European Heritage Masterclass

The European Heritage Masterclass with Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger is a new 12-part video series developed as part of the network project Europa Nostra Heritage Agora, co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Across 12 concise lessons, the Masterclass explores cultural heritage as a living force in society. It moves from fundamental questions of identity, ethics and ownership to urgent challenges such as war, climate change, digital transformation, social media, governance, European cooperation and the future of heritage.

The series is designed for heritage professionals, students, volunteers, cultural organisations, civil society actors and engaged citizens who wish to deepen their understanding of heritage and turn that knowledge into action.

The Masterclass is given by Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger, renowned archaeologist, historian, cultural heritage expert and Executive President of Europa Nostra, the largest organisation in Europe committed to cultural and natural heritage. From 2008 to 2025, he served as President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, one of the largest cultural institutions worldwide. His experience in archaeology, museum leadership, restitution debates, cultural policy and European cooperation shapes the perspective offered throughout the series.

The European Heritage Masterclass was recorded in December 2025 at Huis van Brienen in Amsterdam, one of the historic houses cared for by Hendrick de Keyser Monumenten. The organisation received a European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award in 2018 in Berlin and is a member of Europa Nostra. The setting reflects the living dimension of heritage discussed throughout the lessons.

Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this Masterclass are those of Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger and are presented in his personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the positions of Europa Nostra or the Agora project.

Lesson 1 – Why Heritage Matters

The opening lesson introduces the central question of the series: why heritage matters for identity, continuity, civic responsibility and democratic culture.

Media: European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING
Togetherness – A New Heritage Deal for Europe
In his essay for the European Investment Bank Institute, Parzinger argues that cultural heritage is central to European cohesion and long-term stability. The text expands on many of the ideas introduced in this first lesson.

RELATED CONTEXT
On 6 November 2025, Europa Nostra received the Empress Theophano Prize in Thessaloniki in recognition of its contribution to European cooperation and shared values. Professor Parzinger accepted the award on behalf of the organisation.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqCJ05hj-OE

Lesson 2 – Ethics. Heritage and Ownership

This lesson explores ownership, restitution, provenance research and the ethical responsibilities that shape contemporary heritage practice.

Media: European Heritage Awards, Hendrick de Keyser Monumenten, Empress Theophano Prize
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE TEXTS
UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970)
www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/convention-means-prohibiting-and-preventing-illicit-import-export-and-transfer-ownership-cultural
UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (1995)
www.unidroit.org/english/conventions/1995culturalproperty/1995culturalproperty-e.pdf
UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/79/133 – Return or Restitution of Cultural Property to the Countries of Origin (6 December 2024)
https://docs.un.org/en/A/RES/79/133
UNESCO – Return and Restitution of Cultural Property
www.unesco.org/en/fight-illicit-trafficking/return-and-restitution
Council of Europe
Faro Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (CETS 199)
https://rm.coe.int/1680083746
Nicosia Convention on Offences Relating to Cultural Property (CETS 221)
https://rm.coe.int/1680710435
Parliamentary Assembly Resolution 1205 (1999) on looted cultural property
https://pace.coe.int/en/files/16726/html
European Union
Regulation (EU) 2019/880 on the Import of Cultural Goods
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2019.151.01.0001.01.ENG
Museum Ethics and Professional Standards
ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums (2022)
https://icom.museum/en/resources/standards-guidelines/code-of-ethics
UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections (2015)
www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/recommendation-concerning-protection-and-promotion-museums-and-collections-their-diversity-and-their
Humboldt Forum
The Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace (Stiftung Humboldt Forum / Prestel)
www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/publikation/publication/das-humboldt-forum-im-berliner-schloss-73336
The references above are provided for further exploration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisers.

Lesson 3 – Working with Communities

This lesson looks at the shift from working for communities to working with them, and at the importance of listening, shared authority and lived experience.

Media: DW, Euronews, European Heritage Awards
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE TEXTS
Square Kilometre
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/the-square-kilometre
Varvara Buzilă
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/varvara-buzila
Inge Bisgaard
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/inge-bisgaard
Faro Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Council of Europe, CETS 199)
https://rm.coe.int/1680083746
LUF Boat – Humboldt Forum (object and research context)
https://sammlungenonline.humboldtforum.org/en/object-catalogue/165408-hochsee-segelboot-von-der-insel-luf
LUF Boat – Humboldt Forum (video)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yvokFPFYVQ
Multaka Talks
www.youtube.com/watch?v=13_laAFb_Tw
Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda
www.crossculturalfoundation.or.ug
The references above are provided for further exploration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisers.

Lesson 4 – Complex Stories in Contested Places

This lesson considers how heritage professionals can address difficult histories, contested narratives and sites with multiple layers of meaning.

