IRRC No. 854

Cultural property v. cultural heritage: A "battle of concepts" in international law?

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Although often used interchangeably, the concepts of cultural property and cultural heritage, according to the author of this article, are not identical in substance. The matter is not one of mere terminology but has legal ramifications due to the clash of different legal systems from which the respective concepts originate. This article shows some of the compatibility problems encountered when using them in international practice concerning the protection of cultural property.

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