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FOREWORD

Photographs of crumbling stone figures – along with impressive photos of the demolition of historical buildings – became symbols of environmental pollution and the increasing loss of built cultural heritage in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The ever increasing criticism and concern about the loss of built cultural heritage in Europe led to a rise in civic and state engagement. The “Stone” congresses, the first of which took place in 1972, were part of the international heritage movement and continue to be so today.

Two years later, in 1974, the founding of the Deutsches Nationalkomitee für Denkmalschutz (DNK, German National Committee for Monument Protection) in the Federal Republic of Germany was an important step towards the acceptance of monument protection as a social and national objective.

First the DNK prepared the German activities for the European Cultural Heritage Year 1975. In the following years the DNK gave a lot of impetus into society, but acted itself as a seismograph for conservation and restoration issues, too.

Since then, the DNK has assumed responsibility for bundling the expertise of science, craft, preservation and conservation expertise. In 1984, for example, a trip with journalists was devoted to the topic of stone deterioration.

Today, half a century after these years of departure, many of the demands of that time have been met. The cooperation between basic research and owners, preservation authorities, architects and engineers, craftsmen and restorers is particularly pronounced in the field of natural and artificial stone.

Nevertheless there are new challenges to be overcome: the climate change with droughts, high temperatures, heavy rain and storms is affecting stone, plaster and mortar. Emissions from industry and car traffic will decrease, but will not disappear. Thus, we cannot rest on our laurels.

The “Stone” congress is a long-standing and important platform for bundling and disseminating new findings on stone conservation topics.

I admire the level of expertise and commitment with which scientists and practical users continuously share their results.

The “Stone” congress is a prime example of the transfer of knowledge between basic research and practical application on built heritage and back.

I also wish “Stone 2020” to continue this remarkable tradition. May the shared insights benefit our heritage in Europe and the world!

Dr. Gunnar Schellenberger State Secretary for Culture and President of the German National Committee for Monument Protection