Media: European Heritage Awards, Humboldt Forum, DW, Euronews
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE TEXTS
Buzludzha Monument, Bulgaria – 7 Most Endangered Programme
7mostendangered.eu/sites/the-buzludzha-monument-bulgaria
National Museum of Resistance and Freedom – Peniche Fortress
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/peniche-fortress-national-museum-of-resistance-and-freedom
Humboldt Forum – History of the Site
www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/feature/history-of-the-site-74591
Humboldt Forum – The Cross on top of the Humboldt Forum
www.humboldtforum.org/en/magazine/feature/the-cross-on-top-of-the-humboldt-forum
Humboldt Forum – The Reconstruction of the Berlin Palace
www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/publikation/publication/das-rekonstruierte-berliner-schloss-73325
Humboldt Forum – The Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace
www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/publikation/publication/das-humboldt-forum-im-berliner-schloss-73336
The references above are provided for further exploration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisers.

Lesson 5 – Challenge 1: War and Armed Conflicts

Armed conflict is one of the most direct threats to cultural heritage. Monuments, museums, archives, religious sites and archaeological remains can be damaged as collateral loss. But they can also be deliberately targeted. Destroying heritage is often a way to attack memory, identity and community itself.

This lesson looks at the protection of heritage in situations of war and conflict. It asks what can be done when destruction is already happening, but also how heritage organisations can prepare before a crisis reaches them.

Examples from Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, Timbuktu and Cyprus show that heritage protection is never only about buildings or objects. It is also about people. Supporting local professionals, helping with restoration, preventing illegal trafficking and preparing for future risks are all part of the same responsibility.

Media: European Heritage Awards, 7 Most Endangered Programme, Humboldt Forum
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE TEXTS
1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict
www.unesco.org/en/heritage-armed-conflicts/1954-convention
UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970)
www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/convention-means-prohibiting-and-preventing-illicit-import-export-and-transfer-ownership-cultural
International Criminal Court – The Prosecutor v. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi
www.icc-cpi.int/mali/al-mahdi
Buffer Zone in the Historic Centre of Nicosia, Cyprus – 7 Most Endangered Programme
www.europanostra.org/europe-7-most-endangered-sites-2013-announced
UNESCO Experts’ Meeting on the safeguarding of Syria’s heritage, Berlin, 2–4 June 2016
https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1503
ALIPH Foundation
www.aliph-foundation.org
The references above are provided for further exploration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisers.

Lesson 6 – Challenge 2: Climate Change and Environmental Threats

Rising sea levels, floods, storms, drought, heat, changing humidity and biological growth are damaging historic buildings, landscapes, archaeological sites and collections.

This lesson looks at the different ways in which heritage is exposed to climate and environmental threats. It also asks what heritage organisations can do. Climate adaptation needs planning, risk assessment, documentation and advocacy. It also requires a new way of thinking. Heritage policy and climate policy cannot remain separate. Historic buildings, traditional knowledge and cultural landscapes can all contribute to more sustainable and resilient responses.

Examples, such as Venice, Stolberg and the Secrets of the Ice project in Norway, show how urgent this work has become.

Media: Europa Nostra, Forbes, Euronews, ALIPH
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE TEXTS
UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Climate Change
https://whc.unesco.org/en/climatechange
Europa Nostra – Cultural Heritage and Climate Action
www.europanostra.org/our-work/policy/cultural-heritage-and-climate-action
European Cultural Heritage Green Paper – Putting Europe’s shared heritage at the heart of the European Green Deal
www.europanostra.org/putting-europes-shared-heritage-at-the-heart-of-the-european-green-deal
Climate Heritage Network
www.climateheritage.org
Venice Lagoon – 7 Most Endangered Programme
www.europanostra.org/venice-lagoon-endangered-site-europe
Historic Centre of Stolberg, Germany – 7 Most Endangered Programme
7mostendangered.eu/sites/historic-centre-of-stolberg-germany
Glacier Archaeology Programme – Secrets of the Ice
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/glacier-archaeology-programme-secrets-of-the-ice
International Court of Justice – Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change
www.icj-cij.org/case/187
The references above are provided for further exploration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisers.

Lesson 7 – Challenge 3: Digital Revolution

Digital technology is transforming the heritage field. Massive digitisation, artificial intelligence and new forms of data analysis are opening up extraordinary possibilities. Collections can be made accessible across the world. Objects can be studied in new ways. Heritage can reach audiences far beyond physical sites.

This lesson explores both the opportunities and the challenges of this transformation. Digital tools can support research, reconstruction and education. 3D scanning and modelling allow us to document objects and sites with great precision. Artificial intelligence can help analyse large datasets and connect information that was previously fragmented.

