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Cultural heritage management and placemaking by story telling of Talking Houses in Kőszeg town
Published on 23 November 2020
Hungary
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
In the last one and a half century, local identity was strongly challenged and even destroyed in Hungary, especially by the iron curtain in Kőszeg town at the Western border. Its torn region, supressed openness and broken freedom together with the personal losses and damages resulted in substantial grievous wound in the community. Renovation of the civic behaviour and community is a key component for the successful and sustainable development.
Elaboration of local history through personal stories is a good way to repair the broken continuity and able to provide the stable basement of the common heritage. The town is rich in local history both with national and regional relevance, and also the locality based micro-history has meaningful messages for the present. In order to reinforce the role of spirit of location, we have concentrated on basic elements of location, the houses.
Historians of our institute have made intense exploration, studied records, archives, interviewed local inhabitants, and formulated the stories in a literary work. A compilation of such stories was published in a book, others on a homepage, some of those were processed in a gamified interactive form presented for the public and designed for an exhibition.
Main stakeholders are Kőszeg town, Institute of Advanced Studies Kőszeg, town inhabitants and local institutes, organizations.
Beneficiaries are Kőszeg town with its creative and cultural industry, tourism industry and local inhabitants.
Elaboration of local history through personal stories is a good way to repair the broken continuity and able to provide the stable basement of the common heritage. The town is rich in local history both with national and regional relevance, and also the locality based micro-history has meaningful messages for the present. In order to reinforce the role of spirit of location, we have concentrated on basic elements of location, the houses.
Historians of our institute have made intense exploration, studied records, archives, interviewed local inhabitants, and formulated the stories in a literary work. A compilation of such stories was published in a book, others on a homepage, some of those were processed in a gamified interactive form presented for the public and designed for an exhibition.
Main stakeholders are Kőszeg town, Institute of Advanced Studies Kőszeg, town inhabitants and local institutes, organizations.
Beneficiaries are Kőszeg town with its creative and cultural industry, tourism industry and local inhabitants.
Resources needed
Two historians explored local stories, investigated relevant documents, interviewed local people, and formulated the published individual stories. Cost of publication was 3000 Ft for a book. Online publication and interactive gamified versions were managed and produced by the two historians.
Evidence of success
The Talking Houses project has generated intense local interest, 107 visitors participated in the interactive gamified version on one afternoon in 2019, 100 books were sold, 5 other settlements in the region adopted the project, and inhabitants of Kőszeg request publication of further stories.
Potential for learning or transfer
The good practice has already been transferred to Den Bosch in relation to their Online Monument Day project.
The practice can be potentially interesting for cultural heritage management that focuses on micro-history and city brand development using the placemaking methodology. Other key use case is promotion of community cohesion.
The Talking Houses methodology with its details can guide both heritage management and community developer practitioners.
Both the gamification of the stories, the publication of book are efficient tool for develop heritage and place-related products, services for cultural heritage valorisation.
The practice can be potentially interesting for cultural heritage management that focuses on micro-history and city brand development using the placemaking methodology. Other key use case is promotion of community cohesion.
The Talking Houses methodology with its details can guide both heritage management and community developer practitioners.
Both the gamification of the stories, the publication of book are efficient tool for develop heritage and place-related products, services for cultural heritage valorisation.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Institute of Advanced Studies
Hungary
Nyugat-Dunántúl
Contact
Project coordinator