THE VIENNA DECLARATION 2006

The attendants of the vienna conference on art and architecture on nias island state their interest and concern about the cultural heritage and the wellbeing of the inhabitants of nias island.

Together we decided to establish a network to support the work of all the people who were and are still working for nias and its inhabitants. the name of the network is:

Nias Island Research Network

During the conference in vienna we discussed in a group of international experts from a wide range of disciplines (architecture, surveying, anthropology, art history, archaeology, photography, human genetics, theology, relief work) past, present and future of the nias cultural heritage and the reconstruction efforts in nias island after the severe catastrophies 2004 and 2005.

We noticed the difficulties and the complexity of this task and place ourselves to the disposal for information and consultancy to persons and organisations being involved in help and reconstruction work.

The living tradition - materialised in the megalithic culture and traditional architecture - is still a part of contemporary life of the nias people.

We hope that the spirit of willingness to work together and learn from each other will encourage policy makers to raise the concern about the unique cultural achievements.

We want to distribute the results of our work to the nias people and to invite them to take part in the initiative. in this way we want to support and encourage the nias people to preserve and appreciate their cultural heritage.

• Dominik Bonatz, prof. of archaeology, Berlin

• Peter Fattinger, architect, Vienna

• Jerome Feldman, prof. of art history, Hawaii

• Petra Gruber, architect, Vienna

• Johannes Hämmerle, pater living in Nias

• Ulrike Herbig, surveyor, Vienna

• Uwe Hummel, theologist, Wuppertal

• Ingo Kennerknecht, prof. of human genetics, Münster

• Jani kuhnt-Saptodewo, anthropologist, Vienna

• Erich Lehner, prof. of extra-european architecture, Vienna

• Wolfgang Marschall, anthropologist, Bern

• Johannes Melbinger, architect, Vienna

• Reinhold Mittersakschmöller, anthropologist, Vienna

• Jesper Kurt-Nielsen, historian and photographer, Copenhagen

• Andrea Rieger-jandl, architect, Vienna

• Alain Viaro, architect, Geneva

• Christian Warta, architect, Vienna

• Bente Wolff, anthropologist, Copenhagen

• Arlette Ziegler, anthropologist, Geneva