The World Monuments
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EARTHQUAKE FUND FOR ASSISI The World Monuments Fund® (WMF) is a private The Friends of Assisi, an emergency appeal to assist Italy's recovery from the recent earthquakes that have struck nonprofit organization founded in 1965 by individu~ the center of the country, has been founded in association als concerned about the accelerating destruction with WMF. Since September 26, 1997 a series of powerful Whither Cambodiai' tremors and strong aftershocks have damaged parts of of important artistic treasures throughout the Umbria and the Marches. At the Basilica Superiore ofthe world. Church of San Francesco in Assisi, the tremors caused a nJuly 4,John Stubbs and I The ensuing weeks were full of <, section ofthe irreplaceable frescoed vault to collapse, were on a plane out of worry for our team in the field at To date WMF has orchestrated more than 165 killing two monks and two Italian government engineers O Dubrovnik, after a week ofgrappling Angkor. Communications were cut major projects in 52 countries. Today, with who were inspecting damage from the earlier quake. Throughout this part of Italy, where many characteristic first-hand with the staggering off, and we pored over newspapers affiliates established ,in EUfope--in Britain, France, late-medieval and early Renaissance townscapes were so challenge ofrebuilding the countries and Internet reports wondering thoroughly preserved, dozens oftowns have sustained Italy, Portugal, and Spain-the World Monuments that were once Yugoslavia. Reading how our more than 60 Cambodian major damage and hundreds of buildings and works of art the newspaper we learned that Prince workers were faring, and how to Fund sponsors an ongoing program for the are now on the brink of being lost. As in 1966, in response to the flooding that devastated Ranarridh, First Prime Minister of proceed with the field program at conservation of cultural heritage worldwide. WMF Florence and Venice, the World Monuments Fund will Cambodia, had fled the country, Preah Khan that has become, over is currently involved with 62 projects in 46:coun participate in a grassroots effort mobilizing individuals to ousted by Second Prime Minister the last eight years, the World help rescue the irreplaceable historic heritage of Italy. Hun Sen. Monuments Fund's biggest program tries. The World Monuments Watch, launched in Once the geological situation has stabilized, WMF will TRANSPORTING SCULPTURE FOR SAFEKEEPING IN The summer had already seen investment anywhere in the world. STORAGE AT SlEM REAP CONSERVATION FACILITY. 1995 on the occasion ofthe 30th anniversary ofthe work with the Friends of Assisi and the Italian authorities to identify a restoration project. Checks can be made out dramatic events in Cambodia, We were horrified by the violence World Monuments Fund, aims to enhance the to the World Monuments Fund/Assisi, 949 Park Avenue, including the first images ofPol Pot and felt called upon to take a moral At that moment ofgreat concern New York, New York 10028. Direct inquiries may be con~ organization's unique capacity to identifY imper- in decades, as he impassively position. But we could not imagine about the immediate future, we also made to Barbara Gimbel at the Friends ofAssisi, (212) 585 2 fronted a strange "trial" by his former abandoning the people we had began to make new long-term plans 3 iled cultural heritage sites and leverage financial 2695,?r to Laurie B,eckelman at WMF, (212) 517·9367. followers. The world began talking carefully trained and nurtured. We to underscore our educational and technical support for their preservation. about bringing him to justice before debated the impact ofour assistance mission in Cambodia. By the year For additional information, please see WMF's New Publications an international tribunal. and considered the consequences of 2000, we hope to establish a small Then, following the news of further violence, ifit should strike training and research center that will Web site at <www.worldmonuments.org> Financing Cultural/Natural For price and ordering informa~ Ranarridh's ouster, violence erupted our site. We decided to suspend welcome scholars in our discipline, or contact WMF at 949 Park Avenue, New York, Heritage and Sustainable tion and to receive WMF's in Phnom Penh. Ranartidh's support- work, but couldn't reach the team in who will use the center as a base to Development. 123 pp.; black~ complete publications list, please New York 10028, U.S.A. and~white photographs and contact the New York City the field to give the order. discover, and conduct research at, diagrams. headquarters (212) 517~9367, Eventually, e-mail messages began the wonderful site ofAngkor while e~mail: [email protected] arriving from UNESCO in Phnom giving young Cambodians access to Portaaa de 1" Majestad, Colegiata Penh. They reported that the expanded graduate-level educational de Toro. Spanish with English WMF and Easter Island situation was stable, and that people opportunities. summaries. 