The Industrial University of Santander (UIS) hosted part of Heritage Week, organized by the Municipal Institute of Culture and Tourism of Bucaramanga, with the aim of promoting concepts related to heritage in the community, as well as reflecting on the challenges and advances in its preservation in the capital of Santander.
“We work to promote, appropriate, and build the city’s heritage in a participatory and collective manner, promoting talks, exhibitions, and other spaces that seek to preserve and strengthen local identity. This week we had a wide reach, with great citizen participation, which motivates us to continue with more projects in collaboration with academics, teachers, and the community,” said Carlos Fernando Rueda, Heritage Coordinator at the Municipal Institute of Culture and Tourism of Bucaramanga.
However, the task of heritage conservation requires great effort, economic investment, and citizen interest in order to take ownership of Bucaramanga’s cultural wealth.
“The challenges are significant, as restoration involves high costs. The intervention of some emblematic and historic sites in the city requires considerable investment, but it is essential to maintain them and make citizens aware of their value to our cultural wealth,” added Juan Camilo Cárdenas, architect of Cultural Heritage Buildings at the Municipal Institute of Culture and Tourism of Bucaramanga.
Academia has been a key ally in this process. Institutions such as the UIS contribute professionals, knowledge, and spaces that strengthen reflection and lead projects to safeguard the city’s cultural heritage.
The exhibitions included highly relevant topics, such as the one presented by architect Juan Camilo Cárdenas on buildings declared as heritage sites; the restoration of the Coliseo Peralta Theater, by Lina María González, María Catalina Rojas, and architect Suely Vargas Nobrega; Contemporary interventions in buildings of cultural interest, by architects Juan Alejandro Cano and María Angélica Rivas, from Santo Tomás University; and Bogotá’s heritage: sustainability and social appropriation, by Mauricio Uribe, president of the Colombian Society of Architects.
“We are very grateful to the UIS Alumni Association, which joined us from a space of historical memory and heritage value such as La Perla Mansion. We have also had the support of researchers from schools such as Geology, in the study of fossil heritage, and the School of History,” said José Luis Hernández, professor at the UIS School of History.
Attendees praised the relevance of this agenda and the contributions of experts who addressed various perspectives on heritage. They agreed that, although this issue often goes unnoticed by many citizens, it is essential to the city’s identity and cultural development.
“As anthropologists, we are very connected to issues of heritage, archaeology, and geology. These talks allow us to delve deeper into this knowledge and recognize the historical and cultural value of our city’s assets. I invite citizens to participate in these meetings to learn about and further appreciate the richness and history of Bucaramanga,” said Cleysi Orozco, an anthropology student at the University of Santander.
