albania
project portfolio
table of contents
about chwb
3
Who we are / How we work
4
Where we work
5
Project results at a glance
6
Financial profile
projects in albania
category key
8
Antigonea Mosaic, Gjirokastra
9
Babameto House I, Gjirokastra
10
Babameto House II, Gjirokastra
11
Building Design Guidelines
12
Community Heritage Engagement
13
Dialogues for Spaç
14
E Ka Kush E Ka children’s activity series
15
From the Shepherd to the Artisan
16
Gjirokastra: Where the Change Begins
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
17
Hammam (Turkish Bath), Kruja
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
18
Heritage Risk Assessment, Gjirokastra
19
Monument Owners Survey, Gjirokastra
Inclusive conservation
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Civic engagement
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Interpretation and
education
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Cross-border professional
learning and exchange
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
20 St. Nicholas Church, Voskopoja
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
21
Tell the Story of Gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
22 Textile Conservation, Gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
23 Vocational Training
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
regional projects
24 7 Site Management Plans
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
25 100 Roofs
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
26 Balkan Museum Network
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
27 Bridges to the Future (Stolac, BiH)
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
28 Make it Yours!
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
29 Regional Heritage Seminars
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
30 Regional Restoration Camps
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
31
Southeast European Heritage Network
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
2
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
who we are
The foundation Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHwB) is an independent non-governmental
organization dedicated to rescuing and preserving tangible and intangible cultural heritage affected by
conflict, neglect or natural disasters. CHwB is neutral when it comes to conflicting parties because
everyone has the right to enjoy cultural heritage. We consider heritage to be a testimony of our humanity,
history and cultural identity – now and for the future.
CHwB promotes and is committed to equality, social justice, non-discrimination, participation, inclusion,
intercultural dialogue, accountability and transparency.
our vision is that everyone is able to exercise the right to enjoy, have access to and participate in
cultural heritage.
our mission is to promote cultural heritage as both a right in itself and a resource.
how we work
CHwB relies on the competence of experienced, passionate and energetic national and international
professionals educated in different fields, such as Anthropology, History, Architecture, Conservation, Urban
Management and Planning, Economics, Finance, Sustainable Development, Law and Political Science, who
form a multidisciplinary team determined to make a difference in the Balkans, and beyond.
CHwB works with heritage conservation and interpretation, community empowerment, education and
museum development. We design and implement innovative strategies and manage various interventions
on the ground, by using cultural heritage as an active force in peace building, promoting human rights
and developing a sustainable socio-economic environment. This is achieved with a bottom-up approach,
promoting both our partners’ and beneficiaries’ sense of ownership, as we believe development is
sustainable only if it comes from within communities themselves.
Our partners are civil society organizations, cultural and education institutions, international development
agencies, private sector organizations and governmental agencies on all levels. We work with all members
of society without discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political
affiliation or physical, mental, emotional or learning ability.
3
where we work
CHwB Albania has offices in Tirana and Gjirokastra. Most of our projects are centered on
or originate in Albania. However, we also have a regional component to our work, which
integrates all of the Western Balkans.
croatia
serbia
bosnia &
Herzegovina
kosovo
montenegro
albania
4
macedonia
our collaboration by the numbers
project results at a glance
CULTURAL HERITAGE…
…AS A PLATFORM FOR EDUCATION
REGIONAL RESTORATION CAMPS
20 Regional Restoration Camps held in 4 different countries
566 participants from 25 countries, ~37,720 hours of hand on restoration
77+ small interventions conducted on historic monuments
20+ museum objects conserved
E KA KUSH E KA
6 Heritage Ateliers held
170 children and 30 staff participated in Heritage Ateliers
6 highly engaging games and booklets added to the collection
…AS A PLATFORM FOR STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT
RISK ASSESSMENT FOR LISTED MONUMENTS IN GJIROKASTRA
648 monuments surveyed
MONUMENT OWNERS SURVEY
253 owners surveyed in 8 historic neighborhoods of Gjirokastra
SITE MANAGEMENT PLANS IN THE WESTERN BALKANS
7 site management plans in 7 countries of the WB region
21 workshops held
150 stakeholders from across the region
…FOR DIALOGUE
DIALOGUES FOR SPAÇ
3 workshops held
29 participants
28 concrete steps developed in action plan
5
TELL THE STORY OF GJIROKASTRA
23 students from 4 high schools participated in poster competition
11 high school teachers trained on Culture Heritage topics
3 cultural Heritage Experts
4 local professionals involved
…FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
CONSERVATION WORKS
1 complete restoration to be finalized within 2015
3 monuments saved through pioneering emergency interventions
2 full restorations completed in Gjirokastra
1 archaeological mosaic conserved
LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
2 business plans and 8 informative sessions with monument owners
3 out of 8 monument owners co-financed repairs on their monuments
FROM SHEPHERD TO THE ARTISAN
20+ local craftswomen involved
2 communes involved
€700,000
Other donors
Turn-over (€)
€600,000
Swedish Governm
€500,000
€400,000
€300,000
€200,000
growth / diversification of our financial
profile, 2012-15
€100,000
€0
2014 International
2015
The primary donor for CHwB has been the Swedish Government, through2012
the 2013
Swedish
Year
Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). For the past several years, however, CHwB Albania has been
diversifying its funding sources, as indicated by the charts below.
