The U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield was saddened to learn of the recent passing of renowned art historian and cultural advocate, András Riedlmayer. Born in Budapest, Hungary, Riedlmayer studied at the University of Chicago and Princeton University, becoming a preeminent scholar in the Ottoman history of the Balkans. His dedication to the documentation and restoration of cultural property during times of conflict was a lifelong commitment. He served as an expert witness at UN war crimes tribunals in The Hague, testifying to the destruction of cultural heritage in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992 and 1996, and in Kosovo in 1999. From 1985 to 2020, Riedlmayer directed The Documentation Centre for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University’s Fine Arts Library. He worked tirelessly throughout his career to document the destruction of libraries, archives, and religious sites, and to restore these places that are so significant to the identities and cultures of communities. The majority of his scholarly contributions are now housed at The András Riedlmayer Collection at the University of Connecticut.
András Riedlmayer’s passing is a great loss for the scholarly and cultural heritage communities. He will be remembered for his valuable academic contributions, but also as an individual who fought for justice and lived with integrity.
Image of András Riedlmayer from Harvard University’s Fine Arts Library Collections Blog.
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