Concerted efforts

Only thanks to the support and cooperation of numerous institutions and individuals has it been possible to combine the conservation and restoration of historical monuments in Vietnam with on the job training for local restorers. In Vietnam and Germany, everyone involved shares a common goal: to conserve and restore monuments to UNESCO standards and to provide trainees with a solid foundation in this specialist field. The overarching interest of all three current projects is to strengthen national identity by promoting intercultural dialogue on the basis of equal rights and mutual respect. The key players here and there were or are still:

The Cultural Preservation Programme maintained
by Germany's Federal Foreign Office

All these measures were initiated and funded in the framework of the Cultural Preservation Programme maintained by the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany. Since 1981, Germany has supported the preservation of cultural heritage all over the world. Its primary objective is to safeguard cultural heritage in developing countries and Germany's cultural heritage abroad, except for in historical settlement areas. To date, over 2,200 projects in 136 countries have received support – a total sum of circa 43.5 million euro. The projects encompass:
- Historical secular and sacred buildings
- Historical artefacts
- Handwritten and oral testimonies
- Museums and archives
- Films, exhibitions, publications and other documentation of cultural heritage
- Ongoing training and further education for restorers, archivists, archaeologists and museum directors

The Cultural Preservation Programme is designed primarily to help developing countries build a strong cultural identity and thus promotes intercultural dialogue. It has become a highly effective instrument of Germany's foreign cultural and education policy.

The German Embassy in Hanoi

The German Embassy in Hanoi has been or remains responsible for steering and monitoring the three projects in Vietnam. Diplomatic relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Vietnam have been maintained now for almost 35 years, in the course of which mutual understanding and friendship have flourished in political, economic and also cultural terms. Numerous events will take place in Vietnam and Germany in 2010 to mark the thirty-fifth anniversary.

THE Hué MonumentS Conservation Center (HMCC)

The architectural ensemble of the former imperial capital Hué – of which the An Dinh Palace and the tomb of the emperor Tu Duc are part – has been under UNESCO protection since 1993. The Hué Monuments Conservation Center (HMCC) is responsible for the maintenance, management and presentation of all the city's listed monuments. In 2002, the HMCC restored the facade and grounds of the An Dinh Palace on its own initiative. In 2003, it was happy to support the German–Vietnamese project team's work on the Palace interiors. It is active also at the tombs of Tu Duc and other former emperors of the Nguyen dynasty. Several GCREP-trained restorers are now employed on HMCC projects.

The team at German Conservation Restoration and Education Projects (GCREP)

German Conservation Restoration and Education Projects (GCREP) is an international team of conservation, restoration and communications specialists, founded in the course of the An Dinh Palace project. The team's four primary objectives are:
- to conserve and restore artefacts of cultural and historic importance such as paintings, decorative
  architectural elements and monuments, in accordance with UNESCO and ICCROM standards.
- to thereby provide theoretical and practical training to talented local artists and artisans, as a means to
  build local capacity in this specialized field.
- to conduct relevant research into original materials and methods and meticulously document the
  conservation/restoration process as a means to sustain scientific inquiry and future projects.
- to raise public awareness of issues relating to heritage preservation by undertaking PR at the national
  and international levels, primarily via web-sites and public exhibitions.
Further projects in Southeast Asia are planned, once the work in Hué and Tran Dang has been completed.

The new Vietnamese restorers

The trainee-restorers from Hué and the vicinity previously either graduated in fine arts or worked at a craft. They study the historical context of an artefact, the materials and methods used to create it and the reasons for its deterioration. They learn about the efficacy of different materials and the tools of the restorer's trade, and at once try them out under competent guidance. All the trainees invest their skills and know-how with great enthusiasm and compensate the often less than perfect working conditions with composure and an incredible talent for improvisation. They love their city, appreciate the historic value of its treasures, and are proud to help to preserve them. After completing a training programme, they pin their hopes on funding for new projects and the chance to apply their newly acquired skills independently.

The society for the preservation of cultural heritage /
Die Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes e. V. (GEKE)

The non-profit 'Society for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage' (GEKE) focuses primarily on steering cultural heritage conservation and restoration projects, in order that public funding and private donations be used to maximum effect for their intended purpose. Like the Dutch organisation Monumentenwacht ('Monument Watch'), it supports research, analysis, training and practice in this field – also in order to facilitate public access to monuments and to foster broad appreciation of them. Previously active above all in Germany and Eastern Europe, GEKE has since extended its portfolio to include a book about the An Dinh Palace project – now in the pipeline – and involvement in the restoration of Tu Duc's tomb.

THE GERMAN-vietnamese Society
Die deutsch-vietnamesisch Gesellschaft E. V. (DVG)

The non-profit 'German–Vietnamese Society' (DVG) is comprised of working groups in various German cities and regions. It seeks to maintain and promote relationships between Germany and Vietnam and thus contribute to greater understanding between them. It facilitates access to information, language courses, experts and travel, organises conferences and seminars, and promotes scientific, economic and cultural contacts. It supports humanitarian and development aid projects, and further education opportunities for Vietnamese people. DVG currently directs the Tran Dang historic core project and established contact with Mr. Ly Truc Dang of Buffalo Architects, an experienced architect with whom GCREP restorers are now working to safeguard the village hall and entire architectural ensemble.

Supporters

The bright ideas and helping hands of those who have remained anonymous so far have been or remain indispensable to the progress and success of work on the An Dinh Palace, the tomb of Tu Duc, and the historic core of Tran Dang. Had interpreters not been constantly at hand, the restorers' training programme would not have progressed. Without fast translators, the An Dinh exhibition would not have been hung on time, there would be no book about An Dinh and no heritage preservation audio-slideshow. Without attentive security personnel in Hué and Tran Dang, materials and tools would not have been safe. Without a rapid troop of cleaners, not a single project would ever have opened to the public. The consistently helpful and friendly people of Hué also repaired mopeds and drummed up replacements when humid photo equipment gave up the ghost. And Thao, our project assistant, swept all obstacles aside and smoothed the bumps in intercultural understanding.