€700,000
Other donors
Swedish Government
Turn-over
€500,000
From other
(in EUR)
€400,000
donors (%)
2010
121,492.23
€200,000
2011
197,120.74
2012
331,427.78
91
2013
307,422.13
2014
610,627.40
Year
From Swedish
Government (%)
€300,000
100
0
100
0
Turn-over (€)
Turn-over (€)
€600,000
€100,000
€700,000
2015
417,305.49
Turn-over (€)
€600,000
€0
2012
2013
2014
2015
€300,000
€200,000
Oth
€600,000
Swe
€500,000
€400,000
€300,000
9
€200,000
92
8
€0
67
33
69
Year
€100,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Year
Other donors
31
Swedish Government
€500,000
€400,000
€700,000
6
albania / regional project summaries
category key
Inclusive conservation
Interpretation and
education
Civic engagement
Cross-border professional
learning and exchange
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
antigonea mosaic, gjirokastra
Emergency archaeological conservation
June - December 2012
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
In partnership with:
Institute for Monuments of Culture
Donor:
Germany Embassy in Albania
Total funding:
€ 25.000
gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
conservation and discovery
in an ancient city
Discovered during archaeological excavations in
1974, the mosaic of Antigonea (5th – 6th Century
AD) is one of the most important archaeological
pieces of art in the Drino Valley – touted for its
unique iconography.
Today the mosaic stands as a central piece of the
Antigonea Archaeological Park, attracting tourists
from all over the world.
Prior to conservation, the mosaic floor had become
unstable, the underpinning mortar had disintegrated,
and the loss of the entire mosaic was imminent. To
save the mosaic, a team of national and international
experts worked in close collaboration to stabilize
and partly reconstruct the surrounding walls, level
the foundation of the mosaic floor, and replace
the component mosaic elements in their original
positions. During the conservation, the original
staircase to the ancient church was uncovered and
reinstated as the main entrance to the site.
Works conducted: Removal of all panels; removal of the
degraded cement on the backside of the panels; creation
of a new foundation; elimination of living vegetation;
repositioning the panels over a new layer of mortar.
The interventions undertaken have once again
made the mosaic accessible for researchers and
visitors alike. What was formerly an overgrown
cluster of stones has been turned into a coherent
and recognizable site. While the mosaic is covered
during the off-season to prevent weather damage, it
may now remain open during the summer months.
8
babameto house i, gjirokastra
Full restoration of a first category monument
April 2012 - March 2013
In partnership with:
Gjirokastra Conservation and
Development Organization (GCDO)
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Donors:
Swedish Government
Packard Humanities Institute
gjirokastra
Total funding:
€ 172.000
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
restoration & revitalization
for the future
Gjirokastra’s old town – complementing other
important community buildings such as the mosque,
amphitheatre and cinema. The building now operates
as a tourist hostel and temporary residence for camp
participants during CHwB’s Regional Restoration
Camps (see page 27). Additionally, the surrounding
walls of the building are being reconstructed by
camp participants, providing practical, hands-on
experience for architecture students and young
professionals in traditional restoration practices in
stonework. Today, the Babameto house stands as
a model of sustainable practice in cultural heritage
management.
Completely abandoned following the 1997 national
financial crisis, the grand Babameto house quickly
fell into disrepair, eventually becoming a priority
for restoration. In 2004, the state invested in
the reconstruction of the roof and other ruined
elements; however, the house remained in poor
condition until interventions were made by CHwB.
The primary aim of this project was the complete
restoration of the monument and the eventual
conversion of the space into a hostel and public
facility (used for seminars and exhibitions).
Works conducted: Restoration and conservation of
remaining elements, training of young specialists in
traditional materials and techniques, using heritage to
generate income for community.
As a main element of the central bazaar, the
restoration of the Babameto house has brought
renewed vitality to the commercial area of
9
babameto house ii, gjirokastra
Full restoration of a second category monument
April 2011 - April 2012
In partnership with:
Gjirokastra Conservation and
Development Organization (GCDO)
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Donors:
Swedish Government (€ 74.000)
Packard Humanities Institute
gjirokastra
Total funding:
€ 84.000
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
restoration & revitalization
for the future
The dual aims of this restoration project were the
preservation of Gjirokastra’s built cultural heritage
and the stimulation of the local economy.
For many years, the category II Babameto house,
once an iconic feature of the local bazaar, was left
in complete ruins. By 2011, the roof had collapsed,
and most interior and exterior elements, such as
stairways, floors, and windows, were damaged.
In addition, the ground floor had become a dump
site for garbage, as well as a refuge for small
saplings and encroaching vines. To prevent the
complete destruction of the building, CHwB began
interventions to restore this important monument.
Today the building has been reincorporated as a public
space. For a period of nine months Babameto II was
used as a storefront and training centre – employing
local women who made and sold handcrafted purses
and other textiles using recycled and repurposed
materials such as plastic grocery bags. Future projects
under the direction of the Gjirokastra Conservation
and Development Organization (GCDO) (now
Gjirokastra Foundation) will focus on capacity
building and providing
employment opportunities
for
local
residents.
Babameto II continues to
stand as a model for using
cultural heritage as a social,
economic, cultural and
environmental resource.
Works conducted: Restoration
and conservation of remaining
elements, training of young
specialists in traditional materials
and techniques, using heritage
to generate income for the
community.
