Emergency Planning in Cultural Property Protection

Graduation

Certificate
ECTS-Points

24
Learning format

Blended Learning
Duration

2 semesters, part time
On-Campus Teaching

Mo-Fr
Start

Summer semester 2025, Krems
Admission requirements

According to curriculum
Language

English
Curriculum

Subject to Senate approval
Stackable Program

The Certificate Program (CP) focuses on the threats and risks to museums, archives and libraries. You will learn how to handle cultural objects made of different materials and how to identify objects that require priority treatment. You will assess the stability of buildings. You will prepare emergency plans for cultural property and test them with local emergency services.
Graduates of the CP will be able to take the lead in preparing emergency plans for cultural institutions, with a focus on movable cultural property, and to test these plans with the emergency services.

Highlight of the CP is the preparation of an emergency plan for a selected museum and the final testing with emergency services!

Ass.-Prof. Mag. Dr.
Anna Maria Kaiser

Study Program Director – Center for Cultural Property Protection

Any questions?

We’re here to help.

Ass.-Prof. Mag. Dr.
Anna Maria Kaiser

Study Program Director

anna.kaiser@donau-uni.ac.at

+43 2732 893-2662

Or contact us directly.

To contact form

innovative teaching methods
practice-oriented
interdisciplinary

Curriculum

Compulsory Modules

ECTS

Module 1: Emergency Planning

The CP starts with an introduction to emergency planning for movable cultural property, including crisis management, the national legal framework and the identification and assessment of threat scenarios to cultural property.

Module 2: Material Handling and Building Safety

The second module is dedicated to the handling of various materials, with a focus on preventing further damage when movable cultural property needs to be moved. The module also provides an introduction to collection management and inventory, as well as basic structural principles for assessing whether a building is still safe to enter.

Module 3: Collaboration with Emergency Responders

Module 3 consists of the guided development of an emergency plan for a self-selected museum, archive or library, in which the identification of cultural property and prioritisation options play an important role. An essential part of this module is also the cooperation with the persons in charge of the selected site, as well as with the emergency services, who may also be called upon to assist in the protection of cultural property if necessary. The CP concludes with a cultural property evacuation exercise organised by the students in cooperation with the local emergency services. Completion of the CP will enable students to prepare emergency plans for cultural institutions, with a focus on movable cultural property, and to test the plans prepared in cooperation with local emergency services.