This interview is part of a series conducted by the FRH Young Professionals and Researchers Working Group with experts in religious heritage, which will serve as the groundwork for preparing a series of recommendations on how to bridge the generation gap in the sector.
This interview with Prof. Dr Jelena Erdeljan, Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade was conducted by Jana Zarkovic, MA Cultural Studies.
1. What are the first steps a young professional/researcher should take to reach European institutions and other stakeholders?
First of all, we need to define which European institutions, and which so-called Stakeholders. So, if it were an institution, if we think of institutions that deal with the protection of cultural heritage, then there is of course UNESCO, somehow that comes to mind first, plus we have all these other non-governmental organisations that deal with religious heritage. Of course, we have institutes that deal with the study of cultural heritage and the protection of cultural heritage. We have universities. So, these are all stakeholders, as I see them.
Therefore, higher education, cultural institutions, museums, galleries, and so on, collections. And then we have these umbrella institutions, large ones, such as UNESCO. Now, how can a young person get to them – It’s that labyrinth that, I really don’t know, how and what I could recommend. Usually, it is always said to young professionals: “Well, you can contact them directly,” but that process is so bureaucratised. So, a young person can apply for an open call that is being announced, they can ask for a scholarship, etc. Then we have that whole circle of things and jobs related to these Erasmus, CEEPUS, to those projects, institutional cooperation, but also personal mobility, institutional mobility. That can also be helpful. And we have now, here the University of Belgrade has joined something called Circle U – Circle University.
But, to be honest, an ordinary student, a young professional, and even an established, older professional like me; we acquire knowledge about these projects and open calls as some sort of information which is published on a billboard somewhere, or on social networks, but how can we realistically get involved in all that, it remains somewhat nebulous.
THAT INCLUSION OR THAT TITLE, WHAT DOES IT BRING?
And the second thing is what are they looking for? What are our rights and obligations? So somehow it all remains very, very winding, foggy, so to speak. Unfortunately, that path of privatisation practices and opportunities is still here, in fact, the misuse of certain positions, which then directs even knowledge, i.e. Information. Therefore, limited access to information is aimed at specific groups. So it’s weakly democratised, basically. I don’t see it being able to expand in the foreseeable future.
2. From your observations, what resources or support systems (academic institutions or otherwise) do you think are most beneficial for young professionals entering the field of religious heritage?
Well, that is a bit specific – again, what is religious heritage? So, in what sense? Because really, for example, everything that is from the pre-modern era, and is heritage, is related to some religion. Basically, I think, because we all know how things are. But again, and which religion, and whether all those institutions and those connection systems are related to all religions, or are they only for one religion, or for one denomination within one religion, that’s all again a big problem. But, in principle, we have already considered these through their educational institutions of higher education, so in principle, they can have access to it, but again it requires a large amount of their independent work and research.
AND IN THE FRAMEWORK OF ALL THESE OPTIONS YOU MENTIONED – DO YOU THINK THAT MAYBE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATIONS THEMSELVES, IS THERE A REFERENCE, MAYBE NOT SPECIFICALLY TOWARDS RELIGIOUS HERITAGE, BUT TO PERHAPS OTHER TYPES (HERITAGE)?
Well, yes, and that’s the same big question – to what extent is the religious heritage as such really in focus? Lately, I completely agree that it should be specially protected, studied preserved and transmitted, for example, industrial heritage. But we always have some so-called catchphrase, we have something that is modern at some point, and then somehow it overshadows it with what is assumed to be traditional because it is related to religion, and then it is assumed that those religious, religious communities have platforms when indeed they do not. Religious communities in fact, at least these standard ones, traditional religious communities, I don’t see that they have any special outlet, so to speak, and outreach towards the younger population, which would include the younger population in heritage protection, and it would be very good if that existed, and it would be desirable as well as necessary.
3. In your view, what specific areas of professional development or training do you consider essential for those entering this field? And how do you see mentorship with established professionals/experts as a contributing factor to the career advancement of young professionals in religious heritage?
Of course mentoring is of crucial importance, absolutely. What is necessary is that, in order for someone to deal and work with religious heritage, that person must certainly have an education in the humanities, I think, and especially in the history of art, which is really one, in itself, terribly complex humanistic discipline that also includes religious studies, and all other aspects of visual culture, communication, and semiotics.
People approach it from completely wrong points of view, but it all stems from ignorance, and from a cultural pattern from which they look at it, where religion still represents, the so-called. Opium for the masses.
4. Have you collaborated with or mentored young professionals in religious heritage? If yes, what were the outcomes and lessons learned?
Of course, I did, more than once, I have 33 years of experience working with young scientists in the field of humanities. Not only am I a professor in the art history department, where I also founded the Centre for Jewish Studies, but I am also a professor in the master’s program at the University of Belgrade, a multidisciplinary program called RELIGION IN SOCIETY, CULTURE AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION, where professors and from the faculty of law, philosophy, theology, and many others. So, we are dealing with what is called Religion und Wissenschaft. Therefore, in religious studies, not from the point of view of dogmatics, we do not teach dogmatically as is done at the theological faculties (and it is not entirely like that there either), but we deal with it from this point of view of religiology, as a special approach, and within the programme, I am a lecturer on two subjects, one called Judaism and the other called Religion and Art. My experience of working with those students, let’s put aside, logically, my experience of working with art history students who are of course oriented towards cultural heritage, where it is fantastic, for me as a teacher and as a mentor, I see to what extent that it opens up horizons for them, to what extent they learn to understand the world around them, the place of heritage in general in that world, and especially religious heritage, how complex, tangible, sensitive it is, how much attention and dedication it must be approached. It is a great pleasure for me, and especially for those students who are not originally from the history of art, then I can get to know, of course, what they get from me, but I can see from them how and which profession they approach.