10
building design guidelines
For Gjirokastra’s historic bazaar
May 2014 – present
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
In partnership with:
Regional Dir. of National Culture – Gjirokastra
Prefecture of Gjirokastra
Municipality of Gjirokastra
Institute for Monuments of Culture
Donors:
Swedish Government
German World Heritage Foundation
gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Many interventions, not only in buildings, but also in
criteria and standards such interventions should follow
in order for the city to maintain – and indeed regain –
its historic character. The purpose of this project is to
elaborate such a legal document that will help to bring
back the lost integrity of the bazaar area and make sure
that interventions will be done in accordance
with the principles and standards of the
UNESCO World Heritage Convention.
signage and advertisements, technical installations and
public spaces, have contributed to a gradual loss of the
historical integrity of the city of Gjirokastra. Gjirokastra
clearly needs a legal document, which regulates which
The bazaar and its surrounding area stand
out for their special architectural and
functional characteristics. As the centre of
the historical town and of the commercial
area, the bazaar is one of the most visited
areas in the city.
The Building Design Guidelines project
began with detailed documentation of the
bazaar, conducted through the collection
of all graphic and technical materials from
archives; it is continuing with the technical
work of a group of specialists assigned by all
the relevant institutions.
The project will engage all stakeholders,
through informative sessions and workshops,
and trainings will be organized for the staff
of institutions that are going to use this
document.
11
community heritage engagement
Engaging locally with interpretation
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
April 2014 – present
Donor:
Headley Trust
Total funding:
£ 25.000 (GBP)
gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
This project builds on the existing CHwB framework
of heritage interpretation and community engagement
1. Facilitating/encouraging active engagement from the
community in locations where the Regional Restoration
through the Regional Restoration Camps (see page 27)
to facilitate deeper engagement with and from the local
Camps are held
2. Developing an interpretation resource base for local
community when it comes to sharing, preserving and
interpreting their heritage. Specifically, the project has
three main objectives:
communities, to include both human resources and
interpretation ideas and ‘toolkits’
3. Turning this local engagement into heritage
interpretation resources (story-led tour routes,
children’s educational materials, etc.), whose production
and delivery, is supported and led by members of the
local community.
This project supports CHwB’s work with heritage
interpretation on several levels. It supports the
interpretation modules conducted during the Camps,
where participants are introduced to the concept of
interpretation and practice techniques for interpreting
their work sites during the Camp. It has also supported
the work of a local CHwB staff member on such projects
in Gjirokastra as the survey of monument owners and
‘Tell the Story of Gjirokastra.’ This year, the Headleyfunded community heritage engagement project will
also work with interpretation in Kosovo through the
Regional Restoration Camp in Mitrovica.
Finally, this project partially funds the “E Ka Kush E
Ka” children’s activity collection, which aims to bring
heritage education to young children in an exciting and
accessible way.
12
dialogues for spaç
Addressing communist-era heritage
April 2014 - present
In partnership with:
Komuna Orosh
Albanian Human Rights Project
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
spaç
Donors:
International Coalition of Sites of Conscience
Swedish Government
Total funding:
$ 10.000 (US)
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
sharing stories
shaping the future
prison at Spaç. A series of three workshops focused on
(1) understanding the site, its history and its place in
the popular conception today; (2) envisioning a mission
and set of objectives for a future institution of memory
(museum or otherwise) at Spaç; and (3) charting out a
concrete set of actions to reach those goals.
Spaç prison is one of the most symbolic sites of
persecution under the Communist regime, as well as
perhaps the site that is most present in the collective
memory of Albanians. As such, the primary value of
Spaç today is as a much-needed place of memory for
the crimes of the Communist regime —a physical
space to ‘locate’ and address the traumas of that past,
both for the former political prisoners who suffered
there and for the rest of the Albanian people.
The rising interest of tourists in Communist-era
heritage also has the potential to create much-needed
economic opportunity for the local community, which
is suffering from chronic poverty and steady emigration.
Main results: functional, intergenerational, multidisciplinary
working group established, site documentation and
analysis conducted, priority actions for the restoration and
museification of the site identified.
Designed as a platform for mutual information,
coordination and co-decision, the Dialogues brought
together stakeholders from local government, national
institutions, local residents, former prisoners and nonprofit organizations to chart out a future for the former
13
e ka kush e ka
E KA KUSH E KA
Interactive learning about heritage
cultural heritage for the grown-ups of
tomorrow and the children of yesterday
E KA KUSH E KA
trashëgimia kulturore për të rriturit e së
nesërmes dhe fëmijët e së djeshmes
Për fëmijë nga 3 deri në 5 vjeç
No. 1
Ky projekt
financohet nga
Bashkimi Europian
E KA KUSH E KA
Për fëmijë nga 6 deri në 11 vjeç
No. 2
trashëgimia kulturore për të rriturit e së
nesërmes dhe fëmijët e së djeshmes
2013 - present
HAMAMI
në Gjirokastër
Një monument pranë ujit
gjirokastra_children_book_shqip_04122013.indd 1
gjirokastra_children_book_3yearsold_shqip_cover.indd 1
12/14/13 7:24 PM
12/14/13 7:26 PM
E KA KUSH E KA
Për fëmijë nga 7 deri në 9 vjeç
trashëgimia kulturore për të rriturit e së
nesërmes dhe fëmijët e së djeshmes
No. 4
Veshja e lashtë e Të Bukurës së Maleve
Donors:
Swedish Govt.; European Union;
Headley Trust
Për fëmijë
nga 3 deri në 6 vjeç
Nr. 5
XHUBLETA
Veshja e Lashtë e Alpeve Shqiptare
E KA KUSH E KA
In partnership with:
Xhubleta Anthropological Center
Co-Plan Inst. for Habitat Development
Mozaik Foundation
coming
soon...
