11th International Symposium of Ethnologists in Conservation

In October, from 8 October to 10 October 2025, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, Maribor Regional Unit, will organise the XI International Symposium of Conservation Ethnologists, an interdisciplinary professional meeting of conservationists and other experts, researchers and practitioners in the field of protection and preservation of cultural heritage. These are the professional meetings with the longest history of such efforts, having been held continuously since 2000. The idea of cooperation between ethnologists from Slovenia and Croatia quickly outgrew the initial bilateral framework, as speakers from the Republic of Serbia, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina quickly responded to the organisers' invitation to participate in the symposium. In the twenty-five years since the first symposium was organised in 2000, ten symposia have been organised (Metlika, Starigrad near Paklenica, Brežice, Stari Grad on Hvar, Trenta, Požega-Slavonski Brod, Krško, Bitola, Kladovo and Šibenik-Trogir), at which about 100 different experts from five countries presented over 190 papers. Twenty-five years of continuity and the number of participating speakers from five countries, as well as the diversity of topics discussed, make the Symposium of Conservation Ethnologists one of the most important conservation professional meetings at the interface of Central and South-Eastern Europe.

This year's XI. SEC invites you to an expert discourse on "Challenges for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in the Light of the Faro Convention". The first thematic session will focus on the Theory and practical experience of the implementation of the Faro Convention (2005) in everyday conservation practice, while the second will address the issue of reconstruction and reconstruction in the restoration of cultural heritage.

The Organising Committee of SEC XI, composed of Sanja Lončar, Ana Mlinar, Neža Čebron Lipovec, Svjetlana Kurelac, Suzana Vešligaj, Krešimir Mijakovac and Dušan Štepec, decided that this year's Symposium of Ethnologists in Conservation would be dedicated to their colleague Dušan Strgar, the initiator of such professional meetings.

The programme of lectures and side events will follow below.