The International Conference – Valorizing Industrial Built Heritage in Romania / Valorificarea patrimoniului arhitectural industrial din România – was organized by Transylvania Trust Foundation on 25 and 26 November 2010 at Cluj. After recording nearly 100 participants and the opening ceremony of the event, Irina Iamandescu, president of the Association for Industrial Archaeology –AIR, gave a provocative lecture on this impossible mission in Romania. Csilla Hegedüs, executive director of the Transylvania Trust Foundation through a detailed presentation of the project “Partnership for Valorisation Industrial Built Heritage in Romania” illustrate very inspiring goals and achievements. The presentation of the situation of industrial heritage sites in the county of Cluj, very interesting, but victims of demolitions or extensions, was followed by case studies from United Kingdom, Norway, Scotland and Hungary related to the appreciation of this heritage in Western Europe, even the appearance of recycling energy, and finally from the Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism a communication about the cultural tourism in Romania.

The second day of the conference included site-visits (Beer Factory at Turda, the Mill of the Bánffy-Castle in Bontida) where they were presented and debated – with the active participation of thos present at the conference –possibilities of the valorisation, the revitalisation project and the stage of restoration and conservation of the Mill in Bontida.
The conference proceedings were closed by a general discussion about these two days, including some proposals on mobilisation of the local authorities in rehabilitation and refunctionalisation of industrial sites; the mission of the valorisation industrial heritage, possible by new partnerships between foundations, associations, but universities also (eg. by introducing industrial archaeology as an optional discipline in the specialized higher education).

Poster