World Heritage anniversary

Anniversary

In 2018, Bamberg marked its 25th anniversary of inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On 11 December 1993, the “Town of Bamberg” was added to the list as the 624th World Heritage site, at the meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Cartagena (Colombia).

Programme

To commemorate the anniversary year, the Bamberg World Heritage Office in conjunction with numerous local stakeholders had put together a diverse programme. 160 events that addressed the local population and guests alike aimed at raising awareness of the value of World Heritage. The range of activities included guided tours, talks, exhibitions, concerts as well as movie premieres. The World Heritage weekend in June and the ceremonial act in December were particular highlights.

An interactive storyboard, which was developed in cooperation with Mediengruppe Oberfranken, provides a review of the anniversary year.

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Museum tours and lectures

In connection with the 25th World Heritage anniversary Bamberg’s museums and collections offered a special series of guided tours entitled “25x25 ins Museum”. The tours took place on the 25th of each month and were attended by a maximum of 25 people each.

The Bamberg World Heritage Office in collaboration with the University of Bamberg as well as the Adult Education Centre (VHS Bamberg Stadt) organized a series of lectures on heritage-related themes.

Reverse Graffiti

In May 2018, the artist Klaus Dauven created a temporary piece of art called “Faces” in style of a reverse graffiti at Untere Brücke next to the Old Town Hall. For this, he partially cleaned the concrete balustrade by using a high-pressure washer. Portraits of 21 young people emphasize the bridge’s character as meeting point for people of all ages. The project was implemented in conjunction with Kärcher and the cultural association FRANZ KAfkA.

Bamberg on Tour
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the World Heritage site “Town of Bamberg” Lord Mayor Andreas Starke and Patricia Alberth, Head of the Bamberg World Heritage Office, led an anniversary bicycle tour through on the World Heritage site.

World Heritage weekend

Every year World Heritage sites in Germany celebrate the UNESCO World Heritage day at the beginning of June. In 2018, Bamberg celebrated for an entire weekend.

On Saturday, 2 June Bamberg’s Lions Clubs and the Bamberg World Heritage Office commemorated Bamberg’s World Heritage anniversary at Maxplatz. Concerts, information stands and entertaining family activities attracted many visitors.

On Sunday, 3 June 25 experienced guides took guests on an exploration tour through the World Heritage city. After the tours the participants gathered and jointly enjoyed a Franconian buffet and a performance by the band Boxgalopp. The event was implemented in collaboration with AGIL Tours & Museum Educational Service and Welcome Hotels Bamberg.

General Assembly of the German National Commission for UNESCO

In 2018, the German National Commission for UNESCO held its General Assembly in Bamberg. Around 120 professionals from the fields of education, culture, and science gathered in the World Heritage city to discuss the contribution of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UNESCO programme.

New forms which had been inscribed on the Nationwide Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Germany were honoured.

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Photo competition

The Bamberg World Heritage Office, the Bamberg World Heritage Foundation, the local newspaper “Fränkischer Tag” and the University of Bamberg organized a photo competition on the theme of “Living World Heritage”. Ten out of 138 submissions were awarded. Silke Hollstein won the first price for her picture “On the heels of World Heritage”.

Ceremonial act

The highlight of the anniversary was the ceremony in the Concert and Congress Hall on 11 December, the day on which the City of Bamberg was officially awarded the World Heritage status in 1993. The City of Bamberg was proud to welcome Prof. Dr Maria Böhmer, President of the German National Commission for UNESCO, as keynote speaker and Nora Gomringer, Director of the International Artists’ Residency Villa Concordia, as special guest. Patricia Alberth, Head of the Bamberg World Heritage Office, guided through the programme. The Bamberger Symphony conducted by Jakub Hrůša accompanied the festive occasion.