Dissertation, Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg, 2017

Objective: This comparative research investigates the underlying historical, environmental and technical factors that may account for major differences between the heritage conservation traditions in the Chinese-speaking world in Taiwan compared to the rich and highly developed heritage conservation system tradition in Germany. Methodology: In many ways, comparing Taiwan and Germany's Heritage conservation could be seen as a “most different systems design” where a particular variable has explanatory power across very different cases, even if they vary in terms of language and cultural-historical developments. Both countries have a long tradition inherited from unique cultures. This creates variation in monument styles and textures, above all in how they have been preserved throughout history; what symbolic role they play in people´s minds, and how political elites have been using them for national identity consolidation. An extensive bibliographical research on classical and modern Chinese writings on architecture and heritage conservation along with case studies of heritages and buildings in Taiwan and Germany were used as historical evidence to support the current analysis. Findings: The research found that there are traits of heritage conservation thinking in old Chinese literature, culture, and religion that can be traced to the underlying meaning of key words and expressions. Conclusion: The research concluded that the Chinese-speaking world could greatly benefit from the long and well-established tradition of heritage conservation in Germany if misunderstandings caused by cultural and language differences can be overcome. Then, the Chinese heritage could provide creative use of space and a fresh nature-friendly perspective to Germany.