Pre-selected Sites for the European Heritage Label 2022

Exactly a year ago I wrote here about the new sites that got the European Heritage Label. Today again I can present you some news about the label, as the pre-selected sites for 2022 were announced recently. Let's have a closer look at them:

• Grand Commandery Alden Biesen, Belgium - one of the largest and most impressive castle estates in Europa, former headquarters of a Grand Commander of the Teutonic Order, oversaw twelve smaller commanderies in the Rhine-Meuse region
• MigratieMuseumMigration, Belgium - migration museum in Brussels, opened in 2019
• Museum Center "Thracian Art in the Eastern Rhodopes": the Unknown European Ancestors, Bulgaria - shows a replica of a Thracian tomb dated to the 4th century BCE, the tomb itself is noted for its high artistic value of its frescoes
• Fulda and Petersberg – Centers of the Carolingian Education Reform, Germany - the name says it all, check out their website for more
• The Oderbruch | A landscape made by people, Germany - marshland near the German-Polish border, to bring the land under cultivation Frederick the Great ordered its drainage in the 18th century
• Archaeological Site of Nemea, Greece - known as site of Heracles' fight against the Nemean Lion and the Nemean Games
• Almadén Mining Park, Spain - production site of the largest quantity of liquid mercury metal in the World, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Seminaarinmäki Campus – Equality of Education, Finland - oldest campus of the Jyväskylä University, said to be the most beautiful campus in Finland
• The Wellspring of Multilingualism - Baška Tablet (Bašćanska ploča) and the Complex of the Church of St Lucy, Croatia - one of the oldest monuments containing an inscription in the Croatian language
• Vučedol Culture Museum and Vučedol Archaeological Site – source of European civilization, Croatia - centre of the eponymous culture, which was contemporary with the Sumer period in Mesopotamia, the Early Dynastic period in Egypt and the earliest settlements of Troy, second application
• Mariapocs National Shrine, Hungary - important place of pilgrimage
• Land of Water, Land in Water. The Po River Delta and Venice, Italy - not sure at all what this site will include
• Ventotene, Italy - island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, site of a Bourbon and later Fascist prison camp, Altiero Spinelli wrote there the Ventotene Manifesto, which promoted the idea of a federal Europa after the war
• Echternach Saint Willibrord Heritage, Luxembourg - important site of the Early Medieval Christianisation of Europa and the Frisians in particular
• The Historical Centre of Turaida, Latvia - in 1212 a peace treaty was signed here between the Estonian tribes and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, the Archbisphoric of Riga, the Livonians and the Latgalians
• The Address of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops, November 18, 1965, Poland - invitation sent by Polish bishops to their German counterparts to the 1000 Anniversary Celebrations of Poland's Christianisation, important step in German-Polish reconciliation after World War II
• Lech Hill with Gniezno Cathedral, Poland - first historical capital of Poland, important site in the history of Christianity in Poland, site of the Congress of Gniezno, royal coronation site
• Lines of Torres Vedras, Portugal - built to protect Lisbon against the Napoleonic forces, second application
• ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization, Romania - one of the largest open-air museum in Central and Eastern Europa, contains houses and workshops of Romanian folk culture from the pre-industrial era
• The Palace of the European Commission of the Danube, Romania - housed the European Commission of the Danube until 1921, the commission itself dates back to 1815
• Medieval wall painting in Gemer and Malohont Regions, Slovakia - medieval wall paintings by Italian frescoers and their masters

Unfortunately again no more information than the name was given yet, so for anything else research has to be done. Like always this is easy for some, but difficult for others, as some names are not very meaningful. As a reminder, this is what is important for the final inscription:

"The goal of the European Heritage Label is to raise awareness of European shared history and to highlight education opportunities. The award strengthens people’s sense of belonging to the European Union’s values and identification with Europe’s cultural heritage. 

Sites which have played a significant role in the history and culture of Europe are eligible for the European Heritage Label award."

Important is also the European narrative of the site and the demonstration of "education oppurtunities". This however means that maybe the site with the most significant role is not inscribed, as noone created the right narrative or highlighted European education oppurtunities. In reverse this also means that nearly everything can be inscribed if an energetic initiave worked out both. In my opinion this leads to the inscription of sites that nobody ever heard of, while important sites of European history and culture will never be inscribed, as the responsible persons there might have never heard of the label. For sure all sites are somehow interesting, but they do not always represent the pinnacle of European history, but only add to the already immense number of sites that have to be considered. 

For me the most interesting of these sites are the Thracian museum in Bulgaria, Fulda and Petersberg, the sites of the Vučedol culture, Ventone, Echternach, Lech Hill and the Lines of Torres Vedras. I am looking forward to see the final inscriptions later on. 

Although some of the sites should be easy to get on cards, so far I only got one from Fulda. However I also have these two philatelic items about the sites.

Prepaid Cover about Fulda

Souvenir Sheet about the 1000th anniversary of the
Congress of Gniezno