and inspiration. This study would not have been possible without the participation of the open and generous people in Thuringia. The warm and caring interviewees were my energy to pursue the study and make meanings out of their sharing. Indeed, East Germany is where one can be welcomed and invited for hours of talks as a complete stranger. Thanks to all my interview partners for embracing my shameless questions and sharing intimate stories. The PhD research was funded by the DAAD. I want to express my gratitude to the DAAD and Bauhaus University for providing great opportunities to young international researchers. I appreciate the past years of questioning and thinking as a process of becoming a social scientist. The journey was not too lonely thanks to the great company of Alex, Srdjan, Zina and Liza. Last but not least, enormous thanks go to my family in Korea and Germany. Thank you for enduring the time with me. This study is the result of your patience and love. I will always be grateful for your understanding and endless trust in me. 감사합니다, 사랑하는 부모님과 윤경이, 그리고 얀. ix x Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... v Zusammenfassung ...................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgement ....................................................................................................................... ix Contents ....................................................................................................................................... xi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................ xiv List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... xviii 1. Introduction: Research Conception, Scale, and Structure ................................................ 1 1.1 Background to the Research Question ...................................................................... 1 1.2 Objectives and Research Questions ........................................................................... 9 1.3 Approach: Theoretical and Empirical .................................................................... 12 1.4 Research Strategy ...................................................................................................... 13 1.4.1 Data Collection Methods ............................................................................. 16 1.4.2 Interviews ...................................................................................................... 17 1.5 Empirical Cases ......................................................................................................... 18 1.5.1 Case Selection

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