The Department of Architectural History and Preservation provides an overview of the history, theory, and historiography of architecture from the medieval period to the present day. As a branch of art history, the history of architecture encompasses the visual culture of buildings and cities, from drawings to postage stamps. At the same time, architectural history involves the study of the three-dimensional building, both as an artistic object and as material evidence that provides information about historical building practices and sociocultural uses. Therefore, site visits and field trips are important components of the course offerings.
Teaching and research focus on the built environment and its global entanglements in the context of migration, exile, colonization, and globalization, especially across Europe and the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). In the critical reflection of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches (Gender Studies, Environmental Humanities), new perspectives are developed for the inclusive and sustainable treatment of historical building culture in the 21st century. The history, theory, and historiography of architecture is offered as an integral part of the BA and MA programs in history of art.
A logical continuation of architectural history is the field of monument preservation, in which scientific methods for evaluating and preserving architectural testimonies of the past are taught. The Master’s Program in Art History with special qualification in Monument Preservation and Monument Management is a unique part of the course offering in Bern. It provides a professional perspective on the field of monument preservation and consists of an MA Minor which is combined with the regular MA in art history. In close cooperation with experts and institutions of heritage conservation in Switzerland and abroad, students are taught the history, theory, and ethics of heritage conservation in the context of architectural history, as well as the practice of heritage conservation and its social and ecological responsibility.
Freitagsforum Denkmalpflege
Together with the Chair of Construction Heritage and Preservation at the ETH Zurich and in cooperation with ICOMOS Suisse, Konferenz der Schweizer Denkmalpfleger:innen, Arbeitskreis Denkmalpflege and Gesellschaft für Ingenieurbaukunst, the Department organizes the talks “Freitagsforum Denkmalpflege” (Friday’s Forum on Heritage Preservation) that take place four times a year. Subscribe for the newsletter of the Freitagsforum Denkmalpflege here: https://forms.gle/CyHfKhphaLBTCn6A7
