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HOW STRUVE ARC WAS INCLUDED IN THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST
T. Viik*, A. Reinart**
* tonu.viik@ut.ee,**anu.reinart@ut.ee
Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu Tartu, The republic of Estonia
Abstract. The Struve Geodetic arc is the first accurate measurement of a meridian arc, that enabled to establish the exact size and shape of the Earth and was carried out mainly under the guidance of the professor of astronomy and geodesy of the Tartu University Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve and the general of infantry Karl Friedrich Tenner. These were the most extensive measurements in the XIX century, resulting in a meridian arc with the length of 2822 km corresponding to 25°20', the accuracy of measurements being ± 12 m. The Struve Geodetic Arc was included in UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2005 as an outstanding example of a scientific and technical achievement. The listed site includes 34 of the original station points: 4 in Norway, 4 in Sweden, 6 in Finland, 2 in Russia, 3 in Estonia, 2 in Latvia, 3 in Lithuania, 5 in Belarus, 1 in Moldova, 4 in Ukraine. We describe, how the idea of including this masterpiece in the World Heritage List emerged and grew and what kind of steps had to be taken to put this idea through. We emphasize, that with inclusion in the List the work is not done — one has to take care of the object, to secure the access to it, to spread the info about the object and set up a network with similar objects in the world.
Keywords: Struve Arc, UNESCO, World Heritage List.
For citation: Viik T., Reinart A. How Struve Arc was included in the World Heritage List. Heritage and Modern Times. 2020;3(3):70-74.
167 years ago, in 1852, the trigonometric measurements for the determination of the Earth's size and shape under the general supervision of F.G.W. Struve and K.F. Tenner on the Tartu meridian from the Arctic Ocean to the delta of Danube were completed.
F.G.W. Struve started this very big work with triangulating in Livonia in 1816-1818 [1]. During this work he understood, that the triangulation chain could be prolongated in northern direction up to the Arctic Ocean. This meant the triangulating through Finland, which was a part of Russia at that time. But first of all, this huge project needed financing. How to explain this to those in power? Struve found a correct approach. Russia was in need of precise maps, especially those of regions close to the western borders. Perhaps some minor, not so important scientific questions could also be answered by triangulation, like the size and shape of the Earth. Thus, the financial problems were solved.
Still a problem remained. Measuring the northern part of the arc, Struve had to triangulate through Sweden and Norway. Struve solved this diplomatic problem by a visit to the Swedish king Oscar I (Norway was in personal union with Sweden since 1814). After that visit the triangulation started quickly in both countries - under Nils Haqvin Selander in Sweden and under Christopher Hansteen in Norway.
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Viik T., Reinart A. How Struve Arc was included in the World Heritage List
At the same time an officer of the Russian army Karl Friedrich Tenner, of Estonian origin, was triangulating first in Vilno region, then in Kurland, Grodno and Minsk regions, later in Ukraine and Poland together with Bessarabia. Of course, he was aware of the Struve measurements, and in 1828 they met in Tartu. This meeting resulted in an agreement that they were going to measure the Tartu meridian arc while Struve obliged to measure the northern part - from Jacobstadt (Jekabpils) to Nordkap, and Tenner from Jacobstadt to the estuary of Danube. They fulfilled their promises with an exception - because of the very bad weather at Nordkap Struve finished his measurements at the Cape Fugelnas in Hammerfest.
Nowadays this triangulation chain passes through Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova. The scientific and cultural value of the chain is immense and the ideas of the inclusion of this monument into the list of World Heritage started to emerge long ago. Perhaps the very first idea was expressed and documented in Tartu in 1993 [2, p. 27].
As far as the researches of the astronomer and geodesist Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve (b. 1793), the astronomer and selenographer Johann Heinrich Madler (b. 1794) and the astrophysicist and cosmologist Ernst Julius Opik (b. 1893) were connected to a great extent with University of Tartu and its Observatory, an international conference, devoted to the history of science was organized in Tartu in 1993. The conference was organized by the Association of Estonian Surveyors, by the Institute of Astrophysics and Atmospheric Physics of the Estonian Academy of Sciences (now again the Tartu Observatory in the University of Tartu), and by the Museum of History of Tartu University. Under the chairmanship of the Vice-President of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Alan H. Batten the conference passed two resolutions, both tightly connected with the topic of the present conference [3, p. 5].
