The Projects
In accordance with its statutes, the German World Heritage Foundation concentrates on supporting (potential) World Heritage sites which do not have the expertise or the financial means necessary to protect their cultural or natural heritage.
Support can be given as subsidies or in the form of expert help. Here are a few examples of the Foundation's projects:
Street Restitution in Viscri (Romania)
Viscri is one of seven villages inscribed on the World Heritage
list under the title 'Villages with fortified Churches in
Transylvania' in 1993 and 1999. Founded by the Transylvanian
Saxons, the villages are characterized by their fortified
churches. In Viscri the German
World Heritage Foundation supported a project to restore
the traditional character of the village's main street .
The walled city of Baku (Azerbaijan)
The Walled City of Baku represents an outstanding and rare
example of an historic urban ensemble and architecture with
influence from Zoroastrian, Sassanian, Arabic, Persian,
Shirvani, Ottoman, and Russian cultures.
It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000. The
German World Heritage Foundation supported an international
Round Table in Baku in November
2004 which was organized in order to discuss the details
of an Action Plan to safeguard the World Heritage site.
Zabaikalsky National Park (Russia)
Zabaikalsky National Park is one of seven protected areas
belonging to the World Heritage site of 'Lake Baikal'. In
1996 Lake Baikal was inscribed
in the World Heritage list as one of the few natural sites
fulfilling all of the four possible (natural) World Heritage
criteria. The German World Heritage Foundation supports
the installation of a functional communication network at
Zabaikalsky Nationalpark, in order to improve the means
for the protection and preservation of the park.
Harbour Town of Kotor (Montenegro)
The
natural and cultural historic region of Kotor,
which includes the natural harbour on the Adriatic coast,
was inscribed on the World Heritage list of UNESCO in 1979.
The German World Heritage Foundation contributed to an international
training symposium assisting local professionals with the
preparation of a management plan dealing with the threats
to the values and authenticity of the site posed by excessive
and uncontrolled urbanisation.
Harmonization of Tentative Lists in the Baltic States
In June 2003 a 3-days international seminar 'Harmonization
of Tentative Listes in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania' was
held in Kuldiga, Latvia. The German World Heritage Foundation
supported the meeting, which was organized by the Latvian
National Commission for UNESCO and attended by international
experts on cultural and natural heritage. The aim of the
seminar was to jointly discuss and review the inventory
of properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage,
situated in territories of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia,
which may be suitable for future inclusion in the World
Heritage List. At the moment the following sites in Estonia,
Latvia and Lithuania are included in The World Heritage
List: Historic Centre of Tallinn (1997), Historic Centre
of Riga (1997), Vilnius Historic Centre (1994), Curonian
Spit (2000). You will find the conclusions of the seminar
here.
Kronotsky State Biosphere Reserve (Russia)
Kronotsky State Biosphere
Reserve is one of seven protected areas belonging to
the World Heritage site 'Volcanoes of Kamchatka'. In 1996
the Volcanoes of Kamchatka were inscribed in the World Heritage
list as one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in
the world. The German World Heritage Foundation co-financed
the installation of a functional electronic communication
network at Kronotsky State Biosphere Reserve, in order to
improve the infrastructure for the protection and preservation
of the park.
Historical Wooden Churches in the Carpathian Basin
With the support of the German World Heritage Foundation
scientists and students of the Polytechnic University of
L'viv are currently preparing the surveying and architectural/historical
examination of a number of wooden
churches (15th – 18th centruy) of various types.
The results will be used for the Ukranian section of a joint
multinational UNESCO World Heritage nomination of the most
outstanding wooden churches in the Carpathian Basin.
Cultural landscape Orkhon Valley
In
Mongolia, where until recently only one site was listed
as World Heritage, the German World Heritage Foundation
made it possible to draw up a medium-term management plan
for the cultural landscape 'Orkhon
Valley'. The management plan for the area, in which
Genghis Khan had his capital Karakorum constructed in the
13th century, is a requirement for a successful UNESCO World
Heritage nomination. In July 2004 the Orkhon Valley was
inscribed on the World Heritage list.
Historical bourgeois houses in L'viv
The
Old Town of L'viv was inscribed
on the World Heritage list in 1998. Additionally to important
religious monuments, a number of dwelling houses with late-medieval
cores, courtyards and richly decorated facades have survived
in the historic centre. Several of them are, however, in
danger. The foundation supports the city council in its
efforts to rescue empty and derelict historical bourgeois
houses through an emergency protection program.