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
kruja
Tirana
gjirokastra
Total funding:
€ 6.400
trashëgimia kulturore për të rriturit e së
nesërmes dhe fëmijët e së djeshmes
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
cultural heritage for the
grown-ups of tomorrow and
the children of yesterday
The collection is also being used for the Heritage
Ateliers. These activities are aimed at children in
kindergarten and primary schools. They combine
classroom exercises with visits, hands-on and other fun
and engaging practical activities both for the children as
for their teachers and parents.
The collection “E Ka Kush e Ka” seeks to include
children and adults in a series of books and games
through which they discover and rediscover cultural
heritage as a bridge, linking us to the complexities of
the world around us. Cultural heritage is not only about
learning facts; it is an ideal educational and entertaining
support for learning about and exploring new things,
other people and our society. It is an instrument that
helps with self-reflection, skills and mental vivacity… a
path toward citizenship and mutual respect, where the
search for meaning is foremost.
Main results:
6 highly engaging activities developed (activity booklets,
puzzles and 3D models)
> 2000 items produced
6 Heritage Ateliers organized in 2014 in several cities in
Albania
170 children attending
30 teachers/ educators/ parents involved
14
from the shepherd to the artisan
Revitalizing wool processing in southern Albania
May – September 2014 + ongoing
In partnership with:
Centre for Int’l Migration & Development (CIM)
Municipality of Lunxhëri
Municipality of Antigone
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Donors:
Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation
Australian Direct Aid Program
gjirokastra
Total funding:
€ 38.383
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
setting new standards with
traditional textiles
artisans used during the training and the production of
felt and woven products.
This was the first project to revitalize wool processing
in Albania. Wool has been one of the most important
non-food products in Albania for hundreds of years,
but it’s processing and use almost ended with the
breakdown of communism and urban emigration.
Today most of the wool is thrown away while only a
limited quantity is saved for household use.
The artisans of Gjirokastra were trained in felt
techniques, which they then applied for the creation
of small animal figures. The artisans in Antigone,
on the other hand, were trained in various weaving
techniques for producing kilim and other products.
The sessions were labor intensive and included lots of
experimentation with wool, colors and shapes.
GjiroArt
The result was a collection of about 200 products
During the project, 250 Felt
kilograms
of Shajak
wool was
Makers/
punuese
branded under the name of Woolline. At the website
acquired from the shepherds of the mountains in the
www.woolline.com customers can view the product
communes of Lunxhëri and Antigone. More than 20
catalog and order online. Artisans then produce the
people and artisans were engaged in the collection of
products on demand. Because of the quality and
the wool, cleaning, carding, hand spinning and dying
uniqueness of the product designs, this project has set
it with herbs and plants collected in the nearby hills.
a new standard for the handicrafts industry in Albania.
This material served as the source of raw material that
15
gjirokastra: where the change begins
Emergency interventions and awareness-raising
July 2014 - present
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
In partnership with:
Regional Directorate for National
Culture – Gjirokastra
Donor:
Prince Claus Fund
Total funding:
€ 52.850
gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
abandoned monuments
lost heritage
a new approach
wall in June 2013 and another partial collapse in January
2014, the government Emergency Committee decided
to destroy another part of the western facade, arguing
that it posed a danger to passers by.
The story of the Hadëri and Gurgai tower houses is
sadly the story of many houses in Gjirokastra. Both
these houses located in the historical centre were once
monuments of great importance. Through the course
of history many changes occurred, resulting in the last
inhabitants abandoning the monuments in recent years.
“Gjirokastra: Where the Change Begins” is the
first project to deal with ruined monuments in the
historic centre of the city of Gjirokasra. This project
aims to stop the destruction of these monuments by
consolidating and reinforcing them, while using them
to raise awareness about the many monuments that
need urgent interventions. With this goal, a series
of workshops involving local stakeholders will be
organized.
Houses need to be lived in to be healthy. As they sat
unmaintained, the roofs began to leak. The roof damage
in Gurgai monument resulted in the floors and ceilings
being ruined. The many interventions over the years
and the ongoing deterioration of the inner structure
caused the partial collapse of the western facade wall.
The Hadëri monument is facing a full collapse of the
roof and partial collapse of the walls. Following a fire
in April 2012, the partial collapse of the west facade
Works conducted: Cleaning of debris; selecting reusable
materials; reinforcing stone walls; reinforcing wooden floors;
building temporary roof; reinforcing roof structure.
16
hammam (turkish bath), kruja
Full restoration of a category I monument
October 2012 - April 2015
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
In partnership with:
Institute for Monuments of Culture
The Past for the Future
kruja
Donor:
Swedish Government
Total funding:
€ 64.000
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
restoration and
revitalization for the future
The project’s main objectives include sustainably
developing cultural heritage for income generation,
raising environmental awareness by highlighting
the importance of recycled water use and waste
water systems, and the complete restoration of this
monument to its original function. Its completion
promises renewed financial incentives for members of
the local community, revitalization of the surrounding
neighbourhood, increased tourism, and the beginning
of a larger initiative focusing on building a national
hammam network. Other potential sites include
hammams in Gjirokastra, Shkodra, Elbasan, Delvina,
and Durrës.
