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“Cultural heritage is by nature politically sensitive, highly complex with a high degree of symbolic significance, emotionally charged and with a risk of political manipulation concerning its history, ownership and use,” we read in a “Concept on Cultural heritage in conflicts and crises” published by the European Union in 2021. 

As of mid-February 2024, UNESCO has verified damage to 342 sites since 24 February 2022 – 127 religious sites, 150 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, 31 museums, 19 monuments, 14 libraries, and 1 archive. These numbers, which include only immovable cultural property, are getting higher each month.

Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi holds a PhD in cultural heritage. She has been head of the UNESCO Desk in Ukraine since October 2022. She has over 22 years of professional experience with the United Nations, mainly working in fragile states and emergency contexts.

Podcast co-host and Head of the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków, Dr Katarzyna Jagodzińska spoke to Chiara during a meeting of the European Commission-led expert sub-group on the safeguarding of cultural heritage in Ukraine. The meeting was held in January 2024 in Brussels to develop a set of recommendations for the Government of Ukraine and for the Commission itself in the field of protection and reconstruction of tangible and intangible heritage following hostilities.

Vyshyvankas have always had a symbolic meaning, referring to prosperity, luck and protection. Now, at a time of war with Russia, vyshyvankas have gained an even deeper symbolism – they signify the continuation of Ukrainian culture in the face of destruction of cultural heritage.

Ukrainians believe that vyshyvankas have a magical power, and take vyshyvankas with them as a token of protection. Similarly, soldiers have gone to war with the embroidered shirts. The war introduced new military textiles and patterns – alongside geometrical and floral ornaments, patterns of tanks, drones and bombs have also started to appear.

Our guide through the meaning and value of vyshyvanka, Ukraine’s treasured intangible heritage, is Dr Lesia Voroniuk, head of the NGO World Vyshyvanka Day and co-creator of the Museum of Ukrainian Embroidered Shirts in Chernivtsi. The World Vyshyvanka Day received the European Heritage Award | Europa Nostra Award 2022, which in turn expanded its impact throughout Europe.

Produced and hosted by John Beauchamp

What can civil society do for heritage? Basically there is no limit. In this episode we speak to Natalia Gnoińska, president of Fundacja 8Marca, who has initiated a concept of the Innovation Manor in Rokietnica, south-east Poland.

The Innovation Manor addresses the problem of undeveloped architectural heritage sites located in rural areas, seeking new functions for them and creating a development plan based on economically, socially and ecologically sustainable solutions. It is based on New European Bauhaus ideas  and refers to the EU Green Deal and climate neutrality by 2050.

Natalia elaborates on this idea referring to the founding project of the organisation – the Innovation Manor in Rokietnica.

Rokietnica is a village with a population slightly exceeding 4,000 inhabitants, located in souerh-east Poland, picturesquely situated among the rolling hills of Podkarpacie, not far from Rzeszów and Lviv in Ukraine.

Hosted by John Beauchamp and Dr Katarzyna Jagodzińska, head of the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków.

We take a look at industrial heritage and why we should love old factory buildings instead of tear them down. What is being done to promote industrial heritage, and what has to be done to preserve industrial heritage while keeping in line with the EU’s green deal? What can the Central and Eastern European region learn from Western European industrial preservation activities? These are just some of the key issues surrounding industrial heritage today.

In this episode we invite you to join us for our conversation on the promotion of industrial heritage and how best practices are being shared across the continent. We speak to Hildebrand de Boer, Managing Director Stichting Industriecultuur Nederland (Dutch Foundation for Industrial Culture), as well as Miles Oglethorpe, President of the International Committee on the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage (TICCIH).

Hosted by Dr Katarzyna Jagodzińska, Head of the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Krakow, and John Beauchamp. Interview recorded on the occasion of the Industrial Heritage in the Heart of Green Europe conference in Katowice, November 2023.

60 years ago, on 29 November 1963, Europa Nostra was founded at the Council of Europe premises in Paris. Starting out with 11 founding members, it has become the largest civil society network dedicated to cultural heritage in Europe. Today, it gives voice to over 300 organisations from across Europe and beyond.

Europa Nostra is constantly exploring new fields and topics that need special attention in the area of heritage and its interconnectedness with social matters, climate, technology or economy. In this podcast we explore current plans and ambitions of the organisation within a large network of European partnerships and external collaborations, keeping in mind new potentials or challenges of tomorrow which might open up new paths of exploration.

In this episode you will hear about the future of Europa Nostra. This podcast series was recorded during the European Cultural Heritage Summit held in Venice in September 2023, and produced in collaboration with the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków and Free Range Productions.

This episode features the following voices: Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Jimmy Jamar, Natalia Moussienko, Andrew Potts, and Senada Demirović Habibija.

60 years ago, on 29 November 1963, Europa Nostra was founded at the Council of Europe premises in Paris. Starting out with 11 founding members, it has become the largest civil society network dedicated to cultural heritage in Europe. Today, it gives voice to over 300 organisations from across Europe and beyond. 

This remarkable milestone would not have been achieved without the unwavering support of countless committed individuals and valuable partners. In this podcast, we reflect on Europa Nostra's history and the individuals who have shaped it over time. We take a moment to explore current activities and the influential figures involved. Moreover, we peer into the future, outlining priorities for both Europa Nostra and the broader heritage sector in the coming years.

