"Heritage": A Concept at the Crossroads of Biology and Culture (Interdisciplinary Workshop)

In the last thirty years, the legislation on cultural heritage has incorporated a growing number of specifications of the core term "heritage": from "documentary" to "underwater" heritage, from "intangible" to "difficult" heritage, from "threatened", "lost, "robbed heritage" to "heritage at risk". It is far less frequent that the very concept of "heritage" is called into question. Its validity to designate cultural transmission, various forms of tradition, or material remnants of the past appears to be generally accepted. And yet, the notion of "heritage" also implies several ambiguities, controversial aspects, unclear boundaries and changing contours. Focusing on the time-span between the 19th and 20th centuries, the workshop will explore the historical semantics of the concept, especially in its application to both biological and cultural transmission. It will also explore the relevance of the concept's history to contemporary critical discussions.