Works conducted: Full restoration, development of a
business plan for sustainable development of the hammam
For centuries, the hammam has been a significant
cultural artefact of the former Ottoman Empire,
providing spiritual purification and unique architectural
beauty for its patrons. More recently, hammams
throughout the Balkans have fallen into disuse. In Kruja,
the hammam is now a forgotten relic of this historic
site – overshadowed by its castle and charming bazaar.
As an important vestige of the local community and
potential tourism attraction, the restoration of the
Kruja hammam is an important first step towards
developing a larger network of service-based heritage
sites across Albania and the Balkans.
17
heritage risk assessment
Detailed survey of monuments in Gjirokastra
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
October 2014
In partnership with:
Regional Directorate of National Culture
(DRKK) – Gjirokastra
Donor:
Swedish Government
gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Over the past 20 years, Gjirokastra has faced the
CHwB saw that there was an urgent need to investigate
the current condition of the listed monuments, so as
to have a full picture of the situation. Information is
the key to better management. In any situation, policymakers, specialists and developers need to know the
true situation of the town that they are dealing with.
Therefore, CHwB, in collaboration with DRKK, has
conducted a risk assessment evaluation for 655 listed
buildings within the historical core of the city. The
results of this survey will be compiled in a statistical
report and GIS maps that will illustrate the level of
risk of the monuments of Gjirokastra. This report
will serve to alert the government
about the critical situation facing
the built heritage of the city and to
assist them in defining conservation
strategies according to the level of risk
and to build an operational plan for
interventions.
deterioration of a large number of monuments.
Working in the city since 2009 and walking daily on
its cobblestone streets, we could see a lot of ruined,
abandoned and unmaintained historic buildings. The
preservation of Gjirokastra’s cultural heritage is vital
to the city’s economy. If the monuments continue to
deteriorate and turn into ruins, the historic urban
landscape of Gjirokastra (one of its ‘outstanding
universal values’) is going to be irreversibly changed,
and the hope of eco-tourism as a source of economic
benefits for its residents would be completely lost.
At the same time, CHwB is running
a pilot project on emergency
interventions on two monuments in the
city. With this project, CHwB is taking a
new approach: propping up monuments
that are in danger of collapse, in order
to prevent their further deterioration
until a strategy can be formed and
funds for restoration can be found.
18
monument owners survey
Understanding Gjirokastra owners’ knowledge and beliefs
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
May – June 2014
In partnership with:
Peace Corps Albania
Donors:
Swedish Government
Headley Trust
gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
understanding owners to
change their approach
historical part of Gjirokastra, with a total of 253
monument owners surveyed. The questions addressed
owners’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices in
relation to cultural heritage and restoration.
Facing the rapid loss of the authentic values of
Gjirokastra’s built heritage and knowing that change
can be achieved only with inclusive approaches,
CHwB decided to start an awareness campaign. The
multidimensional approach to understanding the
problem began with a survey focused on monument
owners and their understanding of the values their
buildings have.
The survey team was comprised of CHwB staff, a US
Peace Corps volunteer and several young volunteers
from Gjirokastra. Following a brief training, three teams,
composed of one supervisor and two volunteers, were
each assigned to different neighborhoods.
The results of this survey will help us to conduct
community meetings and educational workshops,
addressing
the
problems that the
historic
zone
is
facing. The more we
understand about the
intervention practices
of monument owners,
the more we will
understand
about
why the authentic
value of Gjirokastra’s
built
heritage
is
deteriorating so quickly.
And, therefore, the
quicker we will be able
to reverse this trend.
The survey covered eight neighborhoods in the
19
st. nicholas church, voskopoja
Emergency intervention
July - December 2012
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
In partnership with:
The Past for the Future
Donor:
Prince Claus Fund
Total funding:
€ 26.550
Voskopoja
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
an ancient community
a natural disaster
a monument restored
intervention to repair the collapsed roof. The primary
objectives of the project were threefold: i) improve
the structural state of the damaged roof; ii) engage
local experts and craftsmen in the works; iii) establish
guidelines for further maintenance.
During the winter of 2012, the community of
Voskopoja experienced record snow fall which caused
the partial collapse of the roof of St. Nicholas Church.
The church is the best and most complete of the
five churches remaining in Voskopoja, and it is one
of the best examples of the 18th-century Orthodox
ecclesiastical architecture in the country as well as the
wider Balkan region. The church’s interior is adorned
with original frescoes, painted by the famous Albanian
painter David Selenicasi. The damage to the church
roof left this important cultural artifact vulnerable to
concurrent structural impairments including water
leakage and ceiling cracks. To address the damage
to this important site, CHwB made an emergency
Today, St. Nicholas Church serves as the primary
church in Voskopoja – local people celebrate weekly
Sunday worship services, weddings, funerals, and
the high festivals of Christmas and Easter. It stands
as a beautiful testament to three-hundred years of
local history, including the recent period of religious
oppression and the people and places that survived it.
Works conducted: Partial restoration of east narthex wall;
restoration of narthex internal walls & vaults; installing
metallic ties for stability; filling cracks on critical parts of
exterior.
20
tell the story of gjirokastra
Involving students in heritage interpretation
September – December 2014
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
In partnership with:
Peace Corps Albania
Regional Directorate of Education & Youth
“Fato Berberi” Cultural Center
Donors:
USAID; Swedish Govt; Headley Trust
gjirokastra
Total funding:
$ 5.500 (US)
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
the young generation tells
the story of the city
monuments.
