The job title “restorer” is still not protected in most federal states and therefore offers plenty of room for interpretation. Anyone can still call themselves a restorer. For decades, restorers have been fighting for the introduction of professional protection. Several solutions have already been discussed, including, most recently, the introduction of a professional association. Restauro wanted to know how important a protected professional title is […]
The job title “restorer” is still not protected in most federal states and therefore offers plenty of room for interpretation. Anyone can still call themselves a restorer. For decades, restorers have been fighting for the introduction of professional protection. Several solutions have already been discussed, including, most recently, the introduction of a professional association.
Restauro wanted to know how important a protected professional title is and whether restorers, like architects for example, should organize themselves into chambers.Here you can read the answers from those working in the field of conservation and restoration.
Rainer W. Leonhardt
Head of the Berlin/Brandenburg regional group of the Association of Restorers in the Craft Trades e.V.
There is a protected professional title, the Diplomrestaurator/in and the Restaurator/in im Handwerk. Both professions have undergone thorough training.If this is repeatedly disseminated on all channels in future, together with the information that the term restorer is a worthless designation, a lot could be gained. A joint large-scale publicity campaign would be a good idea here.However, a protected professional title of restorer would not protect us from the fact that the cheapest bidder is still often awarded the contract for restoration work, even though the client is aware that the work required cannot be carried out at the price offered. This often leads to undeclared work and undercutting of minimum wages.A further help would be the consistent demand for references, which would then also have to be randomly checked. A phone call to the architect in charge of the project, the responsible monument conservator or even the client would often be helpful. An organization in a chamber, similar to architects, could solve some problems (Chamber of Crafts?), but even for many architects, the HOAI is repeatedly undermined by clients. We do not believe that it is politically feasible at present to establish a chamber for restorers and that it would also entail further financial burdens and even more bureaucracy for the members.
Eberhard Roller
Representative of the self-employed and freelancers section of the VDR and freelance restorer
It would be a great benefit for the restoration profession and for the objects! – Because the milieu of unqualified or semi-qualified providers would be pushed back. Because the public, both institutional and private, would at least be provided with a conceptual criterion that would make it easier to distinguish between professionals and – in fact – amateurs. Because monument authorities would achieve a much more efficient steering effect than before (“… is to be carried out by holders of the title Dipl.-Restaurator…”) with the binding conditions on their already modest subsidies, which would benefit the cultural asset. These positive consequences for the private sector and private clients should not be overestimated. In the existing market order, they can continue to award contracts to anyone and everyone. This is essential, whether we consider it harmful or not at this point, because it is free contract law. However, it would of course have an enormous binding effect on the awarding of public contracts controlled by budgetary law. Nevertheless, a massive confusion would remain, which consists of the fact that in addition to us, the academically trained restorers, there are also “restorers in the trade”. The art of explaining the underlying – for us, of course, essential! – The art of briefly and plausibly explaining the underlying differences to a wider public has not yet been invented. Chambers are administratively complex and expensive for the individual. They are structures that evolved in the 19th century. I, too, am unsure how these should be evaluated after weighing up all the advantages and disadvantages for our profession. Regional professional registers, a building block of chambers, based on those of chambered professions are just being created by the VDR.
Arnulf von Ulmann
Former head of the Institute for Art Technology and Conservation at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg
One should realize that any activity in this matter is wasted energy. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the law was repealed due to lack of demand! You shouldn’t wish for something you obviously don’t need and can’t get. In professional reality, it is no longer necessary to maintain standards.Activities here would be just as pointless. There will be no more new chambers in today’s EU! Likewise, new professions will no longer be recognized there (see new “master craftsman” regulation). The organizational form is too expensive for restorers. Recognition within the VDR has already failed for cost reasons. The registration activities within the VDR have led to resignations.If a chamber were to contribute to safeguarding standards, we would only have good architects and doctors. The development of a quality management system in accordance with DIN would probably be more successful for issues relating to a chamber of restorers, the fee structure and professional recognition. This should be submitted to the CEN mirror committee of the EU. Restorers are members of this committee.
Roland Vogel
Chairman of the Bavarian regional group of the VDR and freelance restorer
A protected professional title is very important, as it allows the professional group legitimized to work on art and cultural assets to be clearly defined. By maintaining lists of restorers, the activities of an unqualified group of people and thus the irresponsible handling of cultural assets can be prevented, at least in the public sphere of monument conservation. As the political landscape continues to support a general deregulation process, and has done so since the European Union came together, it will not be possible to implement statutory protection of professional or occupational titles at state level in the medium term.The only professional title protection laws for restorers enforced by the VDR to date exist in the federal states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt. Nevertheless, efforts to introduce such a law in other federal states are continuing. In my opinion, the only alternative at present is to place the preservation of our art and cultural assets on a legal basis exclusively in the hands of a specially trained and responsible professional group. However, the creation of regional chambers could also solve the problems mentioned above; fee regulations, quality assurance, training standards, but also professional sociological issues such as the establishment of a pension fund, etc.
