What is the heritage of our cities? Which are the monuments, places, and spaces in which it accumulates, and by which practices is it formed, handed down, appropriated? Gerhard Vinken takes the readers to twelve cities on three continents and analyses the diverse and contradictory heritage formations that have had a lasting impact on urban life. The vitality of urban heritage, as these vivid and in-depth case studies show, lies in the dynamic and often conflictual processes of social appropriation and interpretation. Covering a diverse range of themes, the book familiarizes the reader with important questions and theories in urban research and heritage studies.

Gerhard Vinken, born in 1961, holds the chair of heritage studies (Denkmalpflege) at the University of Bamberg. His research focuses on urban studies and built heritage, heritage politics, and international heritage cultures. He is a founding member of the Center for Heritage Studies and Technologies (KDWT) in Bamberg.