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Welcome to the March issue of the newsletter!
In honour of our 10th year anniversary, we'll be introducing a new section of our newsletter titled "Flashback" in which we will present some of FRH's achievements and important events over the last decade. Our first flashback item is the conference "Working Together for Historic Places of Worship in Europe" which took place in Canterbury, UK in 2010 and can be considered the event that laid the foundation of FRH.
This month's country of the month is Ireland, a country with a variety of religious sites and an ancient history of monasticism. Take a look at our featured Religiana list the Abandoned Abbeys of Ireland.
Our featured article was written by FRH council member Justin Kroesen about a unique wooden church in Norway and how the Norwegian Churches Trust is taking care of it.
Our next meet the council member is Michael Mail from the UK. He is the Chief Executive of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage. Our interview with Michael features his background, the work he and his organisation do, and his mission for protecting Europe's religious heritage.
#JUMPFORHERITAGE our campaign aimed at getting people out and exploring their religious heritage has gained so much success that we have decided to extend the campaign until May 15. Get up, get out, and explore your religious heritage!
FRH member, the Centro Estudios Lebaniegos has been chosen as one of the 12 hosts of the Cultural Heritage in Action Programme. They will be welcoming visitors from all over Europe who are interested in learning about cultural heritage management.
Finally, our president, Pilar Bahamonde conducted an interview with Daniel Vanden Broecke, head of Het Orgel in Vlaanderen, which recently celebrated its 30th year anniversary. In this interesting interview, they discuss how he got involved in religious heritage, some of the work the organisation does, and Daniel's insights on how to preserve religious heritage.
As always, we are happy to feature members in our newsletter, so feel free to submit articles, event notifications, or anything else you would like to share with the network.
Jordi Mallarach Parés
FRH Executive Officer
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Holdhus Church, Bergen, Norway. Source: Justin Kroesen
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HOLDHUS CHURCH: A WOODEN GEM UNDER THE CARE OF NORWAY'S NATIONAL TRUST
This month's featured article was written by our council member, Justin Kroesen. The Holdhus church is an 18th-century church that is unique in its architectural style of wooden churches known as "stave churches"; a style that is particular to Norway's unique religious heritage. The church currently lies in the care of Norway's national trust, who have been working hard to maintain it due to its low religious attendance. This article takes an in-depth look at what makes this particular church so unique and how Norway's national trust is maintaining this gem. READ MORE >>>
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THE FOUNDATION OF FRH: CANTERBURY 2010
As part of the celebration of our 10th year anniversary, we're introducing a new section to our newsletter called "Flashback" in which we will be taking a look back at some of FRH's biggest achievements over the last 10 years. We're beginning our first flashback to the moment that laid the foundation for the birth of FRH, the conference "Working Together for Historic Places of Worship in Europe" which took place in Canterbury, UK in 2010. This conference was attended by delegates from over 24 countries, after which it was agreed to create a European network dedicated to the safeguarding of Europe's religious heritage. FRH was officially established as a European network in Brussels the following year in 2011. READ MORE >>>
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FEATURED MEMBER: MICHAEL MAIL
This month's featured council member is Michael Mail, Chief Executive of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage. Michael studied law at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and later at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Brandeis University in Boston. As the Chief Executive of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage, Michael works very much on the preservation of Jewish Heritage in collaboration with the Council of Europe and other organisations. Michael has been a member of FRH since 2014 and a council member since 2019, he is also the chair of FRH's Governance Committee. Find out more about Michael, his interests, and his contributions to safeguarding religious heritage. READ MORE >>>
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#JUMPFORHERITAGE EXTENDED TO 15 MAY
Due to a large amount of participation and success, we've decided to extend the deadline of #JUMPFORHERITAGE from March 15 until May 15! This means that participants now have until May 15 to submit their jump photos in front of their religious heritage site for a chance to win a trip to Barcelona. We are very pleased to see such a high number of participants and that this campaign has reached such a wide audience. #JUMPFORHERITAGE aims at uniting sports and heritage to spread joy after a difficult year by getting people outside and exploring their religious heritage. More information can be found on our website. READ MORE>>>
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AN INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL VANDEN BROECKE FROM HET ORGEL IN VLAANDEREN
Het Orgel in Vlaanderen (The Organ in Flanders) is a Belgian based organisation focused on preserving organ heritage that has recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Our FRH president, Pilar Bahamonde conducted an interview with the head of the organisation, Daniel Vanden Broecke, a member of FRH since 2016. This interview covers the great work that this organisation does, how Daniel got involved with the organisation and his thoughts on how we can work to ensure that knowledge of this instrument is not lost. READ MORE>>>
