The UNESCO World Heritage Day 2023
June 4, 2023 is UNESCO World Heritage Day nationwide. At the invitation of the German Commission for UNESCO and the German UNESCO World Heritage Sites Association, the World Heritage Sites in Germany offer their visitors the opportunity to experience a program around the theme of sustainability under the motto "Our World. Our Heritage. Our responsibility".
The UNESCO World Heritage List now includes 1,154 sites worldwide. 51 of them are located in Germany. These unique cultural and natural sites are increasingly facing challenges from the consequences of unsustainable lifestyles. These include climate change as well as the growing global population, resource scarcity and social inequality. Against this backdrop, the questions of how to preserve World Heritage sites for future generations and how to ensure that future generations have the same opportunities for a fulfilling life are becoming increasingly urgent.
On June 4th, 2023, the UNESCO World Heritage Day, the German Commission for UNESCO, the German UNESCO World Heritage Sites Association and all World Heritage Sites in Germany therefore invite you to explore questions of sustainability in lively formats on site or digitally.
Under the motto "Our World. Our heritage. Our Responsibility" the day offers visitors from near and far the opportunity to see what lies behind the abstract concept of ecological, social and economic sustainability. Nationwide special guided tours, exhibitions and special events show people what World Heritage actually is, why it is so special and why it is important especially for World Heritage sites to use the resources of our planet sustainably and to shape our society fairly.
The UNESCO World Heritage Day offers visitors from near and far the opportunity to discover the multifaceted nature of World Heritage.
Get active
Stakeholders, institutions and associations from all World Heritage sites in Germany can once again participate in the UNESCO World Heritage Day program in 2023 using analog and digital formats. The campaign website unesco-welterbetag.de serves as a central contact point for this purpose.
From February 1st to May 1st, 2023, organizers of events can not only upload livestreams, interviews, digital tours or other virtual formats from their World Heritage sites; they can also advertise their events nationwide in the central calendar as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Day.
Detailed information on how to actively participate in the UNESCO World Heritage Day as well as impulses and questions on the topic of sustainability can be found in the respective section for event organizers.
An overview of all activities and events at the 51 World Heritage sites in Germany can be found in the digital calendar from February 1st, 2023.
Background
There are currently 1,154 UNESCO World Heritage sites in 167 countries worldwide. 51 of them are located in Germany. Together, they tell diverse stories about how people live, reside and work around the world and provide fascinating insights into the development of our planet.
On the UNESCO World Heritage Day, at the invitation of the German Commission for UNESCO and the German UNESCO World Heritage Sites Association, the World Heritage Sites in Germany offer a diverse program that invites visitors to explore and discover their cultural and natural heritage. There are guided tours and lectures, music and activities, on site as well as in the digital space. They not only raise public awareness of World Heritage Sites as places of particularly careful preservation, but also strengthen their role as mediators of UNESCO goals such as international understanding, sustainability and peace.
