Civil protection - Storm protection for cultural assets: Emergency association founded
For better protection of cultural heritage from disasters such as floods or storms, a statewide emergency network has been established in Bavaria. Leading cultural institutions joined forces, as the Bavarian State Archives General Directorate announced on a Friday. "Prevention, protection, and networking works best together," said Bavarian Arts Minister Markus Blume (CSU).
The core of the network is an emergency container, in which valuable paintings can be securely stored. The production of a special container is ongoing, it is expected to be ready around mid-2025. In total, there are supposed to be ten such so-called roll-on containers for cultural heritage protection in Germany.
The cultural institutions in the Bavarian emergency network are supposed to pool their personnel, expertise, and technical resources during damage events to save cultural property from loss and destruction. Success depends on the first 48 hours, it was stated. Since, according to experience, mold growth sets in on wet objects after this time. The goals of the Bavarian emergency network include the procurement and provision of equipment and regular drills.
Among the initial signatories of the agreement are larger institutions with their own workshops that preserve cultural property, such as the State Picture Galleries, the State Archives, or the Bavarian National Museum. The State Office for Non-State Museums, the Archives of the Archbishoprics of Munich and Freising, and Bamberg, the Archaeological State Collection, and the Federal Archives' Compensation Office in Bayreuth are also involved. The Bavarian Ministry of the Interior, the State Fire Department Association, and the Bavarian Fire Departments are also supporters.
Bavarian Ministry of Science and Art Emergency Networks for Cultural Heritage Protection in Germany
- Markus Blume, the CSU's Arts Minister in Germany, emphasized the importance of collaboration between cultural institutions to effectively protect cultural assets from disasters like floods and storms in Bavaria.
- Despite the ongoing production of a special emergency container for securely storing paintings in Bavaria, it's expected to be ready by mid-2025, contributing to the nationwide goal of ten such containers for cultural heritage protection.
- Bavaria's emergency network for cultural heritage protection aims to pool resources, with larger institutions like the State Picture Galleries, Bavarian National Museum, and various archives joining forces to save precious cultural assets in the event of emergencies.
- The Bavarian State Fire Department Association and local fire departments, in addition to the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior, are collaborators in the Bavarian Ministry of Science and Art's emergency networks for cultural heritage protection.
- As part of the Bavarian emergency network's goals, the network will also focus on procuring and providing necessary equipment and conducting regular drills to ensure the best possible response to future disasters in Bavaria, specifically for protecting cultural assets from mold growth and destruction caused by floods and storms.
