Brussels/The Hague, May 15, 2018 – The winners of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards for 2018, Europe’s most prestigious awards in this field, were announced today by the European Commission and Europa Nostra, the leading European network dedicated to cultural heritage.
Twenty-nine laureates from 17 countries received recognition for impressive achievements in heritage conservation, research, dedicated service, as well as education, training, and awareness-raising in the heritage field. Among this year’s winners was the restoration project of the Pavilion of Knjaz Miloš in Bukovička Banja, Aranđelovac.
As a contribution to the European Year of Cultural Heritage, this year’s awards highlight the European values of the selected achievements in the heritage field. The winners will be honored at the awards ceremony on June 22 in Berlin at the first European Heritage Summit. Citizens across Europe and beyond have the opportunity to vote online for the Public Choice Award to support projects from their own countries and others across Europe.
“I wholeheartedly congratulate this year’s ‘heritage champions,’ the winners of the European Union Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards. We are truly impressed by the outstanding skills, creativity, and dedication of cultural heritage professionals, as well as the generosity of countless volunteers and supporters across Europe. They deserve every praise and further support.
The winners of these awards are proof that our cultural heritage is far more than a memory of our past; it is key to understanding the present and is a resource for our future. For this reason, we must use the European Year of Cultural Heritage to recognize the value of our shared heritage—for Europe’s future!” stated Plácido Domingo, renowned opera singer and President of Europa Nostra.
“Cultural heritage, in all its diverse forms, is one of Europe’s most precious assets. It builds bridges between people and communities, as well as between past and future. Cultural heritage is central to European identity and also plays a vital role in driving social and economic development. I congratulate the winners of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards and their teams for their exceptional and innovative work.
Thanks to their talent and dedication, many treasures of Europe’s cultural heritage are preserved and revitalized. More importantly, their work enables people from various fields to discover, explore, and engage with our rich cultural heritage, which aligns perfectly with the spirit of the European Year of Cultural Heritage we celebrate in 2018,” stated Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport.
Independent experts reviewed a total of 160 entries submitted by organizations and individuals from 31 European countries and selected the winners.
The award recipients will be honored at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony alongside European Commissioner Tibor Navracsics and Maestro Plácido Domingo on June 22 at the Berlin Congress Center. During the Berlin ceremony, seven Grand Prix laureates, each receiving a prize of €10,000, and the Public Choice Award, which will be voted on by citizens across Europe, will be announced.
The European Heritage Awards Ceremony will be honored by the participation of Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, as patron of the European Year of Cultural Heritage in Germany. Over 1,000 people will attend the ceremony, including high-ranking officials from EU institutions and member states, as well as representatives of leading heritage organizations from across Europe.
The winners will present their achievements at the Excellence Fair on June 21 at the Allianz Forum. They will also contribute to various other events within the European Cultural Heritage Summit, such as the event “Sharing Heritage – Sharing Values” from June 18 to 24 in Berlin.
In collaboration with Europa Nostra, the German Cultural Heritage Committee, and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the summit aims to promote an ambitious European cultural heritage agenda and action plan as a lasting outcome of the European Year of Cultural Heritage.
View the award-winning Pavilion “Knjaz Miloš” project on the Europa Nostra website:
europeanheritageawards.eu