Introduction
Cultural Heritage and Citizens: a strong Alliance In this landmark year in which the European Commission is preparing to put in motion its new Creative Europe programme and Europa Nostra celebrates its 50th Anniversary, we are particularly proud to present the 30 winners of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, selected from among nearly 200 nominations submitted from 30 countries.
In Spain, a ruined and partially-buried early Roman theatre was recovered and conserved as a striking testimony of our shared cultural heritage. In Poland, research on Europe’s textile company towns provides a fascinating panorama of this industrial heritage from the late 18th century to the early 20th century, drawing attention to the importance of its preservation. In Germany, a civil society organisation is recognised for more than 20 years of dedicated service by volunteers in preserving endangered monuments and sites mostly located in the east of the country. In Ireland, an education and awareness-raising programme about medieval heritage, directed at community groups as well as local professionals, can serve as an inspiration for other historic European cities. And let us not forget Greece, the host of our award ceremony this year, where a group of top-level specialists has volunteered for more than 35 years to preserve the Acropolis to exceptional standards. These are only some of the examples of “the best in heritage” honoured all over Europe in 2013. We pay tribute to these remarkable achievements which demonstrate the strong engagement of Europe’s citizens and communities to celebrate the past and build a vision for the future. We are delighted that the European Year of Citizens coincides with the Golden Jubilee of the pan-European citizens’ movement for cultural heritage represented by Europa Nostra. This is the ideal occasion to stress the unique potential of cultural heritage to enhance civic responsibility and a sense of belonging to a wider European family. This should be duly reflected in the ‘New Narrative 4
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for Europe’, an initiative recently launched under the leadership of the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso. It is an open invitation to artists, intellectuals and other citizens who care about culture to embark on a joint reflection and debate about the European project – an invitation to which Europa Nostra has actively responded. Going beyond the social and cultural aspect, we should also underline that heritage is a creator of jobs and growth, contributing in many ways to the European economy. The winners presented here are precious witnesses, and so are the millions of tourists visiting Europe’s heritage sites every year. This year’s celebration of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards has been organised with the invaluable cooperation of Elliniki Etairia Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage, and with the support of many public and private partners in Greece. The ceremony took place on 16 June in Athens at the Odeion of Herodes Atticus. Sculptured on the south slope of the Acropolis, this theatre, dating from the 2nd century AD, is one of the most precious gems bequeathed by Greek Antiquity to the world. We warmly congratulate and thank all laureates for their professionalism, commitment and passion. Their example will surely encourage more people to get actively engaged in protecting Europe’s cultural and natural heritage for future generations.
Androulla Vassiliou European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth A W A R D S
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Plácido Domingo President of Europa Nostra