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As one of the most revolutionary inventions of the 19th century, the railway shaped the world perhaps more than any other technological achievement. Across borders, it revolutionised movement in space and was an important engine of industrialisation. Closely interconnected with technical advances and constantly changing economic, social and cultural processes, it continues to drive change even today and is likewise subject to it. This dynamic of change raises a wide range of questions in the context of national and international historic railway monument preservation, a topic that has become more topical in 2022 – also under the theme of ‘175 Years of Swiss Railways’.

Railway Heritage Preservation Conference in Zurich

Into which processes for society as a whole is railway heritage preservation embedded? What is the current status of railway heritage preservation by international comparison? Which planning and legislative instruments can railway heritage preservation use? What effects do nature conservation and heritage protection legislation have on the maintenance and development of historical railway structures and systems? How can the current stock of historical railway structures and systems, ensembles and lines be comprehensively recorded and assessed? What archiving principles are available for this? What direct and indirect effects arise from railway heritage preservation for settlement patterns and the landscape? What contribution does it make to the sustainability of the European railway network and railway heritage, particularly in the context of the trans-European “high-quality Baukultur” initiative? What are the specific requirements and challenges for railways classed as World Heritage Sites?

To illuminate and discuss the manifold challenges and opportunities of this young branch of heritage preservation, the SBB Specialist Service for the Preservation of Historical Monuments has initiated the specialist conference on railway heritage preservation on the occasion of its 20th anniversary and held it in Zurich from 23 to 25 June 2022 in collaboration with the Professorship for Construction Heritage and Preservation at the Zurich Federal Institute of Technology, the Federal Office of Culture and ICOMOS Suisse. The SBB Historic Foundation, which was also founded 20 years ago, is represented with a conference contribution.

Concept/organisation
Dr. Bärbel Schallow-Gröne, SBB Specialist Service for the Preservation of Historical Monuments
Toni Häfliger, former SBB Historical Monuments Preservation Officer

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