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FRH MEMBER CENTRO ESTUDIOS LEBANIEGOS ANNOUNCED AS ONE OF THE 12 HOSTS OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN ACTION PROGRAMME
The organisation of our president, Pilar Bahamonde, the Centro Estudios Lebaniegos has been chosen as one of the 12 hosts of the Cultural Heritage in Action Programme. The Cultural Heritage in Action programme is a Creative Europe programme of the EU that will allow over 100 local and regional policymakers to exchange knowledge on cultural heritage, with a focus on participatory governance of cultural heritage, adaptive reuse of heritage buildings and quality principles for interventions on cultural heritage. Once COVID restrictions allow, Centro Estudios Lebaniegos will be welcoming Europeans from all over the continent who are interested in learning about cultural heritage management. READ MORE >>>
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Photo Source: European Commission
NEW EUROPEAN BAUHAUS MARKS A MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE
In January, the European Commission announced the beginning of the first phase of the New European Bauhaus initiative (NEB). The move marks an opportunity for cultural heritage organisations to impact Europe’s sustainability policies and the future in general. Lilian Grootswagers, president of the advisory board at FRH, has welcomed the initiative with open arms. stating “It is clear that the NEB wants to include the cultural sector in scaping Europe’s future"..."Now, it is our job as cultural professionals to take our chance and make sure we get involved in this movement.” READ MORE>>>
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THIS SECTION IS FOR MEMBERS ONLY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER, YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE. READ MORE>>> |
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MEPS CALL FOR A DURABLE POLICY TO MITIGATE THE PANDEMIC'S EFFECT ON CULTURAL HERITAGE
In January 2021, the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted in favour of adopting a resolution on achieving an effective policy legacy for the European Year of Cultural Heritage. The resolution will aid the cultural heritage sector through the pandemic. To address the current crisis, MEPs urged in the resolution for the Commission and the Member States to offer “adequate and targeted” financial support to the cultural and creative sectors. The sector also received praise for its quick adaption to digital and for making cultural heritage freely available online during the lockdown. READ MORE >>>
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EUROPEAN HERITAGE LABEL SUCCESS STORIES: JAVORICA MEMORIAL CHURCH AND ITS CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
Javorca Memorial Church is a unique piece of Art Nouveau architecture in northwestern Slovenia that was built in the mountains by soldiers of the WWI Isonzo Front to remember the fallen soldiers on both sides of the fighting. Today the church and its cultural landscape continue to symbolise this call for reconciliation and the unifying power of collaborative artistic creation and construction. Find out more about the selection of the site from the European Heritage label's report. READ MORE >>>
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FEATURED RELIGIANA LIST: IRISH ABANDONED ABBEYS
This month's country of the month is Ireland. During the middle ages, Ireland was an important centre of monastic learning. Unfortunately, due to centuries of reform and warfare, many of these religious heritage sites lie in a state of ruin. However, these beautiful sites remain an important marker on the country's cultural landscape. We've put together a Religiana list of some of the most exquisite abandoned abbeys of Ireland. You can find this list and many more on www.religiana.com. READ MORE >>>
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FRH MEMBER OF THE MONTH: HET ORGEL IN VLAANDEREN
Het Orgel in Vlaanderen (The Organ in Flanders) is a Belgian based organisation dedicated to the preservation of organ heritage. Recently celebrating its 30th anniversary, this organisation works hard to ensure that knowledge of how to play and maintain historic organs is not lost. Much of their work includes trying to get young people interested in playing the organ. They are also very proactive in working with other organisations internationally and cooperating on several projects to ensure the protection of religious heritage. READ MORE >>>
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CENTURIES OLD OAK TREES SOUGHT TO REBUILD NOTRE DAME
After the fire that devastated the Notre Dame cathedral in 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron indicated that its spire would be rebuilt exactly as it was. This is expected to require up to 1,000 oak trees aged between 150 and 200 years old. The trees must be straight, 50-90cm in diameter, be between 8 and 14 metres tall, and they must be chopped down by the end of March. This is an instance that reveals how difficult, if not impossible it can be to restore religious heritage sites, further emphasising the need to ensure their preservation. READ MORE >>>
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The Former church of Santa Eulàlia, Gironella, Spain Photo: Adria Goula
PHOTOGRAPHY OF RELIGIOUS HERITAGE REUSE BY ADRIA GOULA
The former church of Santa Eulàlia in Gironella dates back to the mid-fourteenth century and throughout its six centuries of history it has undergone innumerable changes of use. In 2016, due to the poor condition of the building and the lack of services and facilities, it was necessary to reformulate the space to carry out cultural activities related to the performing arts, especially dance, music and theatre. This project was documented by photographer Adria Goula and captures the beauty of this religious heritage site that has been preserved through reuse. READ MORE >>>
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