Conference Program:
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP
"Culture in Conflict: The South Caucasus today"
Friday May 13th 2002: The South Caucasus: conflict, politics, culture and heritage’
09.00 Admission
09.30 – 11.00 Opening and greetings, Representative of KHM / H.G. Bishop Tiran Petrosyan, Pontifical delegate of Central Europe and Sweden
Panel 1: The South Caucasus.
Chair: Jasmine Dum-Tragut
Karl Habsburg-Lothringen, former MdEP, MBA, MLE, LL.M, President of the Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield, The Hague (NL), President Blue Shield Austria and vice-president of the Austrian Society for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.
The geopolitics of the South Caucasus
Lori Khatchadourian, Associate Professor, Department of Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University and Co-founder of Caucasus Heritage Watch.
Caucasus Heritage Watch: Monitoring and Documenting Cultural Heritage in the Crosshairs of Conflict
11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break
11.30 – 13.00 Panel 2. Current Conflict in South Caucasus.
Chair: Lori Khatchadourian
Richard Giragosian, Director Regional Studies Center.
The Artsakh-conflict from a historical and geo-political view.
Francesco Romani, Postdoctoral researcher and Principal Investigator at Art-Law Centre, University of Geneva.
A giant with clay feet? The structural weaknesses of international law in protecting cultural property during armed conflict
Jasmine Dum-Tragut, Armenian Studies, Head of Center for the Studies of the Christian East, University of Salzburg / Seda Grigoryan, Documentary Filmmaker, Former Head of Creative Europe Armenia.
The emergence of the Culture Conflict and its development / Culture conflict: an endless struggle for survival.
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch break
14.00 – 15.30 Panel 3: Armenian Heritage in Conflict
Chair: V. Rev. Fr. Garegin Hambardzumyan
H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.
The spiritual heritage of Artsakh and the role of the church of heritage protection.
Raffi Kortoshian, Research on Armenian Architecture Foundation.
The monuments of Artsakh and grounds for fear of destruction.
Ani Avagyan: Former Director of ROCHEMP Center – Regional Office for Cultural Heritage Enhancement, Management and Protection, Expert in Cultural Heritage, Former Chair of ICOM Armenia.
The Armenian museums and collections of Artsakh.
Sona Baloyan, Senior International Relations Specialist, ‘Matenadaran’ Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts.
The Manuscripts of Artsakh: Matenadaran’s Activities for the Preservation and Propagation of this Heritage.
15.30 – 16.00 Coffee Break
16.00 – 17.00 Panel 4: Cultural Property Protection: Perspectives on South Caucasus
Chair: Friedrich Schipper
Michael Pesendorfer, Colonel, Lawyer at Austrian Armed forces.
Legal Framework regarding the Protection of Cultural Property versus Reality in the Field.
Lando Kirchmair, Deputy Professor for National and International Public, Department of Social Sciences and Public Affairs, University of German Armed Forces, Munich.
The International Court of Justice and the Protection of Cultural Heritage
17.00 – 17.30 Reflections and Closure of the Conference
18.00 Opening of exhibition ‘From Artsakh to Vienna’ Mekhitharist Congregation Vienna
P. Vahan Hovagimian, Karl Habsburg-Lothringen
Saturday May 14th, 2022
Cultural Property Protection:
Practical Perspectives on the Current Conflicts in the South Caucasus
CLOSED WORKSHOP
The workshop on the second day is not open to the public. (09.00-15.30)
In three panels, national and international experts from politics, science, church and church organisations, the military and cultural protection organisations will jointly discuss the issues of the protection of Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh and Azerbaijan and seek for peaceful, collaborative solutions.
Conference Venue
Kunsthistorisches Museum KHM Vienna
Entrance: Weltmuseum, Heldenplatz.
Conference and Workshop Organising committee
• Armenian studies division, Center for the Study of the Christian East, University of Salzburg
• Blue Shield Austria
• Austrian National Committee of the Roerich Pact
• Austrian committee for the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh
• Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin’s Office for Artsakh spiritual-cultural heritage issues
• H.G. Bishop Tiran Petrosyan, Pontifical Delegate for Central Europa and Sweden
Conference and workshop scientific and program committee
• Jasmine Dum-Tragut, Armenian Studies Division, Center for the Study of the Christian East, University of Salzburg
• Friedrich Schipper, Anna Puhr, Konstantin Staus Rausch, Blue Shield Austria
• Leylya Strobl, Blue Shield Austria, Austrian National Committee of the Roerich Pact