Urban heritage tourism : up-to-date modes of memory for tourists

1. Urban heritagetourism: up-to-datemodesofmemoryfortourists Vera Denzer, Institute forGeography, University of Leipzig

2. 1. Introduction Structureofthepaper • Indroduction • The constructionofculturalheritageandtheheritageindustry • Modes ofperceptionbytourists- Tourist gaze- Tourist peformances • Resultsofthepilotstudy Leipzig • Conclusion

3. 2. The construction of cultural heritage Culture heritage • “Heritage is inherently a spatial phenomenon. All heritage occurs somewhere and the relationship between heritage object, building, association or idea and its place may be important in a number of way” (Graham/Ashworth/Tunbridge 2000:4). • Heritage is defined by using the past as a resource for the present (Graham/Ashworth/Tunbridge 2000:11). • Heritage is both a cultural and an economic good and is commodified as such(Graham/Ashworth/Tunbridge 2000:5).

4. 2. The construction of cultural heritage Paulinum (innercityuniversitycampusattheAugustusplatz, Leipzig)

5. 2. The Pauline Church The Pauline Church with the Augusteum(Postcard about 1920) (entnommen: Schmidt et al. 2005)

6. 2. The Pauline Church Demolition of the University Church (30. Mai 1968) (Rosner 1992: 47)

7. 2. The Pauline Church Steel gable installation by the artist Axel Guhlmann(in front of the main university building)

8. 2. The construction of cultural heritage Paulinum(Design fromthe office of Rotterdam architect Erick van Egeraat 2004)

9. 2. The construction of cultural heritage Aspectswhichareimportanttocreatecommemorativeplaces • Differentgroupsofpeopleandactorsreinterpretandreconfigurephysical-material spaces in different ways. (2) The processofcommemorationgoeshand in handwiththeprocessofoblivion/repression. • Theseprocessesarealwayslinkedwithissuesof power.

10. 3. Modes of perception by tourists Tourist gaze • *Urry 1992, Ap. 22; ** Urry 2002; ***Popp 2009, p. 47

11. 3. Modes of perception by tourists Tourist performances • The term performance “incorporates ideas of active bodily involvement, physical activity and gazing” (Perkins and Thorns 2001: 185). • Producing cultural heritage „is not a one-way process with the tourism operators in complete control of the image making (Ek et al. 2008: 192 by reference to Massey 1995, see Perkins and Thorns 2001). • Aspects of processuality, living heritage as well as emotional, non-visual types of perception are thereby being discussed in the context of performative turn (see Ek et. al. 2008: 125). • *Urry 1992, Ap. 22; ** Urry 2002; ***Popp 2009, p. 47

12. 4. Results of the pilot study Methodology • Results from research project with master students • Guided expert interviews • standardisedsurvey(N=106)(incl. Photograph association) location ofsurvey in Leipzig, city-centre

13. 4. Results of the pilot study The Leipzig-Tourist ?! *One invalid case; just one response per person allowed **multiple answers allowed

14. 4. Results of the pilot study Tourist Gaze - typ

15. 4. Results of the pilot study Places of interest - Highlights Which places of interest have you visited yet (in Leipzig)?

16. 3. Modes of perception by tourists Importantaspectsfortouristexperiences • Authenticity • Atmosphere • Location • Historically important places Nikolai Church + PillarofPeace • *Urry 1992, Ap. 22; ** Urry 2002; ***Popp 2009, p. 47

17. 5. Conclusions Reasonstovisit Leipzig Reasonstovisit Leipzig + Topics associatedwith Leipzig* *in percent, in relationto „Reasonstovisit Leipzig“ everysetofbarsaddupto 100% • “For which reasons did you come to visit Leipzig?” (multiple answers allowed, no hints) • “Which topics do you associate with Leipzig? Please name three topics.” (multiple answers allowed, hints allowed)

18. 5. Conclusions What will last? Wordcloud “What do youkeep in mindof Leipzig?“* *maximum 3 answers per subject