City of Bamberg - Documentation Centre World Heritage

The Documentation Centre World Heritage

1. Bamberg The old town of Bamberg is a remarkable example of a central European town with a basically early medieval plan. Moments of architectural history relevant to the whole of Europe have been encapsulated in the historic town with its innumerable monumental buildings which date from the 11th to 18th century creating a synthesis of medieval churches and baroque palace-like burgher houses. Bambergs architecture had a strong influence on an area stretching from central Germany to as far as Hungary, while its baroque element is intimately linked with developments in Bohemia. "Franconian Rome" on the Regnitz forms an architectural ensemble of extreme rarity in which particularly spectacular attractions are the cathedral, the Alte Hofhaltung (former imperial palace), Bttinger Palace, the old town hall (which is surrounded on all sides by the river) and the old fishermens houses of "Little Venice". The area inscribed in the World Heritage List covers three centres of settlement which coalesced when the town was founded. These are: the Bergstadt (episcopal town) with the cathedral and its close, the former Prince-Bishops Residence and the burgher area with the parish Church of Our Lady and the former winegrowers settlement the Inselstadt (island town), defined by the two arms of the Regnitz River, which was founded in the 12th century and includes a market and pre-urban settlement and the Theuerstadt, an area dating from the Late Middle Ages, encompassing market gardens with scattered houses and large, open spaces which has kept its character up to the present day. This early medieval town plan is still apparent today since little has changed in the use of land over the centuries: the cathedral hill and large parts of the Berggebiet (area on the hills) are still dedicated to ecclesiastical matters; the island town is dominated by trade and the gardeners quarter by the cultivation of vegetables. The fact that so much of Bamberg has kept its original use means that the surviving buildings are essentially many centuries old and have survived more or less intact. It is indeed the interplay between original buildings, constancy of land-use and the continuing existence of the early mediaeval town plan, as well as the harmonious combination of town and landscape which make Bamberg stand out as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is everyones responsibility to cherish and care for such a tremendous cultural heritage.

Bamberg. The Bergstadt (left), the Inselstadt (centre), the Theuerstadt (right)

The Documentation Centre World Heritage

2. The Documentation Centre World Heritage in the City of Bamberg Bambergs municipial government has decided to create an institution for the coordination and information on issues concerning the World Heritage Site of Bamberg: the Dokumentationszentrum Welterbe (Documentation Centre World Heritage). The new centre focuses on the tasks of documentation, research and acquiring public awareness.

2.1 Objectives of the Documentation Centre World Heritage The objectives of the Documentation Centre World Heritage are: [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] setup of a central institution for issues concerning the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bamberg presentation of the abilities within the city administration related to the UNESCO World Heritage status linking existing abilities within the City of Bamberg and with external partners concerning the UNESO World Heritage, conservation and restoration cluster setting up a network within the city administration, within Bamberg and with external partners concerning the UNESCO World Heritage issues, including the concept of Urban Governance to develop sustainable strategies to deal with the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bamberg to raise awareness among people for the UNESCO World Heritage idea

steering committe

Documentation Centre World Heritage Bamberg

partners within the administration external partners

international partners

Fig. 1: The Documentation Centre World Heritage and its partners

The Documentation Centre World Heritage

2.2 Strategies Objective [A] Setup of a central institution for issues concerning the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bamberg To attain this objective a constant communication between the Documentation Centre World Heritage and other internal and external institutions is necessary. Additionally, the new centre will be intergrated in all relevant flows of information within the municipial administration. Therefore, the centre takes part in meetings concerning the UNESCO World Heritage site and it will be involved in major document distributions. A basic meeting within the Bamberg preservation cluster, the Fachgesprch Denkmalpflege (technical discussion on preservation), will be broadened to a discussion around UNESCO World Heritage, involving relevant administrational and scientific authorities. Further on a comprehensive website providing an indepth information on the UNESCO World Heritage site Bamberg and the UNESCO World Heritage idea is a service offered by the centre.

Fig.2 : The website of the centre (www.world-heritage.bamberg.de)

Objective [B] Presentation of the abilities within the city administration related to the UNESCO World Heritage status There is a wide range of activities related to the UNESCO World Heritage site Bamberg. The new Documentation Centre World Heritage in the city of Bamberg will present excellent ideas and best practice in planning, management and conservation associated with the World Heritage site. The edition of an annual volume containing a number of scientific articles is a major project to spread good ideas from Bamberg as well as other sites. Furthermore, the participation in relevant conferences of the World Heritage network, for instant the OWHC, is a task of the centre representing the city of Bamberg. Land der Ideen (Land of Ideas) is an initiative sponsored by the German government and commerce and industry, represented by the German Fig.3 : Logo Germany Land of Ideas Industry Association (BDI) and leading corporations in the context of the FIFA World Cup 2006. The Documentation Centre World Heritage is a landmark in the Land of Ideas its idea won over a panel of judges as a reflection of Germanys wealth of innovation. Being a landmark in the Land of Ideas is improving the public relations on the outstanding values of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bamberg and the competent structure around it.

