Through a wide range of projects, international collaborations, and events, the significance of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bamberg has been further strengthened. The detailed annual report documents the activities of the past year and provides an outlook on future challenges and opportunities. It was presented by the Center’s director, Dr. Simona von Eyb, at the most recent meeting of the Cultural Senate.

International Cooperation

The Bamberg World Heritage Center continued its close coordination with UNESCO, the Federal Foreign Office, and the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts regarding the implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Of particular note is the Center’s participation in the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in New Delhi and the World Heritage Site Managers Forum, as well as the international workshop “Managing Urban Heritage for Sustainable Development in a World Heritage Context,” which the Bamberg World Heritage Center organized in Bamberg in cooperation with ICCROM (one of the advisory bodies to the World Heritage Committee). This international networking strengthens Bamberg’s role as an active player in the global World Heritage network.

World Heritage Management

A central theme in World Heritage management was the compatibility of historic preservation and environmental protection. In collaboration with the Building Department and the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, efforts were made to develop a framework plan for solar energy within the World Heritage site. In addition, intensive discussions were held with Bamberg’s horticultural businesses to develop solutions for current challenges such as a shortage of young talent and unused land.

Education, Research, and Outreach

The Bamberg World Heritage Center was deeply involved in educational and outreach activities. In addition to numerous lectures and guided tours, international exhibitions were organized, including “Bamberg – World Heritage Stories” in Kraków and “The Treasures of Kraków” in Bamberg. The Center provided scholarly impetus with the international conference on the instrumentalization of intangible cultural heritage, as well as with the poster exhibition “Everything Flows: Water and Intangible Cultural Heritage.”

World Heritage in Public Life

Highlights of the year included UNESCO World Heritage Day and the World Heritage Festival, which introduced some 1,500 visitors to the cultural diversity of the World Heritage site. The World Heritage Visitor Center received special attention, recording another increase in visitors in 2024 with 22,860 guests. Since its opening in 2019, the center welcomed its 100,000th visitor in May 2024. Another special highlight was the reopening of the shop at the World Heritage Visitor Center, which offers high-quality and carefully selected products from Bamberg and other World Heritage sites around the world.

Challenges and Outlook for 2025

Despite these successes, the World Heritage Center faces challenges: a tight budget and limited human resources make it difficult to implement important projects. Strategies to address these challenges include increased cooperation and alternative financing options.

The following priorities, among others, are planned for 2025:

• Participation in the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris
• Attribute mapping for the World Heritage property and revision of the management plan
• Revitalization of brownfield sites in the Gärtnerstadt
• UNESCO World Heritage Day on June 1, 2025
• Series of workshops on the topic “Craft Traditions in Bamberg and the Surrounding Area”
• Development of public spaces within the World Heritage site and implementation of the INTERREG project “PopUpUrbanSpaces” in Bamberg
• Conference of Bavarian UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the Working Group on UNESCO World Heritage Old Towns of the German Association of Cities in Bamberg.
• With these measures, the Bamberg World Heritage Center will continue to actively contribute to the sustainable development and preservation of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The detailed report can be downloaded below.