Crowds of visitors flock to 1920s housing estates – Berlin World Heritage day with a positive echo.

Berlin, June 1st 2008: Today, under summer skies and with summery temperatures, a UNESCO World Heritage day event under the motto “Schoolchildren see their UNESCO World Heritage” takes place for the first time. The focus of the many event programs is the six housing estates, built in the 1920s, that are nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage list. Following the opening of the exhibition and the unveiling of a plaque on site to mark the renovation of the Hufeisensiedlung in accordance with the monument standards, more than 500 interested Berlin residents took advantage of the opportunity, in coach tours and with professional guides, to explore the Hufeisensiedlung Britz, the Siedlung Schillerpark, the Wohnstadt Carl Legien, the Gartenstadt Falkenberg, and the Weiße Stadt as well as the Ringsiedlung.

The Berlin UNESCO World Heritage Day began with the opening of the "Living in World Heritage? Berlin Modernist Housing Estates" exhibition by Berlin’s Senator in charge of building works, Regula Lüscher, in the main hall of the Albert Einstein High School, Parchimer Allee 109, in the Neukölln district. Up until 16.07.2008, during school hours, visitors can absorb some stimulating information regarding the history, the concept and the construction of the estates. "If we are permitted to present the six housing estates involved in the Berlin application as discussion material for pupils, teachers and visitors, then this day should also reflect something of the World Heritage concept and UNESCO’s cross-border cultural and educational activities," said Regula Lüscher, Berlin’s Senator in charge of building works within the senatorial administrative office for urban development. "It is our collective aim to rouse enthusiasm among the public for the subject of World Heritage. The Berlin Modernist housing estates are a valuable witnesses to our recent history. The fact that the response to this year’s UNESCO World Culture Day has been so positive encourages us with regard to the coming UNESCO consultations on the German application," added Prof. Dr. Jörg Haspel, Head of Conversation for the Berlin region.

A special event during the day was the unveiling of an on-site plaque to mark the occasion of the forthcoming renovation in the Hufeisensiedlung Britz by the owners, the Deutsche Wohnen Group, together with the Senatorial administrative office for urban development. The Deutsche Wohnen Group is a strategic partner for the Berlin regional government during the Berlin World Heritage Day 2008 and, as owner of three of the housing estates from the 1920s nominated for the World Heritage list, possesses a special affinity for properties subject to monument protection. "Together with the Senate administrative office for urban development, we will invest around €10 million in the next few years in the renovation of the Hufeisensiedlung. Besides house fronts, staircases and the surrounding grounds, it will in particular involve the re-creation of a park-type area within the Horseshoe, as the heart of the estate as a whole. This will primarily involve work to restore the gardens to their original form as well as renovating the large staircase in the foreground," explained Bernhard S. Elias, head of corporate communications for the Deutsche Wohnen Group.

UNESCO World Heritage Day

The first UNESCO World Heritage Day was celebrated in Germany on June 5th 2008. Since then World Heritage Day has been held every year on the first Sunday in June. The aim is to make World Heritage a liveable experience and to understand one’s own culture as part of humanities multi-facetted heritage. This year UNESCO World Heritage Day is being celebratedin Berlin for the first time on June 1st. This year’s motto is "Schoolchildren see their UNESCO World Heritage".

The Berlin’s World Heritage Day 2008 is under the patronage of the Committee for UNESCO’s work in Berlin e.V.

The initiators of the Berlin UNESCO World Heritage Day are:

Initiative Welterbe – Siedlungen der Berliner Moderne (consisting of the estate owners: Deutsche Wohnen Gruppe, Berliner Bau- und Wohnungsgenossenschaft von 1892 eG and Pirelli RE), Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung, Landesdenkmalamt Berlin, Verein Denk mal an Berlin e.V., Kuratorium Berlin, Jugendbauhütte der Deutschen Stiftung Denkmalschutz, UNESCO-Welterbestätten Deutschland e.V.

Contacts
Denk mal an Berlin e.V. – Verein zur Förderung der Denkmalpflege c/o Wall AG
Stefanie Peitzmeier, Geschäftsführung
Friedrichstr. 118, 10117 Berlin
Tel. 030-83 22 64 49
Funk: 0170-781 55 88
Fax: 030-83 22 64 50
mail@denk-mal-an-berlin.de

Initiative Welterbe – Siedlungen der Berliner Moderne
Annemarie Kophal
Tel. 030-81 46 46 00
http://www.initiative-welterbe.de/

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