A country's efforts to protect listed buildings and monuments may be futile without an inventory classifying which buildings require cultural protection. In 1985, the European Union immortalised that endeavour with the Granada Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe, which emphasises the importance of such an inventory.
So far, it has taken more than 30 years for Luxembourg to put the convention into effect and in 2019, 99 municipalities have yet to examine their own buildings. Only three municipalities have completed the task, namely Larochette, Fischbach, and Helperknapp.
The sites and monuments service's team, headed by Christina Mayer, has three criteria that local areas must fulfil in order for the team to set up a scientific inventory on architectural heritage, namely that they be relatively small, but hold a wealth of cultural objects and heritage buildings.
Naturally, the municipality of Larochette was a bastion of cultural heritage, attracting the team to carry out examinations of 130 properties. As it transpires, the team was able to find well-preserved relics ranging from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. The team was able to visit the insides of 55 properties and have retained 68 to add to a potential future national listing. However, the final decision depends on the cooperation of the municipal authorities. Larochette's authorities have been invaluable in opening local archives and connecting the expert team with local historians.
Mayer's team has also pointed out the benefits of having a municipal employee accompany the team on visits to assure homeowners that the examination is legitimate, and not a scam. After all, constructive dialogue is an integral part to the team working successfully, especially in terms of solving any disagreements between municipalities and the sites and monuments service.
Heritage series (1): Which buildings should Luxembourg protect?
