19/10/2022

The publication “The Pond’s Landscape Heritage - a Future UNESCO World Heritage Site?” will be presented on 21 October 2022, at the Gmünd District Administration. Findings were developed within the framework of the EU-funded KPF Interreg project "The Heritage of the Pond Landscape" and are an important step towards the inclusion of this noteworthy cultural landscape in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the 16th century, a complex cultural landscape was formed in the northern Waldviertel and southern Bohemia. It requires a comprehensive understanding of this cultural heritage to preserve this pond landscape against the backdrop of large-scale changes. Here, ecology along with aspects of biodiversity and climate as well as economy by means of sustainable fish farming and tourism come together with aspects of culture such as culinary arts and tradition. Next to ecological productivity, this landscape is of social and cultural importance as a common good. Until now, neither science nor the general public has dealt with the complexity of this anthropocene heritage in its interrelations and peculiarities.

Entry on UNESCO World Heritage List as a Goal

To ensure that this exceptional cultural landscape is preserved for future generations, adding it to the UNESCO World Heritage List is a crucial step. The publication is the result of having dealt with the heritage of the pond landscape in a multidisciplinary way and clearly highlights why this cultural landscape is so worthy of protection.

In addition to the project partners Andreas Salvator Habsburg-Lothringen (The International Traditional Knowledge Institute Foundation Austria), Prof Dalibor Štys (South Bohemian University of Budweis) and project coordinator Prof Christian Hanus (University for Continuing Education Krems), further international and national experts - among them Prof Francesco Bandarin (Università Iuav di Venezia), Dott. Pietro Laureano (Università di Firenze) or Private Lecturer Martin Kainz (WasserCluster Lunz) - were invited to contribute a paper on the subject.

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