Conservation and tolerance A further consequence of what we have been saying, of the recognition of the historic worth of the heritage and of its distinctive historical features, is the duty of tolerance. The issue here is equal respect for different value systems and the avoidance of exclusion. Peaceful development can be secured through intellectual and cultural exchange between states and regions. Someone who feels sure of his own position is likelier to respect the position of others. In many cases, exchange itself has helped to generate cultural diversity.
Frontier regions provide a typical example.
It has had the Dutchmen, who built the dykes in the Middle Ages, the fugitives from religious persecution, who brought in new ideas in the early modern era, the merchants from England and the artists from France, Denmark and Italy. All of them have helped to give Hamburg a very special character, an identity compounded of diversity, which still makes it an unusually cosmopolitan city. Properly understood, conservation can help to educate people to be tolerant and peace-loving. It is not just a small part of a particular cultural policy but the basis, foundation and starting point of all successful cultural policies.