At the opening of the student exhibition ‘World Heritage & Sustainability’, students of European Ethnology at the University of Bamberg, in collaboration with the Bamberg World Heritage Centre, presented their perspectives on how UNESCO World Heritage sites can be understood as models for sustainable development.

At four interactive stations, the students explored different dimensions of sustainability. The focus was on World Heritage as a place of encounter and social cohesion, sustainable food production and regional cycles, historical building methods as models for ecological construction, and places of reflection and their significance for quality of life and social sustainability.

The exhibition demonstrates in a variety of ways that World Heritage not only serves to preserve the past, but can also provide impetus for shaping a sustainable future. The students’ work invites visitors to view World Heritage from new perspectives and to reflect on its significance for current societal challenges.

The exhibition is now on display at the Bamberg World Heritage Centre.

Photo: Jürgen Schraudner, Stadtarchiv Bamberg