Winning posters of the 23 high school students were
announced and recognized by a panel of judges at a
final award ceremony. They then traveled through
exhibitions in different Gjirokastra schools, as well as in
the city of Berat, which is another World Heritage city
that faces many of the same problems as Gjirokastra.
Tell the Story of Gjirokastra (TSG) is a cultural heritage
interpretation project designed to increase the level
of awareness of Gjirokastra’s residents about the
condition and intrinsic value of their cultural heritage
and to encourage their participation in its preservation
and conservation. The project aimed
to address the worsening problem
of the wide and rapid deterioration
of Gjirokastra’s heritage through
greater public awareness and active
participation in public dialogue.
The keystone of this project was a
poster competition for high school
students which would engage
participants in the process of
researching and interpreting their
cultural heritage through the medium
of art. Student submissions were
well researched and supported by
regular information sessions, meetings
with cultural heritage experts, and
key community members including
teachers and owners of historic
21
textile conservation
Regional training held in Gjirokastra
April 2014
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Heritage Without Borders (UK)
In partnership with CHwB
Donor:
The Clothworkers Foundation
Total funding:
£ 14.000 (UK)
gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
training conservators
saving a neglected collection
conserve and interpret a unique collection of textiles
currently housed in the Gjirokastra Ethnographic
Museum. During the training, they also provided
support for the museum’s collection needs.
Heritage Without Borders (UK) collaborated with
CHwB to run a 10-day textile conservation training
course for regional museum professionals in Gjirokastra,
southern Albania, in April 2014.
There were 12 regional participants from Albania,
Serbia, Kosovo and Macedonia.
The following primary aims were achieved:
- Identified/improved traditional regional textile skills;
- Enhanced regional skills in preventative textile
conservation and display;
- Identified the main risks and approaches for improving
storage and display of costume and textiles in the
Ethnographic Museum;
- Engaged local craftswomen;
- Explored possible ways of displaying and interpreting
historic costumes and textiles.
Since the fall of the communist regime in Albania in
the early 1990s, museums were almost completely
abandoned, and many of the collections were lost,
damaged or in a poor state of conservation. The same
fate followed with the development of professional
skills for the people working in museums. This course
helped local heritage professionals from the region to
22
vocational training
A certified training and job program for craftspeople
Seeking funding
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
In partnership with:
Regional Directorate of Public
Vocational Training
Min. of Social Welfare & Youth
Min. of Culture
gjirokastra
(pending)
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
Traditional crafts are vanishing day after day.
need for them in historic cities across Albania, there
is no formalized means of recognizing them and
incorporating them into the market, which results in
lack of employment opportunities.
Experienced craftspeople find it impossible to enter
the restoration market, which is monopolized by the
licensed construction companies, while legislation is
missing that would acknowledge their skills and permit
them to work privately. Young people do not see any
future of employment in this field. Furthermore, the
lack of documentation on these crafts and techniques
is contributing to the loss of this knowledge. This is
happening because the market does not consider
craftspeople important. Though there is great
This projects aims to develop vocational trainings for
traditional crafts. Given the current situation, where
traditional crafts are vanishing because they have
not been transferred to the younger generation,
the necessity of this type of training becomes clear.
Certifying experienced masters and young craftspeople
will create a group of people who are physically and
legally able to conduct restoration works. The aim of
this project is to force by law their integration into the
restoration construction firms, as well as to enable
their self-employment. The amended law would serve
as a guarantee for future employment, which would
attract younger trainees. Their involvement in these
trainings, and their eventual certification and licensing,
will lower the unemployment rate.
Steps to be taken: Identification of the crafts and
craftspeople; Documenting and interpreting the historical
crafts; Creating the curricula; Licensing the craftspeople for
small restoration works; Creating conditions for continuous
employment; Changing the law for construction companies
licensed in restoration to hire qualified craftsmen – in
collaboration with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth
and the Ministry of Culture.
23
7 site management plans
Heritage management & cross-border cooperation
July – October 2014
In partnership with:
Europa Nostra Serbia
Expeditio: Center for Sustainable
Spatial Development
Co-Plan: Institute for Habitat
Development
Donor:
European Union
Total funding:
€ 93.500
Roman city
of Siscia
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
Caričin Grad
(Iustiniana
Prima)
National
Library
(City Hall),
Sarajevo
Besac Fortress,
Virpazar
apollonia, fier
Gazi Mehmed
Pasha
Hammam,
Prizren
Heraclea
Lyncestis,
Bitola
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
management plans for
sustainable heritage sites in
the western balkans region
The core of the project was to establish and implement
a common methodology, while taking into account all
the differences in nature, characteristics and conditions
of individual sites, as well as the differences in local and
national socio-political, legal, cultural and economic
contexts in which the sites are situated.
These results are far more important than the
completion of the 7 Management Plans for sites in
Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo,
Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The project also
contributed in strengthening the ties among heritagerelated practices and professionals, thus bringing longdivided communities closer together, while providing a
set of pioneering management tools for heritage sites
in the Balkans.
framework of the Ljubljana Process II.
