Cultural Heritage of Observatories: Changing Structures over Time

Gudrun Wolfschmidt

doi:10.24215/26840162e012

Authors

Gudrun Wolfschmidt Hamburg Observatory, University of Hamburg, Alemania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24215/26840162e012

Keywords:

Unesco, astronomical culture, observatories, outstanding universal value, património

Abstract

Astronomical heritage represents scientific heritage in its cultural context. Astronomy as an integral and outstanding part of daily life in different societies is visible in the architectural structure of astronomical observatories. But astronomical buildings, instruments and astronomical research and knowledge change over time and are permanently in a process of construction. Due to these changes, observatories do not necessarily demonstrate potential Outstanding Universal Value which would be needed for inscription on the World Heritage List.

But these observatories can be included in the IAU-accredited list (independent of Unesco) of “Outstanding Astronomical Heritage”, when they are outstanding in the history of astronomy due to their scientific achievements. In this contribution, I would like to present the development of architecture and instruments of observatories from the Early Modern Time until today.

First, I will show examples like Baroque or neo-classical observatories. In the baroque time astronomy is linked very often to other sciences, not only celestial, but also terrestrial (surveying) and meteorological observations were made, especially, the Mathematical Tower of Kremsmünster should be mentioned in this sense. Then I will discuss what has been achieved for modern observatories around 1900 like La Plata and Hamburg where the transition from classical astronomy to modern astrophysics should be presented in a serial transnational Unesco application; this transition is visible in the architecture, the choice of instruments, and the arrangement of the observatory buildings in an “Astronomy Park”.

The recent observatories around 2000 (e.g.ESO Very Large Telescope), radioastronomy observatories like Jodrell Bank, Effelsbergor underground neutrino observatories (Gran Sasso,Italy) changed their appearance completely; these are impressive metallic structures which no longer remind of the typical shape of observatories with domes.

The Unesco initiative Astronomy & World Heritage (AWH) could be broadened in order to include the heritage of astronomy, science and technology in general –examples are e. g. including the main building or the main campus of the university in addition to the observatory or including physical, meteorological, seismological or geomagnetic laboratories. Cultural heritage of astronomy, science and technology plays not only an important role in scientific institutions, but also in the first sites devoted to education and popularization of science for the general public and especially for young people. In this respect, astronomy was the leading science for popularization – important examples are the Gottorf Globe, the Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker, and the projection planetarium, invented by Carl Zeiss of Jena.

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