1. How to make 'new heritage' in a fragile institutional context: the case of Tzari Mali Grad in Bulgaria as 'community of patrons'.
- Author
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Slavova, Petya, Vladimirov, Zhelyu, Todorova, Rosalina, and Denisova, Nina
- Subjects
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HISTORIC sites , *BENEFACTORS , *TRIANGULATED categories , *LEADERS - Abstract
The paper discusses how 'new heritage' is created in a fragile institutional context by analysing the example of the historical complex Tzari Mali Grad (TMG) in Bulgaria. The analysis builds upon Regina Bendix's notion of 'communities of patrons' and further develops its analytical potential. The article focuses on the hierarchical community structures; on the transformation of patrons into leaders; on the dynamics of patrons' engagement with heritage which we call 'spiral of involvement'; and on the specifics of the fragile post-socialist context, which allows individual actors to substitute public institutions by restricting their power in heritage decision making. To explore the case, we triangulate qualitative and quantitative data. We conclude that this is an instrumental approach towards heritage, focused on the needs of the present rather than on the heritage's authenticity. This contextual specificity allows individual patrons to become heritage leaders and to cultivate communities of patrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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