The Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region
– heritage of global importance
The extraordinary abundance of raw materials of the Ore Mountains formed the basis for a mining development of the entire region. A cultural landscape shaped by mining developed over 850 years. The mining of silver, tin, cobalt and uranium set the conditions for outstanding scientific knowledge and pioneering innovations in mining and smelting. To this day, important monuments from different mining periods have been preserved such as shafts and surface installations, heaps and surface depressions. In the mining towns administrative, sacred and profane buildings testify to this development. Moreover, mining in the Ore Mountains did not only left a rich tangible but also an extensive intangible heritage that is evident in the still living traditions of the region.
Challenge for the protection and conservation of World Heritage sites
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges for the protection and conservation of World Heritage sites and will also play an increasingly important role in the Mining Region in the future. Within the framework of the project "Young Climate Action for World Heritage", three main topics are therefore brought into focus with young people, which are significant for the conservation of the World Heritage Site in the context of climate change:
- Forest – How can careful, sustainable management of the forest contribute to the conservation of archaeological monuments in particular?
- Water – What is the significance of mining water management today and how can it contribute to adaptation to climate change?
- Mining town – What does climate change mean for inner-city monuments and how can the built heritage contribute to climate protection?
The project aims to take a first creative step towards raising awareness on the issue of climate change and World Heritage as part of Education for Sustainable Development. The aim is to promote an understanding of the impacts of climate change on the cultural landscape and the protection efforts necessary in order to preserve the World Heritage Site Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region.
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