First, considering the scientific, historical and practical importance of the measurement of the arc of meridian through Tartu, made by F.G.W. Struve, urge the governments of those countries, that still possess relics of that enterprise to take all possible steps to preserve those relics, including an approach to UNESCO to declare them to be World Heritage sites.
Second, noting with pleasure and appreciation the considerable improvements, recently made to the state of preservation of Fraunhofer's great refractor in the old observatory of Tartu, endorse the resolution passed by the Scientific Instrument Commission of the International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science on 14 September, 1991, concerning the importance of this telescope as part of the world's scientific heritage, and urge the government of Estonia to provide the comparatively modest funds needed to complete and secure the work of restoration.
НАСЛЕДИЕ И СОВРЕМЕННОСТЬ 2020;3(l):70-74
In 1994 at the FIG (International Federation of Surveyors) Congress in Melbourne one of the delegates from Finland put forward a resolution along the lines of the resolution above. Support was received from the IAU and the IAG (International Association for Geodesy). At the FIG Congress in Brighton in 1998 the Permanent Institution of Surveying and Measurement was made. That body started to persuade each of the 10 countries to cooperate in furthering this idea.
The next big step was taken in Tallinn in 2002, when the Association of Estonian Surveyors, the Estonian Land Board, the Estonian Agricultural University and the Tartu University organized an international scientific conference "Struve Arc 150" [4]. This conference was mainly devoted to the overview of the preservation of the Struve arc points. At the same time a resolution was passed to set up the Struve Coordinating Committee, the members of which were the representatives of the ten Struve Arc countries. It was agreed upon that the Committee should meet every year in one of the member countries (later it was changed to every other year). The main objectives of the Committee are, by stages through co-operation in the Committee, to create and develop the common rules and good practice in order to protect, preserve, present and promote the World Heritage property "Struve Geodetic Arc" as an entire trans-boundary object.
The first meeting of the Committee was in Belarus (2003). Then the meetings in Moldova (2004), Finland (2005), Sweden-Norway (2006), Latvia (2008), Lithuania (2010) followed.
Meanwhile the representative of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Willem J.H. Willems visited all the proposed points on the Struve arc and compiled a thorough report. According to his report in Moldova meeting the ICOMOS supported the application of the ten countries.
The authors are not so sure, that even such an approach would have helped to reach the goal. Fortunately enough, the Land Board of Finland took this idea seriously. Their pressure on the ministers of culture in each of 10 countries was successful in the end. The General Director of the Land Board of Finland Jarmo Ratia and the chief engineer Pekka Tatila were both exceptionally proactive in this pressure and Pekka was even in RSA, Durham when the Struve arc at last was included in the World Heritage List in July 15, 2005.
Perhaps it is of use to have a look at the criteria presented to the World Heritage Committee:
1. The first accurate measuring of a long segment of a meridian, helping in the establishment of the exact size and shape of the world exhibits an important step in the development of earth sciences. It is also an extraordinary example for interchange of human values in the form of scientific col-
Viik T., Reinart A. How Struve Arc was included in the World Heritage List
laboration among scientists from different countries. It is at the same time an example for collaboration between monarchs of different powers, for a scientific cause.
2. The Struve Geodetic Arc is undoubtedly an outstanding example of technological ensemble - presenting the triangulation points of the measuring of the meridian, being the non movable and non tangible part of the measuring technology.
3. The measuring of the arc and its results are directly associated with men wondering about his world, its shape and size. It is linked with Sir Isaac Newton's theory, that the world is not an exact sphere.
Now, fourteen years after the decision of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the localities of the Struve arc points have understood, that they have inherited a treasure which could easily be exploited for the benefits of local people. Here is the point where the LEADER project of the European Union stepped in (LEADER originally came from the French acronym for "Liaison Entre Actions de Développement de l'Économie Rurale", meaning "Links between the rural economy and development actions"). This project presented a possibility to apply for EU money to make the access to the Struve points better, to explain to tourists the importance of triangulation etc. Almost immediately the so-called Local Action Groups (LAG) were organized and they started to pour in applications.
