The countries surrounding the Baltic Sea have been connected by waterways throughout history. The Baltic Sea water basin compose a cultural region where we share similar maritime heritage and coastal traditions, essential for understanding our common identity and history.
What, you may ask, do we mean by the concept \u201ccoastal heritage\u201d? Briefly and in a broad sense, coastal heritage encloses the entire range of maritime landscape, comprising the economies and topography of the whole waterfront area whether they are submerged, in the water, buried or located on land, still in use or disused. Moreover, coastal heritage does not end at visual objects, but it also includes traces of intangible heritage, inherited from the past. In other words, coastal heritage is the total assemblage of things that human beings have done to alter the interface and relationship between land and water. Among most typical features of the coastal heritage can be mentioned ports and harbours, ship- and boatyards, navigational aids, fishing villages, all type of fishing or seafaring constructions, recreational and industrial buildings, constructions and, naturally, ships and boats of all types.
The coastal areas are probably the most rapidly changing environments today. As the traditional trades lose their importance, new economic strategies are called for to build more sustainable uses of our coastal resources. The coastal heritage is threatened not only by crises in the traditional coastal industries, but also by the increasing tourism. The members of the WG Coastal Heritage find it essential to make coastal heritage more visible, and further protected and developed in all its diversity by identifying and describing the common assets, problems, and potentials. The Working Group values and revitalizes coastal and maritime heritage in all of its diversity by exhibitions, publications, inventories and research.
It is important to understand that heritage specialists alone cannot preserve our coastal culture. A positive development is dependent on an active co-operation between different governmental authorities, institutions, and nongovernmental organizations on local, regional, national, and international levels. The care of coastal heritage depends on the existence of the resident population. The objects and places are not, in themselves, what is important but the meanings and uses that people attach to them, and the values they represent, are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chair of the WG:<\/strong> Secretary of the WG<\/strong>:
Director<\/strong> Espen Fr\u00f8ysland, Norway<\/strong>, espen@lindesnesfyr.no<\/a>
Lindesnes Lighthouse Museum<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Senior Advisor Hannu Matikka, Finland<\/strong>, hannu.matikka@museovirasto.fi<\/a>
Finnish Heritage Agency<\/p>\n\n\n\n