141 pp.; color Committee Co~Publish there felt little fear ofpersonal The critical ptoblems ofCambo photographs and illustrations. The Easter Island Bulletins of danger. At Angkor and Siem Reap, dia today can be overcome only William Mulloy all was very quiet. Our team was through the restoration ofan Preah Khan Conservation Project, Dr. Mulloy's field reports, working, and hadn't missed a day. educated citizenry, which the Khmer Historic City ofAngkor. 82 pp.; published by WMF (then the In early September we sat down Rouge obliterated. By continuing to black-and~white photographs International Fund for WMF FIELD TEAM AT PREAH KHAN. to plan for the coming year's field educate Cambodians to care for and diagrams. Appendix to Monuments) in 1968, 1970, 1973, ers were executed in flight, and shops work program with few beacons to Angkor, we feel we are also contrib~ Report VII, 87 pp. and 1975 have been reprinted in and airports were looted ofeverything guide us. In light ofuncertainty uting to the solution ofthe country's one volume, with twO additional World Monuments Watch: 100 papers. The book is being soldiers could carry away. Civilians about the country's stability and humanitarian problems. We hope Most Endangered Sites 1998 distributed by the Easter Island fled for their lives across nearby its ability to regain diplomatic our supporters agree. 1999.80 pp.; black~and-white Foundation. For information borders, and the cycle ofCambodian recognition, we decided to reduce illustrations. please contact the ElF at P.O. strife seemed to be resuming. our budget by halfand to tetain BONNIE BURNHAM, President Box 6774, Los Osos, CA 93412~ all our trainees and workers on a 6774, fax, (805) 534-9301, 0' part~time basis. email: [email protected] Phyllis Lambert Receives 1997 adrian Award T he World Monuments be the focus ofall WOtk. I would like to elaborate engaged in the public realm. communities, encouraging ofmonuments sustainable) well as those identified by Fund', 10th annual In Mies's office we didn't on the meaning ofthe This has been especially citizen action to save and and our work worthwhile. the World Monuments Hadrian Award Luncheon took speak ofmonuments, but if public realm. Each monu- applicable to the cotporate manage great sites and The worldwide loss of Warch, and alas many place on October 24, 1997 at the you think ofthe word in its mene has its individual world ofthe twentieth historic cities. The existence community and therefore of others, there is much work Plaza Hotel. His Highness the essential meaning, derived scory, but even iHt could be century. The moment ofthe List of100 Most human history continues to to do. Fortunately we have Aga Khan, the 1996 honoree, from the Latin, a monu~ viewed as a selrcontained business or professional Endangered Sites has moti~ take a mounting toll in this the World Monuments presented the award to Phyllis ment is "something that landmark, like the Ben Ezra organizations decide to vated the White Mountain century, in war and peace. Fund as an effective Lambert. Ms. Lambert, reminds," a marker "that by Synagogue in Cairo, it does build, they claim responsi- Apache Tribe to plan the A dramatic fight took place advocate and a clearing founder and director of the its survival commemorates not and cannot stand alone, bility and take a motal preservation ofits built against the perversion of house. This private Canadian Centre for Architec- a person, action, period, or for the building tepresents position affecting all those heritage; it has encouraged public responsibility during organization forms and ture in Montreal, directed the event."* the beliefs and the daily who walk by or the people of the 1960s and 1970s, the joins public-private partner- Ben Ezra Synagogue Restora- This definition embodies lives, and the history ofthe who enter their In a drastically Prague to plan period ofso-called urban ships in the efforts to stop tion Project in Cairo as well as three issues ofvital concern: generations that built and building, affect' politicized and the vital renewal that devastated the destruction and to reinvigo- other notable preservation first is commemoration, maintained and revered it. ing the larger antagonistic present, protection of cities ofNorth America. rate our cities, proving we efforts. WMF is pleased to memory, without which Above all, through its very area around to focus on the the city's Today we see the continu- can advance the extent and reprint her acceptance speech. there is no continuity, no survival among numerous them, and the evidence of dialogue historic ing lack ofunderstanding of the quality ofthe im- To be presented the history, and therefqre no Coptic churches and, city as a whole. shows this essential center. These the role ofgovernment as mensely important work we Hadrian Award ofthe civil society, no public nearby, the first mosque The recognition civility to be the rule are only two guardian ofthe public realm undertake.