On Thursday, 14 September, the Rundāle Palace Museum will host the international conference “Management and Maintenance of Historic Gardens and Grounds” during which representatives of palaces, castles, and museums from the countries of the Baltic Sea Region will discuss issues related to the history of gardens and grounds, their restoration and maintenance, and also tourist attraction and public involvement.
The objective of the conference is to stimulate a more extensive discussion on cultural landscape and to pay attention not only to the building heritage but also the surrounding environment, viewing it all as a single unit.
The event will provide an opportunity to hear several local experience stories about the creation and restoration of historic gardens, and also to learn more about the creation of the Louhisaari Manor gardens in Finland. This manor is part of the National Museum of Finland, and the Orchard and the Herbal Garden were arranged next to the manor in 2016, drawing inspiration from the lectures of the Finnish botanist Pehr Calm in the second half of the 18th century. During the conference, the keeper of the manor Jouni Marjamäki will also share the feedback from visitors and outline the benefits and problems related to the maintenance of the gardens.
The research of oral history conducted by the historian Andrzej Hoja who is also the specialist of the Museum of Gdańsk on Wisłoujście/Weichselmünde community in the 20th century is a special highlight among the presentations. From the Middle Ages until 1970s, this community has existed in a small territory near the Wisłoujście Fortress which for many centuries has been an object of military importance in the history of Gdańsk. The historian has documented the memories of the members of the community regarding its life “in the shadow of the fortress”, also outlining the role of intangible cultural heritage in the conference.
At the same time, the conference is an opportunity for the Rundāle Pils Museum to introduce a more extensive circle of foreign specialists to Rundāle Palace garden both in the form of a presentation, focusing on the restoration of Rundāle Palace garden and its significance, and introducing them to the garden in person.
The conference will be broadcast online on the Facebook page of the Rundāle Palace Museum. The event will take place in English and a recording in Latvian will also be available after the event.
The conference is organised with the financial support of the European Union within the scope of the project “Heritage.lv” No. LVIII‑060. The sole responsibility for its content lies with the Rundāle Palace Museum, and it does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the European Union. The course of the conference is supported by the Association of Castles and Museums around the Baltic Sea and the Bauska Municipality Council.