At the same time, this shift brings new risks. Data needs to be preserved and maintained over time. Systems are often not compatible. Information is stored in silos. The costs can be significant, especially for smaller organisations.

The lesson highlights the need for clear strategies. Digital transformation is not only about technology. It is about cooperation, standards and long-term thinking.

Media: Euronews, UN, UNESCO, IOM UN Migration
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE TEXTS
CultLab3D (Fraunhofer – 3D mass digitisation)
European Heritage Award winner
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/cultlab3d
CultArm3D – developed by Fraunhofer IGD
www.igd.fraunhofer.de/en/media-center/customer-magazine/2020/cultarm3d—developed-by-fraunhofer—powered-by-phase-one.html
CultLab3D to CultArm3D – research paper on the successor technology
https://diglib.eg.org/items/47822c38-4c4b-4cc4-b012-17c8dfd6b043
Digital Benin
https://digitalbenin.org
Europeana
www.europeana.eu/
ALIPH – Heritage Watch.AI
https://heritagewatch.ai
https://heritagewatch.ai/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/10022025_-Microsoft-Planet-Aliph-Iconem_Announcement.pdf
European Heritage Hub – Call to Action (Bucharest Forum)
www.europeanheritagehub.eu/call-to-action
European Commission – Digital transformation of cultural heritage
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/cultural-heritage
The references above are provided for further exploration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisers.

Lesson 8 – Challenge 4: Social Media and Public Scrutiny

Heritage is now discussed in real time. Social media has transformed how we communicate about the past. Decisions about monuments, collections and interpretation are no longer confined to institutions. They are debated instantly, often globally.

This creates a new role for heritage professionals. We are not only custodians, but also mediators. Criticism can emerge quickly and publicly. That requires openness, clarity and a willingness to engage. Complex issues are often simplified, sometimes reduced to strong positions or short messages.

This lesson looks at how to navigate this environment. It underlines the importance of transparency, dialogue and professional responsibility. There are no simple solutions. What matters is how institutions respond, how they communicate, and how they create space for informed debate.

Media: Europa Nostra, ALIPH, Europeana, Digital Benin
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE TEXTS
Generalštab Modernist Complex in Belgrade, Serbia – 7 Most Endangered Programme
7mostendangered.eu/sites/generalstab-modernist-complex-in-belgrade-serbia
Europa Nostra – Protecting Belgrade’s Generalštab is a Matter of Law and Public Interest
www.europanostra.org/europa-nostra-statement-protecting-belgrade-generalstab-is-a-matter-of-law-and-public-interest
Controversial statues – Guardian video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WekKiNtFf4
ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums
https://icom.museum/en/resources/standards-guidelines/code-of-ethics
Historic England – Contested Heritage Advice
https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/contested-heritage
Historic England – Reinterpreting Contested Heritage
https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/contested-heritage/reinterpreting-heritage
English Heritage – Dealing with Difficult History
www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/contested-history
Sharon Macdonald, Difficult Heritage: Negotiating the Nazi Past in Nuremberg and Beyond
www.routledge.com/Difficult-Heritage-Negotiating-the-Nazi-Past-in-Nuremberg-and-Beyond/Macdonald/p/book/9780415419925
Sharon Macdonald, Memorylands: Heritage and Identity in Europe Today
www.routledge.com/Memorylands-Heritage-and-Identity-in-Europe-Today/Macdonald/p/book/9780415453349
Contested Histories Initiative – Monumental Challenges Toolkit
https://contestedhistories.org/wp-content/uploads/Monumental-Challenges-Toolkit_EN.pdf
The references above are provided for further exploration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisers.

Lesson 9 – Governance of Heritage Organisations

This lesson looks at different forms of governance. A large public institution with many museums and thousands of employees works very differently from a civil society network such as Europa Nostra. But both depend on people who feel responsible for the whole. Volunteers also play a vital role. No heritage organisation can do without them.

Media: Europa Nostra, Euronews, Wiki Commons
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE TEXTS
Europa Nostra – Organisation
www.europanostra.org/organisation
Employees and activists of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/employees-activists-national-museum-bosnia-herzegovina-sarajevo
All Together Festival, Ukraine
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/all-together-festival
AIM – Successful Governance for Museums 2020
https://aim-museums.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Successful-Governance-for-Museums-2020-1.pdf
AAM – Leadership and Organizational Structure Standards
www.aam-us.org/programs/ethics-standards-and-professional-practices/leadership-and-organizational-structure-standards
ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums
https://icom.museum/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ICOM-code-En-web.pdf
The references above are provided for further exploration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisers.

Lesson 10 – From Local Roots to Global Responsibility

Heritage often starts very close to home. It can be a building, a landscape, a tradition, a memory, or a story held by one community. But local heritage rarely stops at the local level.

