På konservatorsfronten intet nytt Om konserveringsverksamhetens utveckling i Sverige

Abstract

It often occurs that the spirit regarding the future as a conservator is rather pessimistic. How come that there are so few employed conservators, when the need for conservation obviously is big? What kind of changes is needed for a better status regarding the conservation? This thesis concerns the development of the field of conservation in Sweden. What have happened, what will happen and, particularly, what should happen? The information was gathered from literature studies and interviews during the spring of 2010. The thesis contains a chapter about cultural heritage management in Sweden, with laws and departments with responsibilities for the cultural heritage. The following chapters concern the development of the cultural heritage management in Sweden and the development in the field of conservation. The conclusion is that there has been a slightly positive development during the years, but much more has to be done. The conservation has not been prioritized properly, mostly due to ignorance among decision makers. The distribution of responsibilities needs to be clearer, with demands on continuous supervision of the cultural-historical material. Perhaps would a legislation regarding museums improve the protection of their collections, as the legislation of archives did regarding their. Conservators also have to market themselves more and be willing to accept important posts in order to affect the situation in a better way. That would also lead to the improvement of the essential understanding that conservation skills are indispensable for safeguarding cultural heritage.