Welcome to the July issue of our newsletter!
This month's featured article provides a glimpse into the Muslim heritage of Thessaloniki, Greece, a city once dotted with minarets and Muslim monuments, but where only seven mosques survived the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
Also in this issue, we report on our participation in the New Realities of Jewish Heritage Congress, the future plans for the historic Merthyr Tydfil Synagogue and the presentation of the Run for Heritage campaign on the radio. If you want to get involved in our members' activities, register for a SPAB workshop or share a chapel story with PARCUM. Don't forget to save the date for FRH's upcoming events!
On the European scene, we bring you fresh information about the winners of the European Heritage Awards 2022 and the creation of two new platforms for the promotion of culture and heritage.
Our notice board features two news of international importance: the donation of fire extinguishers to protect Ukraine's wooden churches and the recent controversy at the Naumburg Cathedral following the installation of a new altarpiece.
To finish, let us get you into the summer mood with a trip to "10 Places of Worship for nature lovers and hikers in Europe".
Enjoy the summer and see you in our next newsletter!
Jordi Mallarach
FRH Executive Officer
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"THE MUSLIM MONUMENTS OF THESSALONIKI"
Although Thessaloniki is known for its extensive Byzantine heritage, the city was part of the Ottoman Empire for almost five centuries. Many religious buildings and monuments from this period disappeared with the end of the Ottoman rule in Greece in 1821, in an attempt to erase any memory of this period. Thessaloniki preserves only 7 of the 28 mosques that once dominated its skyline. In this feature article, Manthos Velogiannis provides a glimpse into this lesser-known religious heritage and helps us to appreciate the often difficult-to-identify remnants of this chapter in Thessaloniki's history. READ MORE >>
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NEW REALITIES OF JEWISH HERITAGE CONGRESS
On 26 and 27 June FRH participated in the "New Realities of Jewish Heritage" congress organised by Jewish Heritage Europe (JHE) in Krakow, Poland. The international conference marked the 10th anniversary of JHE and touched on a number of issues from digitisation and using new technologies to the integration of Jewish heritage into education and art. Three representatives of FRH, Michael Mail, Lilian Grootswagers and Susanne Urban analysed the relationship between Jewish heritage and society. READ MORE >>
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HISTORIC MERTHYR TYDFIL SYNAGOGUE TO HOUSE THE WELSH JEWISH CENTER
We are excited to hear that the historic former synagogue in Merthyr Tydfil (UK), will undergo a restoration process to become the new Welsh Jewish Heritage Centre. The project, led by FRH Member Foundation for Jewish Heritage, will be possible thanks to the financial support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund (£400,000) and the Welsh government’s Transforming Towns Programme (£107,800). The Merthyr Tydfil Synagogue is the oldest purpose-built synagogue still standing in Wales. In 2018, the Foundation for Jewish Heritage conducted a Feasibility Study and in 2019 proceeded with the purchase of the building. It will now be home to the Welsh Jewish community's history, traditions and culture. READ MORE >>
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ATTEND A FREE WORKSHOP ON BUILDING MAINTENANCE (UK)
FRH member SPAB organises two free workshops on building maintenance to help Welsh places of worship spot possible maintenance issues and find appropriate ways to solve them. The workshops will take place on 2 August at St Tysilio’s Church in Llanymynech and on 3 August at St Mary’s Church in Caerhun. Book your spot now! READ MORE >>
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STUDENTS FROM POTES, SPAIN, TALK ABOUT THE "RUN FOR HERITAGE INITIATIVE" ON THE RADIO
A series of four "Run for Heritage" events have taken place so far this year. And we are proud to see that participants are helping us spread the word across Europe! Two weeks ago, two 9-year-old students from Potes visited the radio studio to share their experience as participants in the Run for Heritage. READ MORE >>
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DO YOU KNOW A STORY ABOUT A CHAPEL IN FLANDERS (BELGIUM)? SHARE IT WITH PARCUM!
The Belgian region of Flanders has around 15.000 chapels. FRH member PARCUM is looking for stories of happiness, sadness, concern, nostalgia, etc. related to local chapels. The stories will be published next year in a book about Flemish chapels and their connection to the local community. This action is part of the project "Kapelletjes in Vlaanderen" (Chapels in Flanders). Submit your story now! READ MORE >>
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THIS SECTION IS FOR MEMBERS ONLY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER, MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE. READ MORE>>
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FRH EVENTS
>29 - 30 September 2022 - FRH Members face-to-face meeting in Gotland, Sweden.
>13 October 2022 - #EURegionsWeek event: "Overlooked potential for energy efficiency: Greening Europe’s spiritual cultural heritage"
>14 - 15 October 2022 - 2-day FRH Masterclass
>4 November 2022 - FRH Members face-to-face meeting, online from Portugal. (We will notify members when registrations are open)
>20 - 22 April 2023 - FRH Biennial Conference in Lund, Sweden. More information >>.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS?
MORE EVENTS>>
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EUROPEAN HERITAGE AWARDS 2022: WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The European Commission and Europa Nostra announced the 30 winners of the 2022 edition of the European Heritage Awards, funded by the EU Creative Europe programme. This year marks the 20th anniversary of this prestigious award for sites, research, campaigns and initiatives stressing the value of heritage for society across Europe. As the voice of religious heritage in Europe, FRH is delighted to see many places of worship among the 30 awarded winners. We invite you to meet them in this article. READ MORE >>
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EIT CULTURE AND CREATIVITYThe European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has created a new "Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC)" dedicated to Culture and Creativity. This new EIT community will aim at strengthening the ability to innovate in these industries by offering training, networking opportunities and various other initiatives that will be financed through the Horizon Europe programme of the European Union. READ MORE >>
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EUROPEAN COLLABORATIVE CLOUD FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE
The European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage is a new initative of the European Union to provide cultural heritage practitioners with cutting-edge tools for digitising artefacts, studying artworks, and documenting data, improving the preservation, conservation and restoration procedures. READ MORE >> |
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440 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS TO PROTECT UKRAINIAN WOODEN CHURCHES
The Foundation to Preserve Ukraine’s Sacral Arts and ICOMOS, in partnership with World Monuments Fund, delivered 440 water-mist fire extinguishers for the protection of historic wooden churches in Ukraine. With 2,500 wooden churches, Ukraine is home to the largest number of these fascinating religious structures in the world. The equipment will allow the protection of up to 200 churches threatened by war. READ MORE >>
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NAUMBURG CATHEDRAL AT RISK OF LOSING ITS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE TITLE
In the Middle Ages, radical Protestants destroyed the central part of an altarpiece by Lucas Cranach in Naumburg Cathedral, Germany. The altarpiece has been recently renovated with a new central painting by Michael Triegel, a German painter specialised in religious works, and returned to its original location, in the west choir of the cathedral. But what was intended to be a successful reinstallation of a masterpiece has ended up causing such a stir that the cathedral could even lose its UNESCO World Heritage Site status. This site is renowned for the 12 life-size wooden statues that depict the donors of the Cathedral. ICOMOS and UNESCO disapprove of the altarpiece's location as an impediment to appreciating its unique features. READ MORE >>
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