01467nas a2200145   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002100001300043245004000056856011800096300001200214490000800226520106700234022002001301                                       d1 aAlbert y00aThe politics of intangible heritage  uhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-80053490387&partnerID=40&md5=c1947802439d0160c115c7a85c0d086a  a369-3790 v1243 aOwing to the Intangible Heritage Convention of UNESCO, the concept of intangible heritage has come to the forefront of the international cultural debate on heritage and identity. It coincides with a more general awareness of the so-called softer sides of heritage, with more attention to identity processes, meaning, and experience, sometimes labeled  the emotional turn . UNESCO has adopted a bottom-up approach. Local communities play a central role in the Convention, which is a way of democratizing heritage. Recent publications show that intangible heritage also has significant political dimensions. Some even speak of intangible heritage as a political minefield. Intangible heritage is instrumen-talised for political benefit or as a way of gaining public acclaim. The books reviewed present some striking examples. Until now historians have not been involved in these discussions. But because of their historical expertise and their critical antennae for the role of politics in history, they can help to deconstruct the politics of intangible heritage.  a00407518 (ISSN)