5. What do you believe are the current gaps or deficiencies in the support provided to young professionals in the religious heritage sector?
Well, first of all, because of that, the most basic deficiency, the deficiency is that nothing is defined at all, what that sector actually, what is the scope, what is the topic that the sector deals with,it is not recognised in society in a wider framework. And other frameworks and secotrs, which are much longer, I mean chronologically present, so they are not recognised, let alone supported, and especially this one. So, I think that, above all, it is necessary to define the framework, define the field of interest and make it more clearly present in the consciousness of those who are stakeholders and who are policy makers.
6. Have you observed any promising emerging trends or approaches in religious heritage preservation that young professionals should be aware of or involved in? (Add on question)- Looking towards the future, what changes or advancements do you anticipate in the field of religious heritage, and how can young professionals be positioned to adapt and thrive in this evolving landscape?
Well, that’s again the question of what to do in the local context, I don’t see any new trends there. We haven’t known what we’re going to do with what we have for a long time, let alone with new trends, so I don’t really see it there, but in general, yes. Well, now we mostly mentioned, exactly how the spaces that are no longer in use in religious communities or where religious communities may no longer exist for any reason, I again draw attention to Jewish heritage, that is, where are the communities in the Holocaust disappeared. What is happening with those spaces, but it is not only Jewish heritage, here we have, for example, a problem/question, for example in England. Since the time of Henry VIII and the dissolution of monasteries and that whole problem between Protestants and Catholics, and I know that for example those former monasteries and churches and parish homes, that people move in and even live in them, but that they are also used as public purpose spaces, such as galleries, as community interaction spaces or communities in general. I think that is something that would be important and beautiful.
Add on question: Looking towards the future, what changes or advancements do you anticipate in the field of religious heritage, and how can young professionals be positioned to adapt and thrive in this evolving landscape?
Now, on a broader level, it is again a question of religious heritage, whose religious heritage, but let’s now take, as if to put it now, our gaze to point towards Europe or towards the USA, but towards Europe. What could be that evolving field there and what is it, and if it is specifically related to religious heritage, there are of course also specialised institutions that deal with it, but I still see that traditional religious communities are the ones that actually get things going. Or else, I have quite a lot, due to circumstances, through my daughters, a relatively good insight into the problem, for example in Venice, which, again, is completely specific in itself and cannot be compared, factually, with anything else. But here, so there is now that system of museums, musei Civici di Venezia, and now the cooperation with the Biennale di Venezia, as an institution, with religious communities, i.e. with the church in Venice, where certain spaces, since everything belongs to the church, I mean, certain spaces are then put into a function that are in fact religious heritage, because they belong to the church, they are put into the function of a biennale, but not necessarily that the exhibition has anything to do with religion. And then they are given, for example, those spaces are rented, again now we are getting into issues of management and economy and everything. Here, for example specifically, North Macedonia, their pavilion is located, it is not located within the Giardini, but it is located, now it is actually a bishop, but a church dignitary who has his seat in Frari – Santa Maria Glorioza di Frari, and I know specifically, what kind of negotiations they conducted regarding the renting of that space so that the biennial exhibition of North Macedonia could be shown there. So it’s religious heritage at the same time, now when you enter that space, they have information about the space in terms of who it belongs to, but now you also have the whole setup. So one does not trump the other. But that’s Venice, it’s quite specific, I don’t know how it works for these other places.
7. From your perspective, what steps can organisations or institutions take to create more opportunities for young professionals to engage in meaningful work in religious heritage preservation and management?
Well, they can do various things, really, first and foremost, and now again, we have organisations that deal with it, institutions that deal with education, we have those that are active in protection, in our country it is called Institutes for the Protection of Monuments, and we also have the non-governmental sector, and we also have church communities, so these are religious communities of traditional religious communities. Now, what they certainly, education is the key to absolutely everything, so let’s start with higher education, so it must be emphasised not only within these regular curricula but to be specially profiled. My experience is positive, through the Jewish art and tradition workshop, where, of course, visual culture and heritage, and work in the field are also an integral part. So, going with students to the field, visiting the field, and getting to know about fieldwork, which is the key. Then there is work in museums, archives, etc. But, again, we return to these stakeholders, to state policy, so that is where, first of all, here at our university, some special, perhaps, study program should be established, but, at our University in Belgrade, somehow that management in culture related to heritage, has been left to, not to say taken over by the Faculty of Dramatic Arts.
8. How can young professionals benefit from international collaboration and interdisciplinary perspectives, particularly considering the global nature of religious heritage? Furthermore, what opportunities do you see emerging for such collaborative efforts?
I see enormous possibilities, the only question is how they will be channelled, which is the key to the whole story. Interdisciplinarity and interreligious dialogue. What I know, here are institutions only locally, not to mention at all, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which regularly, unfortunately, they cancelled that, but which regularly held conferences related to interreligious dialogue on the most diverse possible issues, individual issues from dogmatics to cultural heritage, to politics and religion of culture and religion of cultural policies, but through interreligious dialogue. They published proceedings from each of those gatherings, which is very important, it can still be found in libraries, so I think it’s very useful, for example.
9. Reflecting on your own career journey, what advice or guidance would you offer to young professionals aspiring to make an impact in the religious heritage sector?
Kids don’t do this at home… I don’t know what to say, so yes, try despite everything, as long as there is a spark in us, I mean as long as we have that urge, that is the very essence of the humanities, and the humanities are the very essence of what is the human experience, therefore, without it we cannot go further, and the difficulties are enormous, they are huge, from how we are recognised in general, whether we are present in today’s society to, of course, correspondingly, how it is financed that whole story.
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