"Memory” in Danger: Petition to Save the National Institute of Heritage

The Pro Patrimonio Foundation has launched a petition calling on the Romanian Government to abandon its intention to abolish or merge the National Institute of Heritage (INP), a key institution in the protection of historical monuments. The appeal, already signed by thousands of people, is addressed to the Minister of Culture, Andras Istvan Demeter, and Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. INP is the only public institution in Romania that implements policies regarding cultural heritage - from research and conservation, to restoration and digitization. The successor to the Historical Monuments Commission founded in 1892, INP is a pillar of the protection of national heritage and a link between the state, experts, academia and civil society. The Pro Patrimonio Foundation warns that the abolition of the institute would mean the loss of millions of euros in European funding, the destruction of an institutional balance built over decades and the politicization of professional expertise. "Cultural heritage is a public good, not an instrument of power. The elimination of an independent specialized institution and the transfer of powers to a centralized political apparatus makes public control vulnerable and increases the risk of the instrumentalization of culture,” the petition states.

The institute manages the main restoration and financing programs for monuments: the National Restoration Program (PNR) - over 500 monuments restored since its establishment; the Historical Monuments Stamp (TMI) - investments of over 17 million euros and over 300 contracts in the last 5 years;

PNRR projects - including four pilot centers for circular economy and energy efficiency for historic buildings. INP also manages essential databases - the List of Historical Monuments, the National Archaeological Repertory, the Register of Intangible Heritage - and ensures Romania's relationship with UNESCO, coordinating the protection of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List (including Roşia Montană and the Frontiers of the Roman Empire - Dacia). According to the petition's initiators, the absorption of INP by the Ministry of Culture would cause: the blocking of restoration projects and European funds from the PNRR (over 100 million euros potential penalty); the loss of highly qualified personnel and unique expertise in the field; the compromise of international relations with UNESCO and European partners; the politicization of decisions regarding interventions on historical monuments.

Architect Eugen Vaida, coordinator of the Ambulance for Monuments project, wrote on Facebook: "The coup de grace for heritage has arrived: the Minister of Culture has proposed the abolition of the only independent institution that coordinates the protection of heritage. It is not just a matter of restructuring, but of a beheading of identity. Heritage is the only visible witness to historical truth, unmanipulated and inalienable.” "We request the preservation of the INP as a distinct, autonomous public institution, with legal personality and an independent role of expertise and professional intervention,” the petition signatories send. The Pro Patrimonio Foundation and numerous experts in the field believe that the abolition of the INP would be a serious blow to national heritage, with irreversible consequences for the collective memory and Romania's credibility before international partners.