4th International Heritage Security Congress KOBED’26 – The Polish Aviation Museum is a co-organiser

KOBED’26 comprises three days of intensive sessions, workshops and discussions centred on a single key issue: the safeguarding and protection of cultural heritage – particularly in the face of contemporary armed conflicts, threats and crises. In the context of ongoing hostilities in Europe and the Middle East, this topic takes on exceptional importance and urgency.

The Congress is, above all, a platform for the exchange of knowledge, experience and best practices for a community of experts and specialists from Poland and abroad: researchers, conservators, lawyers, representatives of the uniformed services, central and local government, cultural institutions and non-governmental organisations. KOBED’26 comprises three days of intensive sessions, workshops and discussions centred on one key issue: the safeguarding and protection of cultural heritage – particularly in the face of contemporary armed conflicts, threats and crises. In the context of ongoing hostilities in Europe and the Middle East, this topic takes on exceptional importance and urgency.

This year’s edition will focus on key aspects of heritage security, including the protection of cultural property during wartime, cybersecurity, and international experiences in this field. The Congress programme includes presentations by experts, panel discussions and academic sessions, which will take place within our Museum, as well as practical exercises at the Benedictine Abbey in Staniątki and an awards ceremony at Wawel Royal Castle.

The event will be simultaneously interpreted into Polish and English, giving it a truly international character.

KOBED’26 Topics

Congress participants will discuss, amongst other things:

• education and prevention in the protection of cultural heritage.
• the legal aspects of safeguarding and protecting cultural heritage,
• the role of artificial intelligence and new technologies in heritage protection,
• the protection of cultural heritage against cognitive and asymmetric threats,
• the safeguarding of cultural heritage in transport and logistics,
• experiences and practices from periods of active armed conflict, including directly from Ukraine,
• the protection and safeguarding of historic cities during war and crisis,
• the effectiveness of technical solutions and direct physical protection,
• fire safety in heritage sites,
• the latest methods of conservation, storage and safeguarding of collections.

The Polish Aviation Museum as a co-organiser

We are proud that, once again, the Polish Aviation Museum will be hosting this prestigious event on its premises. The Museum’s Director, Tomasz Kosecki, will be actively involved in the event, moderating a session on the protection of cultural heritage during wartime, with a focus on the responsibilities of local authorities and districts.

For us, as an institution dedicated to safeguarding technical and military heritage, our involvement in organising KOBED’26 is an important step towards raising awareness of the need to protect our heritage in times of uncertainty and various threats.

The conference is planned as a hybrid event. Both in-person and online attendance is possible. Attendance at the conference is restricted to registered participants.

To register for KOBED’26, please complete the registration form available HERE