The Documentation Centre World Heritage

Objective [C] Linking existing abilities within the City of Bamberg and with external partners concerning the UNESO World Heritage, conservation and restoration cluster To improve new techniques and management procedures, the Documentation Centre World Heritage strives for an implementation of a co-ordinated collaboration in a new UNESO World Heritage, conservation and restoration cluster. For this purpose competent partners related to cultural heritage matters should be brought together. This includes an implementation of the Urban Governance concept and the motivation of Public Private Partnerships.

Fig.4 : Website of a preservation professorship (University of Bamberg, www.uni-bamberg.de)

Objective [D] Setting up a network within the city administration, within Bamberg and with external partners concerning the UNESCO World Heritage issues, including the concept of Urban Governance Besides constant collaboration with municipial institutions and departments, the centre develops advanced forms of communication with international institutions and promotes scientific transfer. PICTURE, for instant, is an european project concerning cultural tourism that is attended by the centre. Moreover, for the Documentation Centre the cooperation with local institutions like the University of Bamberg and with national and international organisations is a key factor for the challenge of safeguarding the World Heritage site Bamberg. For the city of Bamberg the OWHC is an international key organisation for conveying a better knowledge transfer on UNESCO World Heritage topics and techniques of heritage management.

The Documentation Centre World Heritage

Objective [E] To develop sustainable strategies to deal with the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bamberg The University of Bamberg offers a wide range of studies concerning objectives of the UNESCO World Heritage convention. So, the Documentation Centre initiates collaboration with different chairs, advises on master theses and starts joint research projects. Within the city administration the centre advises other departments and attends inner-municipial mettings on issues concerning conservation and planning. The key challenge facing Bamberg is how to protect the outstanding historic values of the UNESCO Word Heritage site, whilst allowing new development and usages that fit with the needs of monument protection and the conservation of the cultural heritage site. There is a wide range of functions in this town: living, working, tourism, traffic and more. Bamberg is a living city, so the peoples use and the protection of single monuments considering the general idea and the maintaining of the urban tissue must match with each other. The urban tissue consits of coherent neighborhood morphology (open spaces, streets, building) and functions (human activity). Another aspect worth mentioning are the different aspects of cultural heritage. Beside the tangible heritage (buildings, layout of the town) there are various forms of intangible heritage such as customs and traditions existing and still living in some districts.

Fig.5 : A publication of the Documentation Centre World Heritage (Bamberg)

Objective [F] To raise awareness among people for the UNESCO World Heritage idea To raise awareness for the UNESCO World Heritage idea the centre concept is drafting simple plans to discover the World Heritage site Bamberg. A first step is an exhibition in cooperation with the Bamberg adult education centre that shows the 31 German UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Children and students are the most important group to learn about cultural heritage matters. In Bamberg there is one partner school taking part in the Youth in the Trail of World Heritage project of the OWHC. The centre supports this project and supports other ideas. GEOGAMES, for instant, is a new idea from the University of Bamberg. It combines mobile phones and GPS systems with multimedial and interactive applications and with the real world. So the mobile phone becomes a guide to the city and the World Heritage Site which the children inhabit. Another target group in this plan are tourists coming to Bamberg. Particular public actions to call attention to the matters of UNESCO World Heritage like the programm accompanying Land of Ideas or general activities stressing the special values of Bamberg represent a principal task of the Documentation Centre World Heritage.

Fig.6 : Pedestrian Guidance System of Bamberg Fig.6 : Pedestrian Guidance System of Bamberg

The Documentation Centre World Heritage

3. Perspective The stated objectives will help to develop a pro-active Management of issues related to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Town of Bamberg. Active, innovative and in cooperation with a multitude of local and international partners the safeguarding will be secured and more chances of the UNESCO World Heritage Status will be used. The creative capabilities of different stakeholders who are involved in the "urban tissue" of Bamberg will be brought together using the Concept of "Urban Governance" to support and care for this unique and rich UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Contact Matthias Ripp City of Bamberg Department of Planning and Building Affairs Documentation Centre World Heritage Untere Sandstr. 34-40 96049 Bamberg Germany

Fon: ++49-(0)951-871617 Fax: ++49-(0)951-871954 www.world-heritage.bamberg.de mripp@stadt.bamberg.de