HERITAGE ASPECTS OF THE INSTITUTE OF BEQUEST

Text topic: Legacy Institute and Cultural Policy of Serbia

Text author: Милан Попадић

This paper examines the role of the institute of bequest in heritage studies. It starts from a historical-theoretical definition of the notion of heritage and points to its connection with the institute of bequest: it derives a close original-legal character of both terms, but also their modern intertwining – from initial theoretical premises to social applicability. In that sense, a basic assumption expressed in the paper is that these concepts achieve their essential purpose only when they become part of life reality i.e. when they become a factor in creating social and cultural values of communities and individuals. It is noticed that, in the cases referring to the notion of heritage, heritage stakeholders choose what they inherit, while in the cases of bequests, the legatee receives the works assigned to them by the testator. The choice of heritage stakeholders is an expression of cultural and social values, and in that sense “choice” has a symbolic and metaphorical character which is then materialized through care for the inherited objects. On the other hand, the subject of a bequest is the property-legal benefit, and such “choice” is the result of legal regulations. Having in mind these similarities and differences, the goal of the paper has been to shed some light on heritage and bequest, both as notions (philosophical category) and as institutes (social formation) in order to offer a clearer understanding of these phenomena