This lesson looks at the link between local roots and wider responsibility. European heritage is shaped by exchange, migration, conflict, cooperation and shared memory. That makes cross-border work essential. Local knowledge needs international expertise, and international networks need local trust.

The lesson also turns to civil society. The European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, the European Heritage Hub, UNESCO and the Faro Convention all show how people and organisations can work across borders. They help heritage communities learn from one another, defend shared values and respond together to the challenges facing heritage.

Media: Europa Nostra
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE TEXTS
European Heritage Hub
www.europeanheritagehub.eu
European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards – Facts & Figures
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/facts-figures
Odeuropa
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/odeuropa
IS-LE: Islamic Legacy, pan-European project coordinated in Spain
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/is-le-islamic-legacy-pan-european-project-coordinated-in-spain
UNESCO – World Heritage
www.unesco.org/en/world-heritage
Council of Europe – Faro Convention
www.coe.int/en/web/culture-and-heritage/faro-convention
Empress Theophano Prize Ceremony 2025 – Europa Nostra
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqCJ05hj-OE
The references above are provided for further exploration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisers.

Lesson 11 – The Future of Heritage

Heritage is about the past, but never only about the past. It has shaped our cultural identity, our diversity and our sense of belonging. People can be part of a town, a region, a country and Europe all at the same time. These identities do not compete. They fit together.

This lesson looks at the future of heritage in a fast-changing world. Europe is rich in shared cultural memories, but its history is also difficult and deeply entangled. The future of heritage will not be simple, but there are strong reasons for confidence.

The EU, civil society and young people are already shaping the next chapter of heritage. Across Europe, new generations are working together to preserve, reuse and share heritage. They show how heritage can support social cohesion, economic prosperity and democratic values, and inspire innovation and renewal.

Media: UNESCO, Council of Europe, Europa Nostra, European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, Theophano Foundation
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE TEXTS
European Commission – Culture Compass for Europe
https://culture.ec.europa.eu/policies/culture-compass
European Heritage Label
https://culture.ec.europa.eu/cultural-heritage/initiatives-and-success-stories/european-heritage-label
Europa Nostra – Brussels Manifesto 2025: Heritage Matters for Europe – Europe Matters for Heritage
www.europanostra.org/europa-nostra-issues-brussels-manifesto-heritage-matters-for-europe-europe-matters-for-heritage
Culture Action Europe – The Cultural Deal for Europe Campaign
https://cultureactioneurope.org/projects/culturaldealeu-campaign
Hermann Parzinger – Togetherness: A New Heritage Deal for Europe
www.eib.org/en/publications/eib-big-ideas-togetherness-a-new-heritage-deal-for-europe
La Paranza Cooperative
https://www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/la-paranza-cooperative
Heritage Hubs
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/heritage-hubs
European Heritage Youth Residency 2024 in Romania
www.europanostra.org/events/european-heritage-youth-residency-2024-in-romania
The references above are provided for further exploration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisers.

Lesson 12 – Your Heritage Action Plan

Heritage is not only something to study, protect or discuss. It is something to action. This final lesson brings together the ideas, examples and questions explored across the series, and turns them into a starting point for your own work.

The European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards and the 7 Most Endangered Programme offer an ocean of practical examples. They show projects at every scale: large transformations, careful restorations, preventive care, volunteer action, public campaigns and new forms of cooperation. They can help you shape an action plan for your organisation, your community, or your own growth as a heritage professional, entrepreneur or volunteer.

This lesson is not an end point. It is an invitation to begin. You can watch the full series in a little over three hours, or return to one lesson when a specific question comes up. The references in each set of liner notes are there to help you go further, step by step.

Media: European Commission, Europa Nostra, European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards
Music: Audiotronika Bright-Road, Audiio

FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE TEXTS
European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards
www.europeanheritageawards.eu
7 Most Endangered Programme
7mostendangered.eu
EC1 Łódź – City of Culture Complex
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/ec1-lodz-city-of-culture-complex
The Camellia House
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/camellia-house
Pro Monumenta – Preventive Maintenance of Monuments
www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/pro-monumenta-preventive-maintenance-of-monuments
The National Lottery Heritage Fund – Good practice guidance
www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding/good-practice-guidance
Historic England – Heritage Led Regeneration Toolkit
https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-led-regeneration/toolkit
Europeana Impact Playbook
https://pro.europeana.eu/page/impact
Council of Europe – Toolkit for Cross-Border and Local Heritage Events
www.coe.int/en/web/culture-and-heritage/-/toolkit-for-cross-border-and-local-heritage-events
The references above are provided for further exploration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisers.

You can now return to Lesson 1, revisit any lesson, or use this final session to start your own heritage action plan.