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Heritage Centre

Marie-Theres Albert: A Life in the service of heritage

The Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Chair in Heritage Studies mourn the passing of Prof. Marie-Theres Albert, whose work shaped the international profile of our university and left a lasting mark on the global field of Heritage Studies. Her leadership, commitment to education, and the belief in the social relevance of heritage have influenced generations of students and colleagues around the world.

Prof. Marie-Theres Albert co-founded and directed the pioneering Master’s Programme in World Heritage Studies, the first of its kind worldwide. Under her guidance, the programme became a hallmark of the university’s international orientation, attracting students from all continents. The curriculum she built bridged theory, policy, and practice in innovative ways, contributing directly to UNESCO’s mission and establishing Cottbus as a hub for heritage education and management. The establishment of the UNESCO Chair in Heritage Studies under her leadership marked a decisive moment in raising the international visibility of our university. It triggered a demand for advanced research, leading up to her establishment of the PhD Programme in Heritage Studies as a space where interdisciplinary research could thrive.

Students remember Prof. Albert as an inspiring and supportive teacher. She encouraged them to think independently, to engage critically with global challenges, and to see themselves as active contributors to the future of heritage. Many recall how she opened professional pathways for them, placing them in international networks, facilitating internships and research opportunities, and connecting them with institutions and experts around the world. Nor did her support end with graduation. She urged alumni to establish the International Association of World Heritage Professionals (IAWHP) and stay connected as a global community, to carry forward the values of BTU's programmes.

Former and current colleagues describe her as a scholar of exceptional determination and strategic foresight. She was the driving force that held the World Heritage Studies programme together. She brought colleagues from different faculties into shared projects, international conferences, or summer academies, strengthening the academic community around heritage. Her longstanding cooperation with UNESCO and other international organizations brought global perspectives to Cottbus and opened new ways for those involved.

The passing of Prof. Marie-Theres Albert leaves a void, but her legacy continues in the programmes she built, in the research she inspired, in the global community of students, and countless individuals she encouraged, challenged, and supported. The university community remembers her with deep gratitude for her vision, dedication, and enduring contribution to education. Her work will continue to guide us.

- Dr. Anca Prodan on behalf of the heritage community at BTU

This page is under renovation!

Heritage is a field of research with direct relevance to many of the challenges we face today: from political polarization to armed conflict, and from social injustice to climate change. Interdisciplinarity and internationality are the main characteristics of heritage research and the sources of its strength and potential.

BTU boasts a unique constellation of technical and disciplinary expertise in this field; there is also a lively, broad-based interest in heritage issues at our university. The purpose and task of the Heritage Centre is to bring these skills and energies together and integrate them into a structured framework. 

The HC is aimed at everyone interested involved in heritage at the BTU, whether as researchers, instructors, or students. It offers a space for encounter and exchange, where the sharing of knowledge and resources generates new knowledge and creates new connections and opportunities. It is a genuine “center”, a forum and agora for a community of heritage researchers and enthusiasts. Together we aim to  build networks, enter into collaborations with partners within and outside the university, raise funds, organize events, and produce publications.

Interested in becoming a member?
Get in touch with us and watch this space!

Contact

Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Johanna Blokker
Chair in Architectural Conservation
UNESCO Chair in Heritage Studies
Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 4
03046 Cottbus
+49 (0) 355 69 3992
heritage-centre(at)b-tu.de

 

News and Events Archive

02.03.2026, IKMZ, Cottbus: Screening of Xiao-Di, a documentary from STUCO’s China series. Time: 5:00 PM–7:00 PM. Location: IKMZ Library (7th Floor Foyer).

12 Jan. - 28 Feb. 2026, IKMZ in Cottbus: Exhibition "Digital Heritage. In Between Alphabets: Persian and Arabic Digital Calligraphic Compositions", curated by Sana Mosafei; vernissages on 14 Jan. at 11h30 and 21 Jan. at 18h00 (posted by: Institute of Philosophy und Social Sciences, Chair in Intercultural Studies)

3 Feb. 2026 at 18h00, BTU central campus: Evening lecture by Arash Boostani, Florence: "Experience of Afghanistan: Historical Construction Techniques and the Challenges of Restoration and Rehabilitation" as part of the 2025-26 IBK lecture series What do we stand for? (posted by: Institute for Construction History and Art History IBK, Chair in Construction History)

