Beyond Standards: Framework for Monitoring, Protection, and Conservation of Highly Vulnerable Cultural Heritage Sites in the Context of Anthropopressure and Climate Change

The consequences of climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressure pose a growing threat to UNESCO World Heritage sites. Proper identification of environmental factors and their effective mitigation are crucial for preserving historic assets without unnecessary intervening in their material fabric. This article presents excerpts from a study conducted to develop the Master Plan for Preservation for the oldest part of the former Nazi extermination camp Auschwitz II—Birkenau, including non-standard, minimally invasive testing, and the successful implementation of the research findings. Drawing on experience from a multi-year, interdisciplinary research project carried out in close collaboration with the conservation team of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial, as well as other research projects and surveys conducted in other UNESCO World Heritage sites, the authors critically engage with current standards for the monitoring, protection, and conservation of built cultural heritage. The role of comprehensive identification of different threats—including hydrogeological ones, exacerbated by anthropogenic pressure and climate change—points to the need for a broader approach, especially for the most valuable built-heritage sites that are either increasingly passive recipients of threats generated outside the protected area, or are vulnerable to the extent of standard methodologies for the conservation of cultural sites being no longer applicable.