Arrested decay

Arrested decayis a term coined by theU.S.State ofCalifornia,to explain how it would preserve itsBodie State Historic Park.A more common application of this concept is the preservation of war ruins as memorials.

Eastern State Penitentiary,March 2011

The water tower in Vukovar,2005. Heavily damaged in the battle, it has been preserved as a symbol of the town's suffering.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial today, seen from the southwest side.

A view of the old village of Oradour-sur-Glane

United States

AtBodie State Historic Park,the structures will be maintained, but only to the extent that they will not be allowed to fall over or otherwise deteriorate in a major way.

Any building that was standing in 1962, when Bodie became a State Park, may be rebuilt or preserved as the photographs of 1962 showed them.By putting new roofs on the buildings, rebuilding foundations, and resealing glass that is in window frames, the State is able to keep buildings from naturally decaying.

Eastern State PenitentiaryinPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania,uses a similar system, though it uses the term "preserved ruin."

Croatia

The authorities inVukovar,Croatiadecided to keep theold water tower in the cityas it is found today and as it had become after the war — gnarled byartillery.

Berlin, Germany

Several buildings destroyed in theSecond World Warhave been preserved in their ruined condition as memorials. These include part of the facade of theAnhalter Bahnhofand the belfry of theKaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

Sarajevo, Bosnia

The authorities inSarajevo,Bosniahave also preserved the building of the daily newspaperOslobođenjeto this day the way it was shelled during theBosnian War.

Hiroshima, Japan

In 1996, theHiroshima Peace Memorialwas acknowledged as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.Originally completed in 1905, the building was known at the time of theHiroshima atomic bomb explosionon August 6, 1945, as theHiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall.Although suffering considerable damage, it was the closest structure to thehypocenterof the explosion to withstand the blast without being leveled to the ground. It has been preserved in the condition it was in after the bombing to serve as a symbol of hope forworld peaceandnuclear disarmament.

Oradour-sur-Glane, France

Oradour-sur-Glanewas a village in theLimousinrégionofFrancethat was destroyed on 10 June 1944, when 642 of its inhabitants – men, women and children – were murdered by aGermanWaffen-SScompany. Although a new village was built after World War II, away from the ruins of the former village, the old village – the site of the massacre – still stands as a memorial to the dead and as being representative of similar sites and events. Part of the memorial includes items recovered from the burned-out buildings: watches stopped at the time their owners were burned alive; glasses – melted from the intense heat; and various personal items and money.