The official ceremony for the awarding of the European Heritage Label (EHL) took place on Wednesday 22 April at the Art and History Museum in Brussels. A delegation from Paderborn accepted the award on behalf of the urban river landscape Pader, including Professor Dr Peter Fäßler from the Contemporary History Department at Paderborn University. It was already clear in February that the Pader would be honoured with this award alongside twelve other European sites.
During the award ceremony, Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Equality, Youth, Culture and Sport, said: "These thirteen newly honoured sites embody the best of what the European Heritage Label stands for. They reflect the richness of our shared history and each marks an important milestone in building an engaged, enlightened and forward-looking society rooted in the European values we hold dear. At a time of great change and upheaval, cultural heritage gives us stability. It helps us to understand where we come from, gives us a sense of our situation today and inspires us to shape the community of tomorrow. We should never underestimate the importance and potential of these sites: They help citizens connect with their identity and see their shared history reflected in the places EHL recognises." In addition, a short film was shown for each site, giving the other attendees a first impression of the respective award winners.
Under the title "Stadt.Mensch.Fluss. - The Pader for Europe", the city of Paderborn officially submitted its application to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2023 in academic cooperation with the Department of Contemporary History at Paderborn University. In October 2024, the Conference of Ministers of Culture nominated the project as a German candidate for the European Heritage Label, putting it in the final selection on its way to Brussels. The Pader was selected because it is an example of European water culture. "We are delighted that we have now officially received the award. The Pader river landscape has a lot to offer historically and we are proud that we were able to make this visible with this project," emphasises Professor Fäßler.
Further information on the project and Paderborn University's involvement can be found here.
This text was translated automatically.
