MEMO
Subject: Model of the European Meetings of the Phaleristics Societies.
- Returning to the question of the model of the European Meetings of the Phaleristic Societies (or Conferences, as they have begun to be called since London).These Meetings had as precursors meetings of phaleristic amateurs organized by MEDEC, in Brussels in 1989, by the Ordenshistorisk Selskab, in Copenhagen in 1991, by CP Mulder and Aad Bovenberg, in Apeldoorn in 1997 and again, by the Danish association , in Copenhagen in 1999.The European Meetings with the participation of the various Societies started with an initiative of the Danish Society (OMSD) in 2005, in Copenhagen. Founded in 1966, it “aims to promote the study of the history of orders and medals on a large scale, pursuing this objective by organizing meetings with conferences, exhibitions and publishing books ».The II European Meeting was held in Brussels, in 2006, organized by the Studiekring Faleristiek vzw – SKF founded in 2002,” aimed at research related to the orders and medals and the dissemination of founded information concerning the phaleristics in Belgium by means of articles, conferences, to stimulate the study of this auxiliary science “. The societies of Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland and MEDEC (the oldest Belgian society of collectors of decorations and medals, founded in 1988) and phalerists from Germany, United Kingdom, France and Portugal participated in this II International Meeting of European Phaleristics Societies.
From these first two meetings, it was possible to note its importance for the exchange of information and knowledge and for the establishment of an international network between phalerists and its societies beyond national specificities. The Exhibitions and the Conferences held have led to some very useful lessons and to the latest research. Not less useful is making personal acquaintance with other phalerists, establishing bonds of friendship.
With an interval of 3 years, the III Meeting took place in Geneva, in 2009, organized by the Société Suisse de Phaléristique attended by Portuguese phalerists who accepted the challenge of organizing the next meeting in Lisbon.
And so, we arrive to the IV Meeting in Lisbon, organized in 2100, by the new born AFP, founded in 2008, having had almost 50 participants, from Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Scotland, United States of America and Portugal. Its success has made it possible to consolidate the importance of these meetings among the phaleristic community.
In 2011, 2012, and 2013, the Meetings were organized, respectively, by the Danish Society (Orders and Medals Society of Denmark) in Copenhagen, by SKF (Studiekring Faleristiek vzw), in Brussels and by the Dutch Society (Studiekring Ridderorden in Onderscheidingen (SRO), in Utrecht.
- In 2014, in the absence of the Societies accepting the organization of the next Meeting, the majority of the representatives of the Societies accepted, in Copenhagen, the offer of the Society of Friends of the Museum of the Legion of Honor, Paris, to organize the meeting of this year.
However, on the occasion the President of the Phaleristic Academy of Portugal expressed his disagreement with this solution, because the Society, although related to Phaleristics, was not formally a Phaleristic Society, since it primarily aims at the «development and the enrichment of the collections of the National Museum of the Legion of Honor.
Thus, the “VIII European meetings of phaleristics” (sic) organized by the Société des Amis du Musée de la Légion d’honneur (SAMLH) in collaboration with the Grande Chancellerie de la Légion d’honneur, took place in Paris at the Museum of the Legion of Honor, the September 26 and 27, 2014.
In 2015 and 2016, we returned to the original model, with the IX Meeting organized by the United Kingdom Society (Orders and Medals Research Society (OMRS) in London, but having for the first time a limited number of registrations, and the X Meeting, organized by the German Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ordenskunde eV (DGO) in Dresden. The London Meeting was attended by a considerable number of participants – 92 from 11 countries.
In 2017, again in the absence of a society volunteering to organize a Meeting, and after a consultation of the various Societies, the offer of the recently created private Museum – Tallinn Museum of Orders of Knighthood, for the organization of a Phaléristique event was accepted. Although not organized by a Phaleristic Society the organizers chose to call it the XI European Conference of Phaleristic Societies.
The proximity of Russia, and the Baltic countries, was apparently responsible for setting a new attendance record – 100 participants from 17 countries, 11 phaleristics societies, the SAMLH, and according to the organizers also 16 museums. Note the participation for the first time of representatives of the Austrian Companies and Slovakia.
Among the Museums there were delegates from four Russian Museums, an Hungarian Museum, two others from the Netherlands and Slovakia, the Museum of the Legion of Honor, the Musée royal de l’armée et de l’histoire militaire, from Brussels, three from Estonia and the Royal Collection Trust, Windsor Castle.
The Chapter of the Royal Orders of Knighthood of the Kingdom of Sweden (Royal Palace of Stockholm), responsible for organizing the “XXII Meeting” was also represented, taking the responsibility of organizing in 2018, the XII European Conference of Phaleristic Societies, in Stockholm, on 25-27 May.
- For 2019, the Austrian Society – Österreichische Gesellschaft für Ordenskunde (ÖGO) – is in charge of organizing the XIII European Conference of Phaleristic Societies, scheduled for 10-12 May, in Vienna.
It seems then, that the “European Conference” designation has been adopted instead of Meetings as originally!
The fact that, during the last two meetings, there delegates from other institutions besides members of Phaleristic societies and also from countries outside Europe, in particular from Canada and China, also led the Austrian Society to propose the adoption a new designation for this event – International Conference of Phaleristics which apparently was not accepted.
- In light of the above, the following can be concluded:
- The annual organization of European Meetings of Phaleristic Societies is not feasible due to lack of means, and it would be better to change its realization with a rather biannual periodicity;
- Considering that the aims and activities of the European Phaleristic Societies, in spite of their national or geographical specificities, are different from those pursued by the Museums dedicated to the Orders of Knighthood or Merit, or possessing important Phaléristiques funds, and even accepting the importance of promoting a desirable collaboration between these two types of institutions, it seems obvious the need to maintain the original spirit of the organization of the Meeting of the European Phaleristic Societies by reserving its organization to the Phaleristic Societies;
- Other institutions are of course free to organize international events of a phaleristic nature, but in this case it should adopt other designations, and not as they have done in Paris and Tallinn.
- Considering that the lack of resources of the Phaleristic Societies can be overcome with the use of subsidies within the framework of the Programs of International Organizations such as UNESCO or the European Commission, if acquiring the nature of an ONG and in presenting valid projects in the context of the various programs in the field of culture;
- Hence the idea of the creation of an International Federation of Phaleristic Associations aimed at uniting the societies and other institutions whose object is the study and promotion of phaleristics – the science which studies orders, medals and decorations of all types, their forms and functions – either in the realm of collecting, or in the scientific and research fields.
Aiming in particular:
a) Create a strong link between these associations and institutions encouraging and coordinating their work, studies and research at the level of the Periodic Meetings;
b) Encourage or promote the organization of Exhibitions and International Meetings or Congresses of Phaleristics and provide support to their organizers;
c) Maintain all useful contacts with the National Phaleristics Associations;
d) Promote links and relations between collectors, amateurs, researchers and museum curators and publish from time to time a bibliography on phaleristics;
e) Encourage the creation in all countries of associations dedicated to Phaleristics;
f) To sanction international standards facilitating the development of these activities;
g) Promote actions aimed at raising the awareness of the European Union institutions of the need to combat the trade and falsification of badges, medals and decorations, in particular through the approval of legislation and regulations of compulsory application by the European Union Member States.
The creation of an organization of this type respects the aims of the Associations or member institutions that do not interfere in their activities.
Lisbon, 8th. June, 2018
José Vicente de Bragança
Vice-President of AFP
