UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Network for shared responsibility

The annual conference of German UNESCO World Heritage Sites, titled will take place from May 22 to 24, 2023.

Representatives from the 51 German UNESCO World Heritage Sites will gather in the Hanseatic city of Wismar to discuss common themes and challenges.

“World Heritage Sites are the heritage of all humanity, and we all share the responsibility for their protection and preservation,” organisers said.

“How do we, as a society, deal with this responsibility? What can we do to recognise the diverse challenges in World Heritage Sites and develop strategies to overcome them?”

These questions will be the focus of approximately 120 participants during the three-day conference in Wismar.

Getting to know each other is a crucial aspect of the annual conference, which rotates to a different World Heritage Site in Germany each year.

The conference is organised by UNESCO World Heritage Sites Germany in collaboration with the German UNESCO Commission.

“The objective of the conference is to exchange ideas and engage in dialogue with those responsible for living and working in World Heritage Sites.

Through the annual gathering of the World Heritage family, the extensive network in Germany is strengthened, and it benefits from new approaches and positive examples,” explained Claudia Schwarz, Chair of UNESCO World Heritage Sites Germany.

Professor Hartwig Lüdtke, Vice President of the German UNESCO Commission, added: “The tourism network of World Heritage Sites also carries a responsibility.

“Only qualified, sustainable tourism, in harmony with nature and heritage, guarantees the preservation of our World Heritage Sites. Therefore, it is important to discuss how to achieve sustainable tourism when we desire more visitors and growth.”

The conference will commence with a festive reception and opening on May 22 in St Georgen, with the presence of Manuela Schwesig, the Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Thomas Beyer, Mayor of the Hanseatic city of Wismar, and Katrin Patynowski, First Deputy of the District of Nordwestmecklenburg, will deliver welcome speeches.

The diverse programme, featuring numerous presentations and an ideas lab, will begin the following day at the Zeughaus in Ulmenstraße.

Eight speakers will provide short presentations on various ideas and concepts related to the conference theme.

As a keynote speaker, Erik Flügge, Managing Director of Squirrel & Nuts, Gesellschaft für strategische Beratung mbH, will address the topic “World Heritage Sites – Beacons against Selfishness.”

The day will conclude with a regional evening at the Technology and Business Center.

On June 4, the UNESCO World Heritage Day will be celebrated, during which the 51 World Heritage Sites in Germany will offer guided tours, experiential activities, and virtual offerings.

Under the theme “Our World. Our Heritage. Our Responsibility,” the World Heritage Sites will showcase what makes them special and why it is crucial to use the resources of our planet sustainably and build a fair society, even in World Heritage Sites.

See also : 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Portugal