Key Texts
Our certified restorer (Univ.) and cabinetmaker, Philipp Westebbe, is a member of the Association of Restorers (VDR). He and the entire team at the Central Restoration Workshop Berlin are committed to the highest scientific and professional ethical standards of the restoration profession. As wood and furniture conservators, however, our primary personal commitment is to the preservation of historical cultural heritage. Whether it’s a medieval wooden altar or a rustic milking stool—at the ZRW Berlin, we conscientiously follow the standards for our work. Fundamental texts on restoration define these guidelines, which are binding for us.
Fundamental Texts on Restoration
- Code of Professional Ethics,
- restoration methods and
- areas of professional responsibility
determined by a conservator.
Philipp Westebbe, a university-trained conservator and owner of our Central Restoration Workshop in Berlin, is committed to these ethical principles as a member of the Association of Conservators (VDR). Consequently, all conservation and restoration work carried out by ZRW Berlin is fully guided by these principles, foremost among them the international code of ethics for all restoration disciplines, the Venice Charter.
You determine our restoration principles
It is not only the guidelines in the form of laws enacted at the federalor European level, but above all the guidelines adopted by international consensus, which represent a transnational normative authority and are significant for practices in conservation, restoration, and historic preservation. Consequently, they naturally carry a high degree of binding force for our wood restoration services in Berlin, furniture restoration services in Berlin, and furniture restorers at the ZRW Berlin.
The Venice Charter
The Venice Charter dates back to 1964 and is considered a key, internationally recognized guideline in the field of historic preservation. Representatives from 17 countries adopted the Charter as a result of the “Second International Congress of Architects and Technicians in Historic Preservation.” The preservation of the original substance of a cultural asset is defined here as the most important task in historic preservation. Furthermore, the Venice Charter specifies the key approaches and values to be applied in conservation and restoration.
The Conservator-Restorer
The 1984 document “ICOM-CC Definition of the Profession” was the first to define the fundamental principles of the profession of conservator. It is the result of collaboration by a team from the International Council of Museums (ICOM-CC).
The Lausanne Charter
In 1990, the “Charter for the Protection and Management of the Archaeological Heritage,” adopted by the “International Council on Monuments and Sites,” was published. It defines principles for the management of the archaeological heritage. It also includes guidelines for preservation and conservation
The Nara Document
Based on the Venice Charter, the “Nara Document on Authenticity” was published following a conference of experts in 1994. As the title suggests, it addresses the concept of authenticity in the context of restoration.
The Vantaa Document
“Proposals for a European Strategy on Preventive Conservation” is the title of the Vantaa document from the year 2000. The concept of sustainable preventive conservation outlined in that document has had an enormous influence on our current practice.
E.C.C.O. Professional Guidelines
In 2002 and 2003, the European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers’ Organizations (E.C.C.O.) defined professional guidelines for the restoration profession, requirements for restoration training, and ethical principles in its Code of Ethics. In 2013, a comprehensive brochure was published in German. It lists the competencies required to pursue a career as a conservator-restorer. The profession must serve the well-being of current and future generations by assuming public responsibility for the preservation of cultural heritage and disseminating the associated knowledge.
International Principles and Guidelines for the Preservation of Historic Monuments: Monumenta I
In 2012, the German-speaking national committees of ICMOS published this anthology, in which 22 international principles and guidelines on historic preservation that had been published to date were translated into German. This made them accessible to professionals in Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Austria. This compendium of foundational texts on restoration offers an ideal overview and introduction for those interested in the field.
The Association of Restorers, Inc. Issues a Code of Professional Conduct
In 2017, the VDR adopted a code of professional conduct. This replaced the 1986 Code of Ethics, which had previously served as the standard for evaluating the restoration work of VDR members. Among other things, it precisely defines who is permitted to use the professional title “restorer.”
Conservation-Restoration and Preventive Conservation as Defined in Europe
In 2018, as part of its “European Heritage Strategy for the 21st Century,” the Council of Europe published two fact sheets that provide Europe-wide definitions of the terms “conservation-restoration” and “preventive conservation.”
Conservation Ethics Today
Published in 2019 by the International Scientific Committee for Theory and Philosophy of Conservation and Restoration (ICOMOS), this comprehensive volume, featuring numerous contributions, critically examines existing practices and ethical issues in conservation and restoration.
European Standards
There is an extensive list of European standards and guidelines that set binding regulations for practices in museums, historic preservation, and conservation and restoration. Here is a brief selection of standards relevant to wood and furniture restoration:
- DIN EN 15757 Preservation of Cultural Heritage—Specifications for Temperature and Relative Humidity to Limit Climate-Related Mechanical Damage to Organic Hygroscopic Materials
- DIN EN 15758 Preservation of Cultural Heritage—Methods and Equipment for Measuring the Temperature of Air and Object Surfaces
- DIN EN 15759-1 Preservation of Cultural Heritage – Indoor Climate – Part 1: Guidelines for the Heating of Places of Worship
- DIN EN 15759-2 Preservation of Cultural Heritage – Indoor Climate – Part 2: Ventilation for the Protection of Cultural Heritage Buildings and Collections
- DIN EN 15886 Preservation of Cultural Heritage – Test Methods – Color Measurement of Matte Surfaces
- DIN EN 15898 Preservation of Cultural Heritage – General Terms
- DIN EN 15946 Preservation of Cultural Heritage – Packaging Methods for Transport
- DIN EN 16085 Preservation of Cultural Heritage—Sampling Procedures for Cultural Heritage Materials—General Rules
- DIN EN 16095 Preservation of Cultural Heritage – Condition Assessment of Movable Cultural Heritage
- DIN EN 16096 Preservation of Cultural Heritage – Condition Assessment and Reporting for Built Cultural Heritage
- DIN EN 16648 Preservation of Cultural Heritage – Transportation Methods
- DIN EN 16682 Preservation of Cultural Heritage—Methods for Determining Moisture or Water Content in Materials of Immovable Cultural Heritage
- DIN EN 16790 Preservation of Cultural Heritage – Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for the Protection of Cultural Heritage
- DIN EN 16853 Preservation of Cultural Heritage—Preservation Process—Decision-Making Processes, Planning, and Implementation
- DIN EN 17429 – Planning, Preservation of Cultural Heritage – Procurement of Conservation Work
- DIN EN 17488 Preservation of Cultural Heritage—Methodology for the Evaluation of Cleaning Methods—Procedures for the Analytical Testing of Cultural Heritage Objects
- VdS 2171 – Fire Protection in Historic Buildings: Recommendations for Damage Prevention.
- Information Sheet 1-1: Hot-Air Method for Controlling Animal Wood-Destroying Organisms in Buildings
- Fact Sheet 1-6: Sampling of Wood—Tests for Fungi, Insects, Wood Preservatives, Wood Age, and Wood Species
- Information Sheet 1-7: Wooden Add-ons
- Information Sheet 1-8: Decontamination of Wood Contaminated with Wood Preservatives – Part 1: Identification and Risk Assessment
- Fact Sheet 1-9: Decontamination of Wood Contaminated with Wood Preservatives – Part 2: Reducing Contamination
- Technical Bulletin E-1-10: Special Procedures for Wood Preservation, Part 1: Control Measures
- Fact Sheet 6-12: Climate and Climate Stability in Historic Buildings I: Introduction
