Cultural Heritage: Where the past meets the future

European Cultural Heritage means interaction between people, backgrounds and cultures

Europe’s rich diversity should serve as a unique catalyzer for the exchange and interaction between people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures.

The year 2018 was  declared the European Year of Cultural Heritage (EYCH).  The European Commission proposed to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018. The Commission’s aim was to highlight the key role of European cultural heritage in promoting a shared sense of history and identity. The initiative found a great deal of supporters and was regarded a “great opportunity”. It was also a response to the criminal destruction of cultural heritage in conflict regions and trafficking of cultural goods in many conflict regions of the world. This initiative aimed to enable people to become closer to and to become more involved with their cultural heritage.

However, the ambition of the EYCH was not only to create a year-long series of events to celebrate the richness and importance of cultural heritage, but also to leave a legacy that would prompt a rethink of the role and meaning of cultural heritage.

European Cultural Heritage matters: Creative Europe 2021-2027

The European Union designed and promoted Creative Europe. It is a program that invests in actions that reinforce cultural diversity and respond to the needs and challenges of the cultural and creative sectors. Within this program, several information and awareness campaigns will place Europe-wide. Consequently, this campaigns open up the opportunity to find answers to current and future challenges such us public funds declining, the diminishing participation in traditional and cultural events or the environmental impact of cultural sites.

This program supported the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, highlighting the potential of the EU in terms of conservation, digitalization and research and skills development. The European Year of Cultural Heritage Year 2018 promoted the preservation of cultural heritage and was a key element of the EU foreign policy. Its aim was to encourage more people to discover and engage with Europe’s cultural heritage, and to reinforce a sense of belonging to a common European space.

The economic role of Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage also plays an important economic role. More than 300,000 people work directly in the European cultural heritage sector, for instance. Around 7.8 million jobs in Europe are indirectly linked to cultural heritage, such as tourism and construction, as well as other transport services, translations, cleaning and security. To give you an example, in 2011 alone, cultural heritage in France generated € 8.1 billion through museums, historic sites, buildings and visitor attractions, libraries and archives.

But even more important, in times when the world cultural resources are constantly in danger and conflict areas are continuously expanding, sharing a European cultural heritage may contribute to design a common and a better future.