Today, for who knows how many times in history, natural and cultural heritage are facing existential challenges worldwide, such as climate change, rapid and radical urbanization, conversion from analog to digital, political instability, armed conflicts, the rise of the right-wing and populist narratives. In the context of post-truth, subjective narratives often replace objective facts, significantly affecting the understanding and thus the preservation of heritage. This selective interpretation of heritage is reflected through contemporary ideological or political agendas, which often disregard historical accuracy. All of this is particularly facilitated in the digital age we live in, as misinformation spreads quickly and information is easily manipulated.

In the book ‘What We Talk About When We Talk About Heritage,’ author Sanja Iguman Glušac insists that exclusive, conservative, static, and apolitical approaches to heritage are not up to these growing challenges because they cannot keep up with the fluidity, complexity, and dynamism of heritage in today’s world. Analyzing contemporary (critical) heritage theories through illustrated examples, she shows that heritage is inherently political and dissonant, and that accepting this fact is the first step towards democratic, open, and flexible use and management of heritage.