Culture protection in focus: plans to save national treasures in danger!

Culture protection in focus: plans to save national treasures in danger!

Berlin, Deutschland - On May 29, 2025, the Vietnamese government initiated extensive measures to protect national cultural assets. A document by Vice Minister Hoang Dao Cuong calls for a comprehensive review and assessment of national cultural assets in order to ensure their security and integrity. Vice Prime Minister Mai van Chinh had already issued a corresponding instruction on May 25, 2025, which obliged the ministries and local authorities to review the current status of national treasures and to submit reports by June 6, 2025. These steps are a reaction to the incident of the desecration of an important cultural asset, the throne of the Nguyen dynasty, which was declared in 2015 as a national treasure, and should help prevent similar incidents in the future, reports vietnam.vn .

The measures presented include the development and implementation of protection plans for national treasures, which in particular require individual strategies for privately owned collections. These protection plans must include suitable measures against theft, fire, explosions and natural disasters. It is also emphasized that investments in the renovation and modernization of warehouses and exhibition areas enjoy the highest priority. The preservation process should meet strict scientific standards and legal requirements.

Implementation of the Culture Protection Act

In Germany, the cultural nutrition law is also the focus of political discussions. On October 16, 2024, a public hearing of the Committee on Culture and Media took place, in which a bill was presented to amend the Cultural Association Act. The German Cultural Council and the German Museum Association were positive about the planned changes, while the German art trade interest group noted both relief and critical points. The changes include an extension of export permits for national cultural assets from five to ten years and an increase in the value limit for special diligence from EUR 2,500 to 5,000 euros, such as Bundesag.de reported.

In the political discussions, it was also pointed out to the high bureaucratic effort that goes hand in hand with the documentation of cultural assets. Dr. Christina Berking from the German Art Trade Interest Group calls for an increase in the value limit to 10,000 euros to relieve the trade. Those present agreed to request the regular evaluation of the Cultural Association of Culture Protection Act every five years to ensure its effectiveness.

protection of cultural assets in danger

Developments in Vietnam and Germany illustrate the need to comprehensively protect cultural assets. While new protective measures are taken in Vietnam to preserve nationally valuable artifacts from damage and losses, the legal framework is being worked on in Germany to improve cultural protection protection. Both countries have recognized that the responsibility for the protection and maintenance of cultural assets is not only due to the state, but also requires the support of local authorities and institutions.