Best We Share

Christoph Brumann is Head of Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle, and Honorary Professor of Anthropology at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. His books include World Heritage on the Ground: Ethnographic Perspectives (co-edited with David Berliner, Berghahn Books, 2016) and Tradition, Democracy and the Townscape of Kyoto: Claiming a Right to the Past (Routledge, 2012).

“Filled with detailed footnotes and rich in references to World Heritage research, Brumann’s book provides insights beyond his thoughtful and colourful ethnographic observations. As such, it is a good resource for research, as well as an enjoyable book for anyone interested in World Heritage.” • Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (JRAI)“There are numerous scholarly articles or other publications on the subject, but The Best We Share …is a very special work. …Brumann… proves to be an excellent guide. …His analysis … is razor-sharp and illuminating for heritage care in general. … Unlike other authors … Brumann does not invoke romantic thoughts or heritage beliefs. … The book is easy to read and an inspiration for anyone involved in contemporary heritage care.” • Monumenten, Landschappen en Archeologie“The book is a real methodological guide, not only for the researchers working on this specific UNESCO programme, but also, and more generally, for those interested in an international organizational system.” • Critique Internationale“The book is extremely well informed, enriched by many observations and mad fascinating thanks to a subtle style, always paying tribute to existing publications even if it means contesting their perspectives or conclusions.” • L'Espace Géographique“Brumann’s richly textured monograph makes one feel the privileged observer of an international organisation’s inner workings, of what lies behind UNESCO’s powerful symbolic cachet. Taking the World Heritage Committee as a contested field site, he brings to light the very concreteness of heritage policies whilst, at the same time, identifying their globalising ambitions and globalised connections. A must read!” • David Berliner, Université Libre de Bruxelles“This excellent book, arguably the most authoritative analysis of the field to date, unpacks the political, legal, diplomatic and cultural dimensions of the World Heritage phenomenon in a lucid and even-handed way. Revealing the nuts and bolts of the struggle for a shared human identity, it shows us divided by a common past.” • Thomas Hylland Eriksen, University of Oslo“…a crucial reading for anthropologists observing ‘world-making’ though the exploration of international apparatuses shaping global governance. At the same time, it offers to political scientists an alternative perspective on topics such as the crisis of multilateralism or the persistence of North/South imbalances.” • Chiara Bortolotto, Institut interdisciplinaire d’anthropologie du contemporain at EHESS, Paris

• List of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1. A Day in the Life of the UNESCO World Heritage CommitteeChapter 2. The Promise of World HeritageChapter 3. Fulfilling the PromiseChapter 4. Rebellion and PeaceChapter 5. The Nation StateChapter 6. ProceduresChapter 7. ConceptsChapter 8. Global North and SouthConclusion: Utopian Remnants and the Logic of GrowthReferencesIndex