PANEL – THE (THEORETICAL) DISCOURSE: A FUTURE FOR WHOSE PAST?
and
BOOKLAUNCH “A FUTURE FOR WHOSE PAST?”

Swiss Architecture Museum Basel (SAM).

12.06.2025, from 19:00 to 20:30.

Prof. Hans-Rudolf Meier, Bauhaus Universität Weimar (Moderation)
Prof. Florence Graezer Bideau, EPFL
Oliver Martin, Federal office of Culture
Prof. Laura Hindelang, University Bern

Monument inventories is never neutral—they reflect the values of those who decide what is worth preserving. For too long, monument preservation has focused on obvious landmarks for the majority while overlooking the histories of marginalized communities.

This panel, held in conjunction with the book launch of A Future for Whose Past?, aims to question traditional narratives and to discuss how preservation can become more inclusive. How can we rethink heritage to better represent diverse voices? What happens when we preserve testimonies of contested histories? Join us for a discussion on the future of heritage beyond the monuments we already know.

An event organized by the Chair of Construction Heritage and Preservation (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Silke Langenberg) of the ETH Zürich as part of the exhibition «What Was Could Be: Experiments between Preservation and Architecture».

Find out more on the museum’s website, here.