2023-06-19 10:51:24
Bavaria’s state government is looking forward to the small Allgäu community of Schwangau with suspense. It’s about a prestige project: the Ludwig II royal palaces as a world heritage site. A first hurdle has been cleared.
A first hurdle for the inclusion of Neuschwanstein Castle in the Unesco World Heritage Site has been cleared. Residents of Schwangau in the Allgäu yesterday voted in favor of such a motion in a much-anticipated referendum. Bavaria’s Minister of Art, Markus Blume, was relieved when the results were announced. He is grateful for the decision of the citizens, said the CSU politician. “It’s an important decision for the region and a good one for Bayern.”
According to the municipality, around 56 percent of those eligible to vote supported the project. “We are happy about the referendum,” said Mayor Stefan Rinke (CSU). “This gives us the clear mandate of the population to actively support the government initiative.” The Bavarian state government can now convince the UNESCO World Heritage Committee that the royal palaces of Bavaria’s fairytale king Ludwig II (1845-1886) are world-class monuments.
Project “Built Dreams”
The “Building Dreams” project has long been on the so-called tentative list, on which Germany’s next World Heritage proposals will be collected. In addition to Neuschwanstein, the two other world-famous palaces of Ludwig II, Herrenchiemsee and Linderhof, as well as the lesser-known royal house at Schachen are to be suggested.
The World Heritage application is to be submitted to Unesco in Paris at the beginning of 2024, and the decision of the World Heritage Committee is expected in the summer of 2025. If the citizens hadn’t supported the project, it would probably have been impossible to keep to this schedule. Unesco demands the support of local people.
The Bavarian Palace Administration previously campaigned for inclusion on the list. “Ludwig II’s palaces (…) are among the world’s most famous buildings in Germany. Even after 150 years since their construction, they have exerted an unbroken fascination across all cultural borders,” says their website.
Many critical voices
Since there were many critical voices in Schwangau, the local council did not give the official approval itself, but held a vote. Some citizens fear that the World Heritage seal could attract even more visitors. With around one and a half million guests a year, Neuschwanstein is already one of the biggest tourist attractions in Germany. In addition, residents are skeptical because they fear further restrictions for reasons of monument protection if new buildings are to be built in the vicinity of the castle.
Unesco has recognized 51 monuments and nature reserves in Germany as part of human heritage. The World Heritage sites are very different: in Augsburg, for example, the water management system and in Essen the Zollverein colliery are part of it. Weimar is represented twice: with the legacy of the Bauhaus design school and the “Classical Weimar” ensemble, which includes the Goethe House and the Duchess Anna Amalia Library. There are 1157 Unesco World Heritage Sites in 167 countries worldwide. (dpa)
#Citizens #vote #Neuschwanstein #World #Heritage #application #free #press