The European Commission unveils the winners of the 2013 EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards

Brussels, 27-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The winners of the 2013 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards were unveiled today by the European Commission and Europa Nostra (see details below). The 30 winners, selected from nearly 200 nominated projects, are honoured for their achievements in four areas: conservation, research, dedicated service, and education, training and awareness-raising. The award ceremony will take place on 16 June at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, in the presence of Karolos Papoulias, the President of Greece, Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, and Plácido Domingo, the world-renowned opera singer and Europa Nostra President. The event is held under the auspices of the Greek President. Of the 30 winning projects, six will be named as grand prix laureates in Athens and one of the winners will receive the public choice award, based on an online poll conducted by Europa Nostra.

“My warmest congratulations go to this year’s winners, who exude the passion and professionalism which is the hallmark of Europe’s wonderfully rich and diverse cultural heritage. The past can teach us a lot about the present and the future, so we must ensure that our heritage can be appreciated by as many people as possible today and do our utmost to protect it for the benefit of future generations. The European Commission will continue to support this prize and other heritage projects through our new Creative Europe programme, as well as through other EU funding,” stated Commissioner Vassiliou.

“In this 50th anniversary year of our pan-European movement, I pay tribute to these remarkable achievements which demonstrate the strong engagement of Europe’s citizens and communities. I am delighted that Europa Nostra’s golden jubilee coincides with the European Year of Citizens. 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. Heritage strengthens us all and inspires creativity and innovation. Therefore, we must work together to save and celebrate the treasures in our midst for the next 50 years and beyond,” added Plácido Domingo.

Background

Specialist juries made up of independent experts from across Europe assess the nominated projects in four award categories – conservation, research, dedicated service, and education, training and awareness-raising. All the winners receive a plaque or trophy. The six grand prix winners also receive €10 000 each.

The awards are supported by the EU Culture Programme, which has invested more than €32 million in co-financing heritage-related projects since 2007. Other EU programmes also provide support: the European Regional Development Fund has allocated €6 billion for culture in 2007-2013. Of this, €3 billion supports the protection and preservation of cultural heritage, €2.2 billion aids the development of cultural infrastructure and €775 million co-funds cultural services such as vocational training, arts and heritage education. A further €150 million has been made available through EU Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development since 1998.

Cultural heritage brings a significant – and often underrated – contribution to job creation and growth. The sector represents a significant part of the cultural and creative sectors, which provide jobs for around 8 million people in the EU and contribute up to 4.5% to Europe’s GDP. Spending on conservation of cultural heritage by public and private bodies in the EU is worth an estimated €5 billion a year. Figures published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that 40% of worldwide tourism has a cultural dimension. Cultural heritage is also a key resource for sustainable development and social cohesion.

To find out more

Presentations on each winning project (Europa Nostra website)

http://ec.europa.eu/culture

Androulla Vassiliou’s website

Twitter: @VassiliouEU

http://flickr.com/photos/europanostra

http://www.youtube.com/europanostrachannel

Note to editors

Europa Nostra is a pan-European NGO which acts as the voice of cultural heritage. It represents 250 non-governmental and non-profit organisations from more than 50 European countries, with a combined membership of at least 5 million citizens. It also counts on the support of over 150 associate public authorities and corporations and more than 1 500 individual members. Its vast network of professionals and volunteers are committed to safeguarding Europe’s cultural heritage for present and future generations.

The 2013 award ceremony in Athens is part of Europa Nostra’s annual European Heritage Congress. The deadline to apply for the next awards is 9 September 2013. Next year’s ceremony is expected to take place in Vienna in May 2014.

2013 Award Winners (listed alphabetically by country)

Category 1 — Conservation

  1. Tallinn Seaplane Harbour, ESTONIA
  2. Peenemünde Power Station (DAS KRAFTWERK PEENEMÜNDE), Usedom, GERMANY
  3. Taut’s Home (Tautes Heim), Berlin, GERMANY
  4. Propylaea Central Building (ΑΠΟΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΝΩΔΟΜΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΕΝΤΡΙΚΟΥ ΚΤΙΡΙΟΥ ΤΩΝ ΠΡΟΠΥΛΑΙΩΝ), Acropolis, Athens, GREECE
  5. Festetich Castle (Alsbóbogát, Kiskastély), Alsóbogát, HUNGARY
  6. The Forest of Saint Francis (Bosco di San Francesco – Assisi (PG)), Assisi, ITALY
  7. Railway Bridges in the Langstraat (Spoorweg Bruggen in de Langstraat), Drunen, THE NETHERLANDS
  8. Lyceum Passos Manuel (Liceu Passos Manuel), Lisbon, PORTUGAL
  9. Chalet of the Countess of Edla (Chalet da Condessa de Edla), Sintra, PORTUGAL
  10. Northern Romanesque (Románico Norte), Castile and León, SPAIN
  11. The Fountain of the Lions (La fuente de los leones), Granada, SPAIN
  12. Roman Theatre of Medellin (Teatro Romano de Medellín), SPAIN
  13. Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine (Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine), Sardón de Duero, Valladolid, SPAIN
  14. King’s Cross Station, London, UNITED KINGDOM
  15. Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, UNITED KINGDOM

Category 2 – Research

  1. Restoration of the Exceptional Machines of Wielemans-Ceuppens Brewery (Restauration des Machines Exceptionnelles de la Brasserie Wielemans Ceuppens), Brussels, BELGIUM
  2. Company Towns in European Textile Industry 1771-1914 (Zespoły fabryczno-mieszkalne w europejskim przemyśle włókienniczym 1771-1914), Lodz, POLAND
  3. Granaries on Stilts: the Ancient Art of Building with Nature (Graneros Elevados: El Arte Perdido de Construir con la Naturaleza), Castropol, SPAIN

 

  1. In this category, a Europa Nostra Award is also presented to one project from a European country not taking part in the EU Culture Programme:

The housing complex of Lignon: architectural study and intervention strategies (La cité du Lignon (1963-1971). Etude architecturale et stratégies d’intervention), Geneva, SWITZERLAND

Category 3 — Dedicated service

  1. Fondation du Patrimoine, Paris, FRANCE
  2. Association for the Promotion of Art and Culture in the Eastern Part of Germany (Verein fur Kunst- und Kulturforderung in den Neuen Landern (VFK), Berlin, GERMANY
  3. ESMA – Committee for the Conservation of the Acropolis Monuments, Athens, GREECE
  4. Foundation Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva (Fundação Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva) (FRESS), Lisbon, PORTUGAL
  5. Martin Drury, London, UNITED KINGDOM

Category 4 — Education, training and awareness-raising

  1. Italian Places I Love (I Luoghi del Cuore), Milan, ITALY
  2. Irish Walled Towns Network Educational Programme, Kilkenny, IRELAND
  3. Wooden housing in Kuldiga old town (Aktivitāšu komplekss Kuldīgas vecpilsētas saglabāšanai), LATVIA
  4. SOS Azulejo Project (Projecto SOS Azulejo), Loures, PORTUGAL
  5. The Living Cabanyal Archive (Cabanyal Archivo Vivo), Valencia, SPAIN
  6. South Pennines Watershed Landscape, Bradford, UNITED KINGDOM
Contacts :

Dennis Abbott (+32 2 295 92 58) Twitter: @DennisAbbott

Dina Avraam (+32 2 295 96 67)

Elena Bianchi +31 703024058, Twitter: @europanostra

Giuseppe Simone +31 703024059

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