On 7 September the European Heritage Hub convened a panel in Kraków spotlighting the crucial role of cultural heritage in driving the green, digital, and social transformations within our society. The session took place as part of the ‘Civil Society and Heritage’ event organised by the regional Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków, on the occasion of its second anniversary.
The launch of the European Heritage Hub comes at a strategic time for Europe. Using the green, digital and social triple transformation of Europe as the overarching theme for all its activities, the project builds the capacity for action and advocacy of the European heritage sector to support the transition towards a more sustainable, innovative and inclusive future. Additionally, it aims to fortify this ecosystem to effectively navigate and flourish amidst the challenges posed by climate change and the ongoing transitions.
The panel introduced participants to the European Heritage Hub’s activities and outlined how heritage can contribute to the triple transformation. Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic, Secretary General of Europa Nostra and Project Leader of the Hub, moderated the discussion, emphasising: “Cultural heritage is not something that should be forgotten. It should be put at the centre and recognised as a power of positive change. The green, digital and social transformation strategies should be placed-based, rights-based and people centred”.
Diverse perspectives were shared by other key members of the European Heritage Hub, including Katarzyna Jagodzińska, Head of the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków, and Andrew Potts, Heritage and Climate Action Advisor at Europa Nostra. Contributions from Robert Piaskowski, Plenipotentiary for Culture of the Mayor of the City of Kraków, and Dr. Aleksandra Janus, Co-Director and Member of the Board of Centrum Cyfrowe, also enriched the discussions.
As part of the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków event, attendees also engaged in a panel on ‘Heritage and Society. The Experience of Central Europe’. This focused on the societal dimension of heritage, specifically within the context of Central Europe, aligning with a key priority of the European Heritage Hub.
Discussions demonstrated how cultural heritage is much more than just a sector, it acts as a vector and key resource for the successful development of our society and environment.
A recording of the event is available here.
