Barcelona Charter
Encyclopedia
The Barcelona Charter, in full the European Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Traditional Ships in Operation is an informal but widely accepted standard for maintenance and restoration projects on historic watercraft that are still in operation as active sailing vessel
s.
of all sizes are still in operation in Europe
. Only a small number of them are registered monuments or real museum ships, while nearly all of them have a certain historic or cultural value in the context of maritime
or regional history. The wide majority of historic watercraft are owned and operated by private owners, associations, foundations etc.
European Maritime Heritage, the European umbrella organization
for traditional vessels in operation, decided to develop a code of best practice for the conservation and restoration of such vessels to safeguard the historic value of these vessels and to define minimum methodological standards for any work to be carried out on these vessels.
A working group mainly consisting of Arne Gotved, John Robinson
and the professional maritime historian Ingo Heidbrink
drafted the text of the Charter which was finally adopted by European Maritime Heritage in 2003.
s in operation should be done. The basic principles are developed on the basis of the Charter of Venice and include for example the requirement for proper documentation of all work carried out as well as proper historical background research as a basis for all work to be done. The aim of all paragraphs is to safeguard the particular historic value of a vessel for future generations although the vessel is still in operation and therefore certain safety-regulations of today have to be matched.
The original text of the Charter was written in English, but unofficial translations are available for a number of European languages (Catalan, Dutch, French, German and Portuguese).
A detailed commentary on all paragraphs of the Charter was developed by the maritime historian Ingo Heidbrink
.
Despite the fact that the Barcelona Charter was written mainly as a European Charter the principles of the Charter can be applied globally and were for example published by the National Research Institute for Restoration and Conservation of Japan .
Sailing vessel
Sailing vessel can refer to:*Sailing ship*Sailboat*Ice boat*Land yacht...
s.
Background
More than a thousand historic watercraftWatercraft
A watercraft is a vessel or craft designed to move across or through water. The name is derived from the term "craft" which was used to describe all types of water going vessels...
of all sizes are still in operation in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Only a small number of them are registered monuments or real museum ships, while nearly all of them have a certain historic or cultural value in the context of maritime
Maritime history
Maritime history is the study of human activity at sea. It covers a broad thematic element of history that often uses a global approach, although national and regional histories remain predominant...
or regional history. The wide majority of historic watercraft are owned and operated by private owners, associations, foundations etc.
European Maritime Heritage, the European umbrella organization
Umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...
for traditional vessels in operation, decided to develop a code of best practice for the conservation and restoration of such vessels to safeguard the historic value of these vessels and to define minimum methodological standards for any work to be carried out on these vessels.
A working group mainly consisting of Arne Gotved, John Robinson
John Robinson
-Academics:*John Martin Robinson , English Officer of Arms and historian*John Alan Robinson , philosopher and mathematician*John Thomas Romney Robinson , Irish astronomer and physicist*John T. Robinson, paleontologist...
and the professional maritime historian Ingo Heidbrink
Ingo Heidbrink
Ingo Heidbrink is a German Maritime Historian who is presently Professor of History with a specilization on Maritime History at Old Dominion University in Norfolk,VA....
drafted the text of the Charter which was finally adopted by European Maritime Heritage in 2003.
Contents
The Barcelona Charter describes in a few paragraphs how conservation and restoration of traditional shipShip
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s in operation should be done. The basic principles are developed on the basis of the Charter of Venice and include for example the requirement for proper documentation of all work carried out as well as proper historical background research as a basis for all work to be done. The aim of all paragraphs is to safeguard the particular historic value of a vessel for future generations although the vessel is still in operation and therefore certain safety-regulations of today have to be matched.
The original text of the Charter was written in English, but unofficial translations are available for a number of European languages (Catalan, Dutch, French, German and Portuguese).
A detailed commentary on all paragraphs of the Charter was developed by the maritime historian Ingo Heidbrink
Ingo Heidbrink
Ingo Heidbrink is a German Maritime Historian who is presently Professor of History with a specilization on Maritime History at Old Dominion University in Norfolk,VA....
.
Relevance
Although the Barcelona Charter is not a binding legal instrument it is widely accepted as a code of best practice and is recognized by several European marine safety authorities as well as national owner organizations of historic watercraft.Despite the fact that the Barcelona Charter was written mainly as a European Charter the principles of the Charter can be applied globally and were for example published by the National Research Institute for Restoration and Conservation of Japan .
External links
- www.european-maritime-heritage.org
- www.e-m-h.eu - BC
- European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
Green PaperGreen paperIn the Commonwealth, the Republic of Ireland and the United States a green paper is a tentative government report of a proposal without any commitment to action; the first step in changing the law...
Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union: A European vision for the oceans and seas June 2006