Bedeutung, Sprache und Diskurs: Entwurf einer sozial-pragmatischen Theorie der Konservierung-Restaurierung

Abstract

A theory of conservation-restoration worthy of the name must firstly, provide useable formulae and secondly offer terminology with which objects of cultural heritage can be described. Initially the question asked is; how do objects of cultural heritage become objects of cultural heritage and what differentiates then from other objects? They make their way from usefulness via uselessness to permanence and are assigned with significance along the way. Cultural heritage is bound in social dynamism, in actions. The historicity of this process is described with the aid of speech act theory and the theory of narratives. Speech act theory offers a descriptive model for the close interconnection of cultural heritage and courses of action, the theory of narratives offers a value neutral explanatory model for the various approaches to cultural heritage. To escape the closed circle of authoritative courses of action the introduction of the principle of discourse is necessary whereby all participants are simultaneously involved in the process of decision making.