Besides of that, the activities of LAGs are now fused with the activities of the Struve Coordinating Committee.
It must be mentioned, that the LAGs are going international. There have been three international conferences during the last two years. The first of them "Struve Route Network Conference" was held in Torne Valley, Sweden in September 2018. Next one took place in Tartu in April this year under the name of International Struve Network Conference". The representatives of nine Struve arc countries were present (only Moldova was missing). The main topic was the cooperation between the Struve arc countries in preserving the Struve points and exhibiting them to tourists.
And in August this year the final conference of this series was held in Ërgli, Latvia. The representatives of Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia presented their reports, done under the LEADER project and the Finnish representatives agreed to compile the final report.
As an example, we bring to your attention the activities of a small LAG at the endpoint of Struve baseline in Simuna region, Estonia. A young couple bought a farm at Voivere and discovered that one of the baseline endpoints is just 30 m from their home. Now they are finishing the refurbishing of an old windmill (on their plot, too) to a Struve arc museum. They already have visitors, even from Japan.
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References
1. Struve F.G.W. Arc du Méridien de 250 20' entre le Danube et la Mer Glaciale // i860. // St. Pétersbourg.
2. Verio A. Later phases and utilizing of the northern part of the Struvean chain // Geodeet. 1994. No 6 (30). P. 27-30.
3. Resolutions // Geodeet. 1994. No 6 (30). P. 5.
4. Struve Arc 150, Reports of the International Scientific Conference // 2002. // Tallinn-Tartu.
КАК ДУГА СТРУВЕ БЫЛА ВКЛЮЧЕНА В СПИСОК ВСЕМИРНОГО НАСЛЕДИЯ
Т. Вийк*, А. Рейнарт**
*tonu.viik@ut.ee,**anu.reinart@ut.ee
Тартуская Обсерватория, Тартуский Университет Тарту, Эстонская Республика
Аннотация. Геодезическая дуга Струве является первым точным измерением дуги меридиана, которое позволило установить точные размеры и форму Земли. Оно проводилась под руководством профессора астрономии и геодезии Тартуского университета Фридриха Георга Вильгельма Струве и генерала от инфантерии Карла Фридриха Теннера. Это были самые обширные измерения в XIX веке, в результате чего была измерена дуга меридиана длиной 2822 км (в градусной мере 25° 20), причем точность измерений составляла ± 12 м.
Геодезическая дуга Струве была включена в Список всемирного наследия ЮНЕСКО в июле 2005 года как выдающийся пример научно-технического достижения. Включенная в Список всемирного наследия дуга включает в себя 34 исходных пункта: 4 — в Норвегии, 4 — в Швеции, 6 — в Финляндии, 2 — в России, 3 — в Эстонии, 2 — в Латвии, 3 — в Литве, 5 — в Беларуси, 1 — в Молдове, 4 — в Украине.
Мы описываем, как возникла и взрослела идея включения этого шедевра в Список всемирного наследия, и какие шаги необходимо было предпринять, чтобы претворить эту идею в жизнь. Подчеркнем, что с включением в Список работа не окончена — нужно заботиться об объекте, обеспечивать к нему доступ, распространять информацию об объекте и создавать сеть с похожими объектами в мире.
Ключевые слова: Дуга Струве, ЮНЕСКО, Список всемирного наследия.
Для цитирования: Вийк Т., Рейнарт А. Как Дуга Струве была включена в Список Всемирного наследия. Наследие и современность. 2020;3(3):62-66. (In English)
Сведения об авторах
Вийк Тыну, советник, Тартуская Обсерватория, Тартуский Университет, Тарту, Эстонская Республика. E-mail: tonu.viik@ut.ee
Authors of the publication
Tonu Viik, councellor, Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu Tartu, The Republic of Estonia.
E-mail: tonu.viik@ut.ee
Рейнарт Ану, директор Тартуской Обсерватории, Тартуский Университет, Тарту, Эстонская Республика. E-mail: anu.reinart@ut.ee
Anu Reinart, director of The Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu, Tartu, The Republic of Estonia. E-mail: anu.reinart@ut.ee
Принято к публикации 01.03.2020
