The Rescuers: The Remarkable People Who Saved World Heritage

The Rescuers: The Remarkable People Who Saved World Heritage profiles six courageous individuals who gave their all to rescue tangible, intangible, and natural cultural heritage on the brink of destruction. The book not only celebrates their grit and determination, it also addresses some of the most consequential issues of our times, including threats to fragile sites by global warming and unregulated tourism, competing ownership claims to Native American and Jewish cultural treasures, recovery of extinct species, and appropriation of cultural traditions.

This talk will focus on Cori Wegener. An extraordinary cultural warrior, she helped save the Iraqi Jewish Archive, established both the U.S. Blue Shield and Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative, re-invigorated the storied Monuments Officers of World War II, and spearhead efforts to help Ukraine counteract Russia’s targeted destruction of cultural heritage.