The project was financed by the European Union
through the Regional Cooperation Council Task Force
on Culture and Society (RCCTFCS), Montenegro and
it serves the program “Sustaining the Rehabilitation of
Cultural Heritage in the Western Balkans” within the
Results: 7 Site management plans in 7 countries of the
Western Balkans developed, 160 Local and national
stakeholders engaged, 21 Learning workshops implemented,
17 National experts engaged
24
100 roofs
Preventive conservation of vernacular heritage in Serbia
serbia
2006 - present
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
In partnership with:
Republic Institute for Protection of
Monuments of Culture, Belgrade
Donors:
Swedish Govt.; Serbian Govt.
Total funding
c. € 250.000
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
The 100 Roofs project started as an initiative to
preserve the vernacular monuments of Serbia by
providing roof covering as a stabilization measure.
After the works were finalized on 7 such monuments,
the project was enlarged to include training activities
for young professionals, using the sites of ongoing
conservation for the training initiatives of the Regional
Restoration Camps (see page 27). Using this approach,
13 vernacular monuments were either fully or partially
restored, all across Serbia.
For the moment the focus of the project is on the
wine cellar complexes of Negotin, which are on the
tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage recognition.
These wine cellars and the 100 Roofs project is used
as a field for training young professionals and engaging
the local community, in conjunction with the Regional
Restoration Camps being held in Rogljevo, Negotin.
It foresees the restoration of another 3 vernacular
monuments in the near future, and the ambitious title
indicates the plan to restore many more roofs in the
years to come.
25
balkan museum network
A regional learning and development platform
2006 - present
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
In partnership with:
CHwB Bosnia & Herzegovina
CHwB Kosovo
Donors:
Swedish Government
Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Swedish Institute
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
smarter, stronger, better
together
has established a wider platform for collaboration and
exchange available to all museums across the Western
Balkans. The Network is now open to all museums
from region and includes more than 30 member
institutions.
The museum network was established in April 2006 by
museum directors and key staff from eleven museums
in the Western Balkans region, facilitated by CHwB.
This project is based on strengthening the contacts
and collaboration between museums in the Western
Balkans. It aims to enhance cultural understanding,
develop staff competence, facilitate exchange of
ideas and exhibitions and make the museums more
inviting to the public. Several workshops and seminars,
including 3 large regional museum conferences called
“Meet, See, Do,” have been organized on a wide variety
of topics, such as museum management, strategic
planning, exhibitions, communication, conservation and
education. A series of major projects around access for
disabled people has lead to improvements in museum
access.
A bit more about the BMN
30+
At the same time, it was also determined that a special
network for female museum directors was required
in order to address the specific
needs
of this
group.
A bit
more
about
the BMN
Therefore, the Women’s International Leadership
Development (WILD) programme
was launched
in and growing
institutions
30+ member
2012 and professional development workshops for
women from six Balkan countries are held several times
a year. Following the success of the ‘1+1:Life & Love’
simultaneous exhibition, the Balkan Museum Network
2006
member institutions and growing
Balkan co
countries
6 Balkan
BMN established in Uppsala, Sweden
2006
2011
2013
26
BMN established in Uppsala, Sweden
2014
2011
6
11 museums from 6 countries
the joint exhibition ‘1+1, Life
First regional conference ‘Meet, See, Do’
held in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
BMN launched as an independent NGO in Tirana, A
at the second regional conference ‘Meet, See, Do’
11 museums from 6 countries organize
bridges to the future
Conservation, Science, Technology & Education in Stolac
Nov 2012 - Jan 2014
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
In partnership with:
CHwB Bosnia & Herzegovina
Foundation Tecnalia – Research & Innovation, Spain
Association of Artist Deblokada, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Tourist Association Stari Grad, Bosnia & Herzegovina
stolac
Donors:
European Union
Total funding
€ 199.969
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
community partnership,
heritage and new technology
for a better future
This project worked with a variety of partners and
stakeholders to create a shared vision for heritage in
Stolac, Bosnia & Herzegovina, a historic city that was
mostly destroyed during by war in the 1990s. Together,
project partners developed an innovative, digital model
in the form of augmented reality application. The model
was developed through educational activities carried
out during the project and is serving to rehabilitate
the image of the historic town of Stolac. Through the
project activities, we aimed to increase the professional
capacities in conservation/restoration and create a
notion of cultural understanding. Different target
groups have engaged in mapping, imaging and viewing
similar cultural heritage examples in the wider region
of Stolac, encouraging participation in utilizing heritage
as a potential source of social-economic development.
Through educational workshops, primarily the Regional
Restoration Camps (see page 27), a network of young
professionals from all parts of BiH and the region has
been created. The project connected tour operators
and local actors in the area and has encouraged new
generations to be promoters and guardians of cultural
heritage.
27
Make it you
make it yours!
Public awareness campaign for heritage
2012 - present
In partnership with:
CHwB Kosovo
CHwB BiH
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
sarajevo
junik
Donors:
Swedish Government;
European Union; USAID
Tirana (pending)
gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
heritage is for everyone
As the ‘Make it yours!’ campaign continues to expand
and develop, future events will include activities with
schoolchildren, opportunities for politicians to take a
hand in the restoration process, continued engagement
with local and national media and awareness-building
events to encourage the community to invest in
preserving their local heritage.
The main goals of ‘Make it Yours!’ are to increase
Albanians’ awareness of and involvement with their
heritage and to advocate for politicians and public
interest groups to take heritage into consideration.
Launched in Albania in March 2012, the campaign has
now been adopted by the CHwB offices
in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as
well.
