A Study and Awareness of German Folklore Related to UNESCO Cultural Heritage

This study has been conducted with the purpose of introducing an analysis of the relationship of the features of UNESCO cultural heritage policies of German folklore, particularly intangible heritage policies, and the relationship of the influence of policies. The study tendencies and methodologies based on the research conducted by the Folklore Research Institute of the Gottingen University, which is actively conducting research in the field of German folklore, are introduced, and the problems of such research have been critically examined. Since research on the phenomena of specific folk being newly noted and used by external factors, such as UNESCO cultural heritage policies in Germany folklore has already been actively progressed concerning Folklorismus. Thus, this study has briefly mentioned this at the beginning. Next, this study has analyzed the background and purpose of the establishment of ‘Heritag-fizierung’, the core concept of the research conducted by the Folklore Research Institute of the Gotttingen University. Consequently, this study has introduced the theory of cultural heritage of Barbara Kirschenblatt-Gimblett, which greatly influenced the study of UNESCO cultural heritage of the US and German folklore academic circles including the Folklore Research Institute of Gottingen University. Next, the applicative direction and purpose of the study of the research laboratory using such was analyzed.In order to provide a detailed introduction of the features of the study of UNESCO intangible heritage of the Folklore Research Institute of the Gottingen University, a study on the Binche Carnival of Belgium was introduced, which was the first UNESCO intangible heritage to be registered in Europe. Lastly, the restrictions of the study of UNESCO cultural heritage of the Gottingen Folklore Research Institute were critically analyzed, and alternatives, which can overcome such problems, were briefly mentioned.