The so called chapel is one of the least explored sites of Paljassaare. It lies right in the border of residential and past military (now industrial) zones of the peninsula, tying together multiple historical chronologies such as place of spirituality, workshop and accommodation. It is constructed of reused materials all while located on the plot of a recycling station. These contradictory aspects that kept emerging completely fascinated me. I found a strange sense of comfort in working with a structure with unavailable official records and many unknown details. I realized that some of my initial questions that arose in Paljassaare grew even stronger after researching the history of this chapel. I have come to see the chapel as the embodiment of the events that occurred in the timeline of the whole peninsula. The history of the structure provided me with more context helping to make sense of this place, illustrating how various human activities formed its history. Looking through the stories and “lore” of the chapel not only helped me to understand Paljassaare better but it also inspired me to dig deeper into topics of time and heritage and our impact in history as we know it today.
The environmental, ecological and socioeconomic state of our world leaves us only hoping for things to turn out better in the future. Proposals that are selling our hopes and dreams to us and fail to address the actual causes behind problems [1], huge gaps between the lifestyles and opportunities that are setting various communities up for unequal conditions[2], large scale waste productions affecting everything around us are only few examples of such matters[3], yet we are still busy with scouring up the past and reminiscing about the olden days.
In my opinion the “mindful” choices regarding what to document and what to preserve about history is a direct reflection of how we deal with current issues. Focusing on a timeline partially, valuing it for certain reasons that are often biased and overlooking the other half of it because it lacks those reasons seems like a parallel that occurs in our attitude towards pretty much everything. I believe here lies our main limitation.
According to Cambridge Dictionary one of the definitions of heritage is: features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages, or buildings, that were created in the past and still have historical importance [4].
“Over the years, it seems that our perception of empirical history has deviated. It appears to have shifted toward preserving things that carry heritage—something with a certain method, uniqueness, or identity. Recognizing this shift is crucial, as it raises important questions about which parts of history are considered worth preserving and what can even be regarded as history.
Today, for something to be valued and preserved, the object, entity, concept, or "thing" must carry heritage to be included in the history books. This creates a situation where items, stories, and facts that lack a clear or celebrated connection to heritage may be overlooked, resulting in a history that feels curated and selective.
Looking back, it may seem that we have preserved the most important aspects of our legacy. But if we have focused only on these, how can we be sure that what was forgotten wasn’t just as precious? Who decides what qualifies as heritage, and what risks are we taking by narrowing our focus? Will the overlooked ever gain value? In this case, what determines our present surroundings as heritage-worthy? Are we privileging objects based solely on their connection to events, or because we fear losing remnants of the past?
Throughout history, it hasn’t been uncommon to recognize the importance and uniqueness of something only after it becomes a rarity. Experiencing nostalgia and craving what we once took for granted has become a frequent feeling in our society. So, acknowledging the unnoticed elements of our present environment as equally valuable is essential before they are gone. Or perhaps it is human nature to miss what is odd and care for what is scarce.
This neglectful approach to the present has been perfected over many years, and it appears that we have gone off track of what is happening now. We have blurred the lines between our fascination with what came before us and our anticipation of what lies ahead. In our race to record history, we have lost sight of the ongoing stories unfolding in front of us. Our disregard for the existing context has worn away our awareness, blinding us to the limitations of this approach. The longer it takes us to accept this the more the world will be impacted. Each day, we witness the traces of our actions reflected in our surroundings, leaving a mark that future generations will bear.
We are passing on a legacy we did not nurture because we were too busy caring for what came before us. We are preconditioning the next generations into a cycle where the concern for the present is ignored because the curiosity and guilt for the past are greater. We must recognize this narrow perspective and expand our view before it is too late—while we still have the opportunity to leave behind a legacy that is inclusive, one that honors the present as much as the past—a legacy that future generations will retrace, learn from, and carry forward.”
©
Paulina Gilsbach
© Paulina Gilsbach
Guided tour was used to introduce the project on the final presentation day. One of the first things that comes to mind when talking about heritage, preservation and history is museums, so I thought it would fit to act as the audience’s tour guide through the plot. The chapel served as the main point of interest that we explored together, by giving information about its history. Later, I pointed out that this chapel is neither preserved nor recognized as part of Paljassaare’s heritage. This was an entry point for a discussion on what qualifies as heritage and the questions regarding this topic. After that we moved through the site to see the other structures and elements on the plot and everyone was handed a brochure with the essay that you can read under the “Changing the Approach” section. It was meant to be read anytime after the end of the presentation. The goal was that the message stays with the reader as a constant reminder to bring awareness and eventually lead to further discussions on this topic.
© Paulina Gilsbach
© Paulina Gilsbach
© Paulina Gilsbach
© Timmo Mahlke
I was hoping to broaden my understanding for this topic by delving into different readings. One that stuck with me the most was an article about the “Anthropocene time” by Dipesh Chakrabarty. The text explores the concept of time of anthropocene- the human impact on the planet and how the history documentation revolves mainly around our activities and their effects leaving out the non human centered occurrences out of the picture. Charkrabarty argues that this leads to exclusion of natural, environmental and ecological focused matters out of the people’s responsibilities [5].
Another text that played a big role in helping me to formulate my thoughts better for this project was “Time and heritage” by François Hartog which as the title suggests, discussed the concept of heritage and how through time we have come to prioritize a part of timeline over the others and have developed a selective approach towards what we choose to preserve [6]. Lastly, one more text which was insightful for this project is “Longing for a greener present: Neoliberalism and the eco-city” by Ross Adams. It examines how the promising eco-city projects that seem to take on the mission of solving issues of the environment and society are rather a marketing strategy that is being used to sell aesthetics instead of solutions. Such environmental projects are being introduced in a way that the viewer can only focus on the appearance of the project without being able to understand beyond it [7].
In my opinion it seemed like these readings which are discussing very relevant and important but very different topics somehow connected together and have been reflected on the plot of the recycling station. My intention was to invite you to look at the plot and the chapel from a different perspective, in which the preservation of the structure would not be given an importance solely because it could be regarded as heritage.
References:
[1] C. Nugent. “The messy reality of cities touting climate-friendly utopias.” Time Magazine.
https://time.com/6278511/green-new-cities-climate/ (accessed Jan. 14, 2025).
[2] R. Gamesby. “Social and economic issues of urbanisation.” Coolgeography.
https://www.coolgeography.co.uk/advanced/Social_economic_issues_urbanisation.php (accessed Jan. 15, 2025).
[3] Z. Lenkiewicz. “World must move beyon waste era and turn rubbish into resource: UN report.” UN Environment Programme.
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/world-must-move-beyond-waste-era-and-turn-rubbish-resource-un-report
(accessed Jan. 15, 2025).
[4] Cambridge Dictionary, “Heritage.” https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/heritage (accessed Dec. 21, 2024).
[5] D. Chakrabarty, “Anthropocene Time”, History and Theory vol. 57, no. 1, pp 5-32, March 2018, doi: 10.1111/hith.12044.
[6] F. Hartog, “Time and Heritage”, Museum International, vol. 57, no. 3, pp 7-18, 2005, doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0033.2005.00525.x.
[7] R. Adams, “Longing for a greener present: Neoliberalism and the eco-city”, Radical Philosophy 163, Sep/Oct 2010.