25 years of VDR: Where we came from. Who we are. Where we’re going.

On Friday, 6 November 2026, the Association of Conservators is hosting a special anniversary afternoon at the ‘denkmal’ in Leipzig. From 2.00 pm to 5.30 pm, we will be looking back over a quarter of a century of the association’s history – with a retrospective, an assessment of where we stand, and an outlook for the future.

We will trace the path from the original association to today’s organisation, shed light on the development of the predecessor associations, and guide you through the period following the merger – that phase in which structures were redefined and the VDR sharpened its professional policy profile.

In the second part, our current governing bodies will turn their attention to the present: which issues have been with us for years, which new topics have emerged, and which priorities shape our work today? At the heart of this is the question of the association’s identity – who will the VDR be in 2026, and how do we see ourselves as the collective voice of restoration?

We will shape our outlook for the future together with our partners. The aim is to strengthen restoration, heritage conservation and the professions involved in preserving cultural heritage as a whole, to address future needs and to ensure the next generation of professionals.

Before we celebrate together with members and partners from around 6 pm onwards, we invite you to experience the history of the association through a constantly evolving sequence of images.