23 Jan. 2026 at 18h00, Gladhouse, Cottbus: New Year's Reception for Culture 2026 with presentations of cultural projects from the past year, including one by a student of heritage at BTU (posted by: Institute for Construction History and Art History IBK, Chair in Architectural Conservation)

13 Jan. 2026 at 18h00, BTU central campus: Evening lecture by Maximilian Meisse, Berlin: "Fotografische Dokumente, Bilder und Entwürfe" as part of the 2025-26 IBK lecture series What do we stand for? (posted by: Institute for Construction History and Art History IBK, Chair in Architecture and Visualisation)

2 Dec. 2025 - 11 Jan. 2026, IKMZ, Cottbus: Exhibition "Connecting Threads presents: Syrian Textiles" with photos from the Syrian Heritage Archive Platform, curated by Dr. Estibaliz Sienra Iracheta (posted by: Institute of Philosophy und Social Sciences, Chair in Intercultural Studies)

18-20 Dec. 2025, BTU central campus: Closing Workshop in the project "Co-Imagining Urban Futures and Recovery of War-Torn Neighbourhoods in Ghouta, Damascus" (postet by: Institute for Urban Planning, Chair in Urban Design and Urban Studies and Middle East Cooperation Unit)

17 Dec. 2025 at 18h00, BTU central campus, LG 2D, 1. OG / Atelier Pedersen: Theory-Talk on the topic of "Architektur & Geist: Die Rolle der Humanwissenschaften in der Architektur", with guests Sylvia Claus, Eduard Führ, Jörg Gleiter, Per Pedersen and Albert Kirchengast (posted by: Institute for Construction History and Art History IBK, Professorship in Architectural Theory)

9 Dec. 2025 at 17h00, Weltspiegel Cinema in Cottbus: Opening event of this semester's IBK Lecture Series "What do we stand for?": screening of the film “Die Architekten” (GDR 1990) and a reading from the biographical novel Die Allee (Berlin 2025). A live discussion with the author Florentine Anders and the director Peter Kahane will explore the role of architects in the GDR. (posted by: Institute for Construction History and Art History IBK, Chair in Art History)

8 Dec. 2025 at 5:30 pm, BTU central campus, LG 2C / room 313: Guest input by Dr. Mustafa Obaid, author of the soon-to-be-published volume City and Identity in Modern Iraq: Baghdad and Nation-Building , Routledge 2026, in the seminar "MENA Cities Explained: Heritage, Architecture, and Development History" (posted by: Institut für Stadtplanung, Chair in Urban Management)

2 Dec. 2025, BTU central campus: Evening lecture by Prof. John Schofield, University of York: "A Wicked Agenda: Rethinking Heritage, and the Future" (posted by: Institut für Bau- und Kunstgeschichte IBK, Chair in Architectural Conservation)

1 Dec. 2025 at 11:30 am, BTU central campus, Großer Hörsaal: Conversation with  Prof. Dr. John Schofield, University of York (UK) in the lecture course "Architectural Conservation - Heritage in Context" -- all are welcome! (posted by: Institut für Bau- und Kunstgeschichte IBK, Chair in Architectural Conservation)

28 Nov. 2025, BTU central campus: GradConnect Conference 2025 "Celebrating 25 Years of World Heritage Studies at BTU" (posted by: Institut für Bau- und Kunstgeschichte IBK, Chair in Cultural Management)

24-29 Nov. 2025, BTU central campus: IAWHP Workshop "70 Years of the Hague Convention: Learning from the past and present for the future" (posted by: Institut für Bau- und Kunstgeschichte IBK, Chair in Architectural Conservation)

13 Nov. 2025, BTU central campus: Workshop "Railway Representations in Imperial-Colonial Contexts: Decoding Visual Epistemologies in the Mediterranean and Beyond" (Institut für Bau- und Kunstgeschichte IBK, Chair in Building Archaeology)

2-5 October 2025, BLMK in the Dieselkraftwerk, Cottbus: AKTLD Annual Conference 2025 "Erhalten und Gestalten: zum Verhältnis zwischen Architektur und Denkmalpflege" (posted by: Institut für Bau- und Kunstgeschichte IBK, Chair in Architectural Conservation)