Eduard Franz Sekler
Professor Eduard Frank Sekler is the Osgood Hooker Professor of Visual Art Emeritus and Professor of Architecture Emeritus from Harvard University. His research deals with the history and theory of 20th century architecture and with historic preservation as well as with issues of architectural education. Sekler's field work has been focussed on the preservation of historic buildings and urban spaces in Vienna, Austria, and in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. He has written books and essays on Josef Hoffmann, Adolf Loos, and Le Corbusier and published papers about projects and problems in historic conservation. SekÂler came to HarÂvard in 1960, at the inÂviÂtaÂtion of Joseph Lluis Sert, later co-founding (along with Albert Szabo) the university's ViÂsual and EnÂviÂronÂmenÂtal StudÂies deÂpartÂment in 1968. Outside of his exÂplicit proÂfesÂsoÂrÂial duÂties, SekÂler has been acÂtive in efÂforts to preÂserve the culÂtural and arÂchiÂtecÂtural herÂitage of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. After first visÂitÂing in 1962, he made mulÂtiÂple reÂturn trips to the valÂley in asÂsoÂciÂaÂtion with UNESCO and led the proÂducÂtion of plans to safeÂguard the valley's herÂitage from deÂvelÂopÂment and popÂuÂlaÂtion presÂsures. In 1990 he founded the Kathmandu ValÂley PreserÂvaÂtion Trust (KVPT), and now serves as an honÂorary memÂber of its board of diÂrecÂtors.