Paper short abstract:

The reconstruction of heritage after conflict presents contemporary society with unique challenges. Decisions made have the power to either aid the reconciliation process or leave festering wounds. This paper will analyse the issues in light of our greater awareness of the role of physical environment in creating collective memory.

Paper long abstract:

The reconstruction of cultural heritage after conflict presents unique challenges in the 21st Century. This begins with decisions about what to restore of the (sometimes deliberately) destroyed cultural heritage and often includes confronting the appropriate way to record the conflict itself and commemorate the dead of all sides. The technical choices available to record cultural heritage have also multiplied. Handled sensitively the process can contribute to reconciliation, handled badly it can leave festering wounds. The issues are particularly pressing as we are now more aware than ever aware of the role that our physical environment plays in forging memory. This paper will examine these issues.