Call for Entries Europa Nostra Awards 2008

Europa Nostra announced the Europa Nostra Awards 2008 and issued a Call for outstanding achievements in the field of heritage conservation and enhancement. Projects will be awarded in the categories of Conservation, Research, Dedicated Service by Individuals or Organisations and, from this year, Education, Training and Awareness-Raising. Over the past 5 years, Europa Nostra has been running the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage in the context of the European Commission’s Culture 2000 programme. On 7 November 2006 the European Commission published a Call for Proposals for organising the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage in the framework of its new Culture programme. Europa Nostra therefore responded to this Call by proposing the “EU Prize Scheme for Cultural Heritage - Europa Nostra Awards” and hopes to continue its cooperation with the European Commission between 2007 and 2013. The Commission’s decision is expected by the end of June 2007.

Further information
Eléonore de Merode, Europa Nostra Heritage Awards Coordinator, ao@europanostra.org

European Heritage Awards Ceremony

The European Heritage Awards Ceremony for the annual EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards was part of the programme of the Europa Nostra Annual Congress 2007. This year's European Heritage Awards Ceremony was attended by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden and HRH Princess Madeleine, Patron of Europa Nostra Sweden , and took place in the magnificent Blue Hall of the Stockholm City Hall on Friday 8 June 2007.

Further information
www.europanostra.org/stockholmcongress/awards.html

Eléonore de Merode, Europa Nostra Heritage Awards Coordinator, ao@europanostra.org

Thirty-Four Outstanding Heritage Achievements Awarded
EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards

The European Commission and Europa Nostra announced the laureates of the annual European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards. The Awards were presented to the representatives of the awarded achievements at the annual European Heritage Awards Ceremony, which took place on 8 June 2007 in the Stockholm City Hall in Sweden. HRH the Prince Consort of Denmark, President of Europa Nostra, Ján Figel', Member of the European Commission responsible for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, HRH Princess Madeleine, Patron of Europa Nostra Sweden and Mrs Lena Adelsohn-Liljeroth, Swedish Minister of Culture, participated in this major event. The ceremony was honoured by the presence of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden .

A total of 158 excellent applications and nominations from 32 countries were received in various categories and assessed in situ by independent experts. The most outstanding of these were selected by the Heritage Awards Jury in a series of meetings which took place over recent months. The range of exemplary initiatives submitted illustrated the many facets of Europe 's rich cultural heritage, ranging from the restoration of buildings and sites, their adaptation to new uses, new buildings in conservation areas, urban and rural landscape rehabilitation, to archaeological sites, care for collections, research and dedicated service to heritage conservation by individuals or organisations.

The five top Prizes, which each include a monetary award of € 10,000, will be presented in the following categories:

Conservation of Architectural Heritage:

to the Sarica Church in Cappadocia (Turkey)

Having suffered from severe surface erosion due to rainwater infiltration, cracks and flaking, this remarkable example of a rock-carved Byzantine church was rescued, restored and made accessible to visitors. The project principally involved the restoration of the wall paintings, the construction of a new drainage system and the replacement of the eroded rock of the facade with a covering of harder local tuff of similar colour.

Conservation of Cultural Landscapes:

to Santo Stefano di Sessanio in l'Aquila (Italy)

The visionary action of a private investor has permitted the dramatic rescue of a medieval fortified village in the Abruzzi highlands, which had been completely abandoned under the effects of devastating poverty and rural exodus. Through its rehabilitation as an extended hotel, this important rural architectural heritage was thoroughly restored and the local crafts and traditions were revived. The social and economic benefits of the revitalisation of the project have radiated throughout the region.

Conservation of Works of Art:

to the Farbdiaarchiv zur Wand- und Deckenmalerei (Germany)

An ambitious project was successfully undertaken by the Zentral Institut für Kunstgeschichte München and the Bildarchiv Foto Marburg to develop a digital database to preserve the Colour Slide Archive of a large photo campaign that took place in 1943-1945 to document valuable paintings and interior decoration in buildings endangered by Allied air raids. The Archive features circa 40,000 images from approximately 480 buildings in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Russia, many of which were damaged or destroyed during the last three years of the war. Now accessible over the internet, free of charge, to scholars and to the general public alike, it also serves as an indispensable research tool upon which the restoration of damaged buildings can be founded.

