Togetherness - A new heritage deal for Europe by Hermann Parzinger

A NEW HERITAGE 
DEAL FOR EUROPE

A NEW HERITAGE DEAL FOR EUROPE 
We need a New Heritage Deal for Europe. I believe that our cities and 
countryside, as well as the many thousands of monuments and sites 
which reflect our rich and diverse cultures, our history and universal 
values, laws and ideas, and arts and sciences, are the ideal building blocks 
to achieve such an ambitious goal. I firmly believe that a New Heritage 
Deal for Europe is not only necessary but also possible through a heritage-

led transformation of Europe’s society, economy and environment, with 
the process powered by civil society and 
supported by local, regional, national 
and European organisations and 
institutions. The great success of the first 
ever European Year of Cultural Heritage 
(EYCH) in 2018 gave us confirmation 
of the wide-ranging potential of this 
idea. The EYCH encouraged people 
to discover and engage with Europe’s 
cultural heritage, and reinforced a sense of belonging to a common 
European space. It resulted in 23 000 events in 37 countries. The Year also 
led to the first ever European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage, 
a broad and holistic vision adopted by the European Commission for 
safeguarding, managing and enhancing Europe’s cultural heritage.
It is evident to me that the key to success for the proposed New Heritage 
Deal for Europe lies with civil society. If communities are well organised, 
creativity and accountability are increased in almost every aspect of life, 
including how we take care of our cultural heritage. Statistics, numbers 
or facts are not enough. We need to capture the hearts and minds 
of Europeans citizens. How could the proposed New Heritage Deal 
accomplish that? By preserving and restoring the tens of thousands of 

Togetherness - A new heritage deal for Europe by Hermann Parzinger