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ImprintPublisher: Federal Foreign Office, Task Force on Cultural PreservationWerderscher Markt 1, 10117 BerlinTel: +49 30 18170, Internet: www.diplo.de
Photo on title page: Laos: Teamwork in Wat Si Saket © Andrea Teufel/GEKE e.V.Corporate Design: Atelier Hauer + Dörfler, Berlin, www.hauer-doerfler.deDesign: www.kiono.de
Syria: Large mosque in Aleppo, 2010© German Archaeological Institute (DAI)
Mali: Conservation of the manuscripts from Timbuktu© CSMC/University of Hamburg
Cultural Preservation Programmeof the Federal Foreign Office
Possible measures
. Restoring and conserving historic buildings or objects
. Supporting the restoration and conservation of World Heritage
sites
. Collecting and documenting oral traditions in music and
literature
. Conserving and digitising historic manuscripts and film/audio
archives, as well as data on cultural property
. Basic and further training for restorers, archivists, museum
experts and researchers
. Providing equipment and exhibits
Funding goes to projects
. to conserve cultural heritage abroad
. to preserve German cultural heritage abroad*
* excluding the locations of historical German settlements in Eastern Europe (which fall under the remit of the Federal Government Com-missioner for Culture and the Media)
Nepal: Mani Mandapas in Darbar Square in Patan © Rohit RanjikarIran: View of Bam Citadel from Sistani House© TU Dresden/Chair Prof. Wolfram Jäger
Our objective is to protect and preserve cultural identity and diversity.
Protecting and maintaining cultural identity and its diversity is one of
the priorities of the Federal Foreign Office’s cultural work abroad. By
preserving cultural heritage, we are supporting the cause of peaceful
coexistence and mutual understanding. Cultural heritage helps people
to understand their own origins and home regions and promotes
respect for and dialogue with other cultures.
The Cultural Preservation Programme fosters knowledge transfer and cultural dialogue among partners.
Cultural heritage projects are usually developed and implemented
together with experts and the local population. They are often sup-
plemented with a training component in the area of conservation
and restoration, which creates employment and income opportu-
nities. This helps to enhance the sustainability and success of the
measures and intensifies cooperation with foreign partners.
The Cultural Preservation Programme of the Federal Foreign Office is an instrument of German foreign policy in crisis regions.
There has been a growing awareness of the stabilising character
of cultural preservation measures in recent years. In light of the
barbaric destruction of cultural property and the onslaught from
natural disasters that it faces, the Federal Foreign Office and its
German and international partners, including UNESCO and
private foundations, are working to preserve major historical and
cultural testimonies to the history of mankind.
Since 1981, the Federal Republic of Germany has supported
the preservation of cultural heritage across the globe as part of the Cultural Preservation Programme of the Federal Foreign Office.
Brazil: Façade of the Beth-El Synagogue in São Paulo© Museu Judaico de Sao Paulo/Fernando Siquiera
Cambodia: Scaffolding at Angkor Wat temple © Prof. Hans Leisen/TH Köln
A selection of outstanding cultural preservation pro-jects in recent years
. Conservation work at the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia and
Borobodur temple in Indonesia, which are UNESCO World
Heritage sites
. Saving and preserving Islamic manuscripts in Mali
. Syrian Heritage Archive Project for Syria as part of the “Stunde
Null” project by the German Archaeological Institute
. Nepal initiative of the Federal Foreign Office and the Gerda
Henkel Foundation to restore World Heritage sites and cultural
property following earthquakes in April and May 2015
. Documentation/digitisation of traditional audio and film
archives in Iran and Nigeria
. Security and conservation measures in Afghanistan, e.g. the
Bamiyan Buddhas, the Babur Gardens, the Amir’s Pavilion Kuti
e Baghtsha and Herat’s old city
India: Stonemasons in Chausath Khamba © Aga Khan Foundation
A total of just under 70 million euros was provided from 1981 to 2016 to fund more than 2750 projects in 144 countries through the Cultural Preservation Programme.The focus here is on providing assistance to poorer countries and crisis countries where there is an immediate threat to cultural property and heritage sites.