Local heritage is an essential piece of human
identity, and a society’s active engagement
with heritage is one sign of a dynamic and
evolving culture. Therefore, ‘Make it yours!’
encourages everyone, from specialists to
media to politicians to everyday people,
to take an active role in using, preserving
and promoting their heritage. In Albanian,
the phrase ‘Bëje tënden!’ (written ‘Bone
tanden!’ in Kosovo and ‘Učini svojim!’ in
Bosnia and Herzegovina) captures both the
idea that people across the spectrum of
society should take personal responsibility
for their heritage and the idea that they
need to do their part to conserve and
advocate their heritage, in order to ensure
that it remains a source of pride and
inspiration for generations to come.
28
regional heritage seminars
An exchange platform for Balkan heritage professionals
2012 – 2014
In partnership with:
Co-Plan – Institute for Habitat
Development, Albania
Mozaik Foundation, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
jajce
Donors:
Swedish Government
European Union
prizren
Total funding:
€ 45.000
gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
professional networking
cross-border cooperation
inspiring conversation
conviction that heritage can make a difference.
Main results: more than 150 participants and speakers
from the Westerns Balkans and other regions of the world,
1 set of publications in three languages produced, a soonto-be-structured digital network of the Balkan’s heritage
professionals.
As part of the regional project “Western Balkans
– From Historical Integration to Contemporary
Active Participation”, the Regional Heritage Seminar
series was aimed at using cultural
heritage as a platform for professionals,
proving conditions for reconciliation as
a prerequisite for peace and democracy
with respect to human rights, as well as to
stimulate local economic growth through
cultural heritage.
The seminars were held in Gjirokastra,
Prizren and Jajce, cities that managed to
maintain through the ages great values
of heritage and cultural diversity. They
brought together international and regional
experts, projects and individuals from a
range of backgrounds. They turned out to
be creative, positive and inspiring events
that helped explore connections between
people and heritage. Common ground was
found in the way that stories and emotions
unite us all – across time and place in the
29
regional restoration camps
Training & cultural exchange program
September 2007 - present
In partnership with:
Min. of Culture in Albania, Kosovo and Serbia
Multiple cultural directorates and institutes
State & private universities in Albania
Many other civil society organizations
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
rogljevo
jajce
stolac
Donors:
Swedish Govt; European Union; Adventures in Preservation
Total funding:
c. € 20.000 per camp
mitrovica
prizren
gjirokastra
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
The Regional Restoration Camps represent a simple,
successful, scalable training model, which has grown
since 2007 from a few students in Albania to multiple
sessions in four countries, with a diverse array of
participants. The Camps form part of a region-wide
push to encourage people to value and care for their
local heritage. The main objective is to use cultural
heritage as a platform for professionals, both men and
women, to meet and create conditions for building
peace within a democratic society, respecting human
rights, and stimulating local economic growth through
the development of cultural heritage.
Nostra Award in the category of “Education, Training
and Awareness Raising”.
As of April 2015, CHwB has held 20 Camps in 6 locations
across the Western Balkans. A total of 566 participants,
representing 25 countries, have completed more than
77 small conservation and restoration interventions for
a total of more than 37,700 hours of hands-on work.
Four additional Camps will be conducted in 2015.
Over the course of each Camp, participants follow
a rigorous but fulfilling schedule, combining theory –
through engaging lectures and presentations – with
hands-on restoration work on historic monuments and
museum collections in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Kosovo or Serbia. Each intervention directly helps local
residents – using traditional materials and techniques
to conserve their valuable buildings and artefacts and
providing a new means of understanding, enjoying and
revitalizing them.
Today, CHwB’s Regional Restoration Camps have
become a keystone for bridging cultural differences
throughout the Balkans and have earned the
organization a respected reputation in the fields of
restoration and cultural heritage. In 2014, the Camps
won an EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa
30
see heritage network
An independent heritage NGO network
2006 - present
Created by Dolly Vu
from the Noun Project
In partnership with:
CHwB Kosovo
CHwB Bosnia & Herzegovina
Donors:
Swedish Government; Headley Trust;
Butrint Foundation; Soros Foundation
Total funding
c. € 250.000
Created by Joe Harrison
from the Noun Project
tackling balkan heritage
challenges together
Cultural Heritage without Borders has initiated and
further supported the creation of a regional platform
for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) dealing
with the preservation and promotion of cultural
heritage across South East Europe (SEE). Initially,
twelve partner NGOs from the region (including
Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia,
Montenegro and Serbia) expressed their willingness
to meet and to exchange views and experiences with
their colleagues.
Today, the network numbers 24 NGOs from across
SEE (including Romania and Croatia). The SEE Heritage
network gathers all those willing to contribute to
protecting and promoting South East European
heritage as a part of the common heritage of Europe
and the world. The vision of the network is: South East
Europe (SEE) – a region where people cooperate,
understand and respect each other on the basis of
their cultural differences, believing that cultural, ethnic
and religious diversity is a valuable resource.
31
albania chwb.org/albania
Rr. Ismail Qemali
P. 34/I, Kt. III, Zr. 15
Tirana
We restore and build relations
Cover photos © Anduena Dragovi, Vanja Jovišić, Kreshnik Merxhani
Design, texts, project photos © CHwB 2015
“Glove” icon © Dolly Vu; “Light bulb” icon © Joe Harrison from thenounproject.com