Norway politician proposes wartime protection list for cultural heritage

In the shadow of the war in Ukraine, a Norwegian politician is urging action to protect the nation's cultural heritage in the event of conflict. Haagen Poppe, the cultural policy spokesperson for the Conservative Party (Høyre) in Parliament, has put forward a proposal to identify and prioritize cultural sites for immediate protection should Norway ever face war.

Poppe highlighted the recent deliberate attacks by Russian forces on the 11th-century Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex in Ukraine as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of historical sites during wartime. This event has served as a catalyst for his proposal, emphasizing the need for a clear plan to safeguard Norway's own cultural treasures.

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The issue has been actualized by the war in Ukraine. The Russians recently deliberately attacked the 11th-century monastery complex Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

The core of Poppe's initiative is to establish a definitive list of "elevated" cultural monuments – those deemed most critical to preserve. The question of which cultural assets would be the highest priority for protection in a hypothetical war scenario is now on the political agenda, prompted by real-world events.

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If there were a war in Norway – which cultural heritage sites should be considered 'elevated'? And most importantly to protect?