'Carpathian Pastoralism: A Living Tradition, Cultural Heritage and Historical Memory' roundtable

'Carpathian Pastoralism: A Living Tradition, Cultural Heritage and Historical Memory' roundtable

On 31 October 2024, the Department of European Ethnology at Masaryk University, Czechia, along with the National Museum of Agriculture and the Wallachian Open Air Museum, is organizing the roundtable ‘Carpathian Pastoralism: A Living Tradition, Cultural Heritage, and Historical Memory’.

Carpathian pastoralism used to be a significant source of livelihood and a cultural feature of the western part of Czechia from the 16th century until the mid-20th century, when the economic conditions, modernization, and urbanization diminished its role and led to its rapid decline. Although the semi-nomadic way of life of shepherds practising transhumance has disappeared, a community of sheep farmers draws on the previous generations. They maintain different aspects of the pastoral tradition as a living heritage while reconstructing and presenting archaic and vanished ritual practices to keep them as part of historical memory for educational and community-building purposes.

The roundtable will bring together bearers of the pastoral traditions in Western Carpathians with ethnologists and ICH experts to discuss the role of mountain pastoralism in contemporary society and analyse its current expressions, functions, and meanings. This discussion aims to start the inventory process and help the community set up a safeguarding strategy to promote the element and create more favourable conditions for new generations of local farmers.

At the same time, on the occasion of the first International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the event wants to inspire other expert organizations in Czechia to lead more open dialogue with intangible cultural heritage communities and become their facilitators, mediators and guides rather than authoritative decision-makers.

Programme

9:30 – 10:00 Registration
10:00 – 10:30 Welcome and introduction
10:30 – 12:00 Facilitated workshop – group discussion and summarizing the results as a starting point for the afternoon programme
12:00 – 12:45 - Lunch
12:45 – 16:00 Discussions:

• How is contemporary mountain pastoralism in Czechia defined as a cultural element?
• Which aspects of pastoralism are alive and forming part of the living heritage?
• Who are contemporary pastoralists?