Outstanding Studies:

to the Politecnico di Milano, l'Ecole d'Architecture de Versailles, and the Raymond Lemaire Centre for Conservation Leuven (Italy / France / Belgium)

One of the last major defence lines of the 20th century, the Atlantic Wall was built by the German occupying forces in the period 1941-1944, along the coastline of France, the Channel Islands, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Norway. A joint project involving cooperation with numerous partner institutions was launched by the Politecnico di Milano (Italy), the Raymond Lemaire Centre for Conservation in Leuven (Belgium), and the Ecole d’Architecture de Versailles (France), to research and raise public awareness on this valuable transnational heritage. It has successfully contributed to the preservation of our collective memory and shared European history through the publication of a catalogue and atlas, a photo campaign, the organisation of a conference and a travelling exhibition, and the creation of a website .

Dedicated Service:

to The Mihai Eminescu Trust (Romania / United Kingdom)

By rescuing and repairing more than 300 historic buildings and training more than 100 local craftsmen in traditional skills, this non-governmental, non-profit organisation has invested huge efforts and achieved impressive long-lasting results in the preservation of the Saxon heritage of Transylvania , a treasure of unique European value. Since 1989, the Trust has been working to revitalise the social and economic life of the region, by supporting the restoration of architectural heritage and developing income-generating activities such as ecological and cultural tourism, organic agriculture and traditional crafts .

In addition to the five top Prizes, 16 Medals and 13 Diplomas will be awarded in the following categories:

Conservation of Architectural Heritage:

Austria - Stift Klosterneuburg (Diploma);

Denmark - Paradehuset, Gisselfeld Kloster (Diploma); Texaco Service Station 1938, Skovshoved Harbour (Diploma);

Finland - Porthania Building , University of Helsinki (Medal);

Georgia - The Church of the Virgin, Timotesubani (Medal);

Germany - The Belvedere on Pfingstberg Hill, Potsdam (Diploma);

Hungary - Terminal 1, Ferihegy Airport , Budapest (Medal); New York Palace & Café, Budapest (Medal);

Norway - Domus Academica, University of Oslo (Diploma);

Slovenia - Pocarjeva Domacija, Mojstrana (Diploma);

Spain - Pont Trencat, Sant Celoni and Santa Maria de Palautordera (Medal); San Juan de los Reyes, Granada (Diploma);

Sweden - Eslöv Civic Hall (Diploma);

United Kingdom - The Roundhouse, London (Medal); St Paul 's Church, Bristol (Diploma); Brunel's ss Great Britain , Bristol (Diploma).

Conservation of Cultural Landscapes:

United Kingdom - The Reed & Sedge Cutters, The Broads (Medal); Mourne Homesteads, County Down , Northern Ireland (Diploma).

Conservation of Works of Art:

Croatia - The Croatian Apoxyomenos at the Zadar Archaeological Museum in Zagreb (Medal);

Germany - Wall-Paintings of the Ottonian Crypt, Saint Andrew's Church, Fulda (Medal).

Conservation of Archaeological Sites:

Poland - Archaeological Open-Air Museum, Biskupin (Medal).

Outstanding Studies:

Denmark - The Site of Illerup Ådal and the European society around 200 AD, by Mr Jan Skamby Madsen, Moesgård Museum (Medal);

Sweden -New Foundations and Changes of Plan, Swedish Town Planning 1521-1721, by Nils Ahlberg, University of Uppsala (Diploma);

Turkey - Silk Factories in Bursa and the Conservation of Industrial Heritage related to Sericulture, by Dr Elif Özlem Oral, Gebze University (Diploma);

United Kingdom - The Palace of Westminster Conservation Plan, by Donald Insall Associates (Medal).

Dedicated Service:

Germany - Professor Dr. Dr. Ing. E.H. Gottfried Kiesow (Medal);

Italy - The Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe (A.S.C.E.) (Medal);

Spain - Fundación Caja Madrid - Programme for the Conservation of Spain 's Historical Heritage (Medal);

Cyprus / Greece / Liechtenstein / Switzerland / United Kingdom - The A.G. Leventis Foundation (Medal).

To encourage initiatives considered by the Juries to be of a very high standard, but that did not gain an award, this year for the first time a total of 55 entries were commended. The applicants received a Special Mention certificate, signed by the Presidents of the Juries.

Further information
www.europanostra.org/awards2006.html