In this episode you will hear about the present of Europa Nostra. This podcast series was recorded during the European Cultural Heritage Summit held in Venice in September 2023, and produced in collaboration with the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków and Free Range Productions.

This episode features the following voices: Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Hermann Parzinger, Elena Bianchi, Ana Szekely, Antigoni Michael and Katarzyna Jagodzińska.

Autumn 2023 marked the opening of a blockbuster exhibition “Image of the Golden Age: Culture in the Times of the Last Jagiellons” at the Wawel Royal Castle in Kraków, presenting 16th century culture on the vast territory of Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth.

The exhibition displays several hundred works gathered from all over the world, including the Bodleian Library in Oxford, the British Library in London, The Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Louvre in Paris, the National Museum in Prague and the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest.

In this episode of Holistic Heritage, we meet Professor Andrzej Betlej, Director of the Wawel Royal Castle. He discusses the behind-the-scenes preparations of this monumental endeavour and sheds light on new knowledge of our understanding of the period. We also hear from chief curator Krzysztof Czyżewski who introduces us to most stunning objects...

Hosted by Dr Katarzyna Jagodzińska, Head of the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Krakow, and John Beauchamp.

60 years ago, on 29 November 1963, Europa Nostra was founded at the Council of Europe premises in Paris. Starting out with 11 founding members, it has become the largest civil society network dedicated to cultural heritage in Europe. Today, it gives voice to over 300 organisations from across Europe and beyond. 

This remarkable milestone would not have been achieved without the unwavering support of countless committed individuals and valuable partners. In this podcast, we reflect on Europa Nostra's history and the individuals who have shaped it over time. We take a moment to explore current activities and the influential figures involved. Moreover, we peer into the future, outlining priorities for both Europa Nostra and the broader heritage sector in the coming years.

In this episode you will hear about the past of Europa Nostra. This podcast series was recorded during the European Cultural Heritage Summit held in Venice in September 2023, and produced in collaboration with the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków and Free Range Productions.

This episode features the following voices: Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Guy Clausse, Androulla Vassiliou, Luisella Pavan-Woolfe, Jacek Purchla and Lydia Carras.

The escalation of Russian aggression in Ukraine since February 2022 has brought damage and destruction in all spheres of life, including cultural heritage. Historic buildings, museum collections, libraries, and intangible heritage are all at threat.

The international community has attempted to help protect and digitise cultural treasures of Ukraine and save them for posterity. In the same vein, these monthly podcasts from the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków aim to popularise Ukrainian heritage.

For this inaugural episode, we introduce you to the current situation of heritage in Ukraine: the damage done, the needs of local organisations and recovery programmes. We also draw your attention to a handful of wonderful projects in the area of heritage which are ongoing in Ukraine.

Our guest is Dr Natalia Moussienko – Vice-President of Europa Nostra and a coordinator of the International Heritage Solidarity Fellowship for Ukrainian defenders of cultural heritage. She is a Leading Research Fellow at the Modern Art Research Institute of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine in Kyiv, and also an expert in cultural heritage of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.

The International Cultural Centre in Kraków specialises in the culture and heritage of Central Europe and grounds its activities of public diplomacy, research, education and communication on dialogue with partners from all countries of the region.

The ICC was founded in 1991 by Professor Jacek Purchla who ran the institution for 27 years and built its unrivaled international recognition. We meet him and the current director Agata Wąsowska-Pawlik to talk about the knowledge of the region of Central Europe, changing approach towards Central European heritage, raising awareness of the value of cultural heritage and the meaning of being member of Europa Nostra.

Hosted by Katarzyna Jagodzińska and John Beauchamp.

In 2023, the spectacular conservation of the Veit Stoss altar in St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow received the most important European award in the field of cultural and natural heritage - the European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award.

The altar was carved between 1477 and 1489 by Veit Stoss, an artist hailing from Nuremberg, and is widely considered a Gothic masterpiece. Its meticulous conservation, based on in-depth research, was carried out in situ for over 1,000 days and involved a team of the best specialists from Poland and abroad.

Learn more about the altar and the award 

Podcast produced by Free Range Productions 

W 2023 roku spektakularna konserwacja ołtarza Wita Stwosza w bazylice Mariackiej w Krakowie otrzymała najważniejszą europejską nagrodę w dziedzinie dziedzictwa kulturowego i naturalnego – Nagrodę Europejskiego Dziedzictwa / Nagrodę Europa Nostra.

Wyrzeźbiony w latach 1477–1489 przez przybyłego z Norymbergii artystę ołtarz jest powszechnie uznawany za arcydzieło gotyku. Jego drobiazgowa konserwacja, oparta na pogłębionych badaniach, była prowadzona in situ przez ponad 1000 dni i angażowała zespół najlepszych specjalistów z Polski i zagranicy.

Dowiedz się więcej na temat ołtarza i nagrody 

Podcast został wyprodukowany przez Free Range Productions 

The Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków  is a newly established outpost of international organisation Europa Nostra, the voice of civil society in the area of heritage, a pan-European federation of organisations involved in the protection, management, and promotion of cultural and natural heritage in forty European countries.

In this episode, we discuss ideas behind the Hub, aims and prospects, as well as current projects which are being realised with European partners.

Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Krakow is run by one of the oldest non-governmental organisations in Poland, the Society of Friends of Kraków History and Heritage.