Cultural heritage: Germany is promoting the expansion of its UNESCO world heritage

At the almost two-week meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, new entries on the list of cultural and natural heritage sites have been examined since today. The committee will meet in the South Korean coastal city of Busan until July 29th and award the coveted titles. The forest settlement of Zehlendorf in the southwest comes from Germany Berlin into the race. This is not an independent entry, but rather an expansion of the existing World Heritage site “Settlements of Modern Berlin”.

“The Berlin Modern settlements are outstanding objects of urban development and an urban development and cultural treasure with international appeal,” says Berlin’s Senator for Building Christian Gaebler (SPD). The Zehlendorf forest settlement is groundbreaking worldwide for the implementation of social housing. The Bauhaus settlement, which was built around a hundred years ago – also popularly known as the “Parrot Settlement” – has a good chance of being recognized by the UNESCO admitted.

Six settlements of the so-called Berlin Modernism have been World Heritage since 2008, including the Britz settlement in Neukölln, popularly known as the horseshoe settlement, and the Siemensstadt settlement. A special feature of the Zehlendorf forest settlement is that it is not only well preserved, but is also the largest of all modern Berlin settlements in terms of area. Part of the forest settlement is also the shopping street in the Onkel Toms Hütte underground station – the revolutionary concept of connecting a shopping center directly to a train station was unique in the world at the time.

Scenes of the Second World War put to the test

The more than 30 new applications include France’s attempt to have the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On June 6, 1944, Allied soldiers landed there during the Second World War. The nomination includes the five historic landing beaches of Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword Beach, as well as other memorial sites associated with the Allied landing.

The D Day marked the beginning of the liberation of Europe from the devastation of German National Socialism from the west. At that time, the Allied forces mainly included Americans, British, Canadians, Poles and French. About 3,100 landing craft carrying more than 150,000 soldiers made their way to northern France. Thousands of them died.

53 World Heritage sites are considered endangered

A central topic of the conference is also how to sustainably ensure the preservation of World Heritage sites. 53 of them are currently classified as endangered. In addition to military conflicts, World Heritage sites are increasingly threatened by the consequences of climate change. But construction work and natural disasters also endanger their preservation. Of the 52 cultural heritage sites and 3 natural heritage sites in Germany, none is considered to be in immediate danger.

The 1,248 registered cultural and natural sites in 170 countries include the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Australian Great Barrier Reef and the Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru. A decision on the application for recognition of the Zehlendorf forest settlement is expected to be made on July 27th.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:260719-930-405902/1