European Heritage Days (EHD) is a joint action of the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it has 46 member states, with a p ...
and the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
involving all 50 signatory states of the
European Cultural Convention
The European Cultural Convention is an international Council of Europe's treaty to strengthen, deepen and further develop a European culture, by using local culture as a starting point. Setting common goals and a plan of action to reach an int ...
under the motto, ''Europe: a common heritage''. The annual programme offers opportunities to visit buildings, monuments and sites, many of which are not normally accessible to the public. It aims to widen access and foster care for architectural and
environmental heritage
Natural heritage refers to the sum total of the elements of biodiversity, including flora and fauna, ecosystems and geological structures. It forms part of our natural resources.
Definition
Heritage is that which is ''inherited'' from past gener ...
. These events are also known as
Doors Open Days and Open Doors Days in English-speaking countries.
The event began in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in 1984, with ''La Journée portes ouvertes dans les monuments historiques'', sponsored by the
Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to:
*Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania)
* Ministry of Culture (Algeria)
*Ministry of Culture (Argentina)
*Minister for the Arts (Australia)
*Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)
* Ministry of ...
. In 1985, in
Granada
Granada (,, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the c ...
, at the 2nd European Conference of Ministers responsible for Architectural Heritage, the French Minister of Culture proposed that the project be internationalised under the Council of Europe. The Netherlands held their first ''Open Monumentendag'' in 1987. Sweden and the Republic of Ireland joined in 1989, as well as Belgium and Scotland in 1990.
In 1991 these events were united as European Heritage Days at the initiative of the Council of Europe, supported by the
EU. By 2010, 50 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention had joined the EHDs. The most recent European Heritage Days event was hosted by
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...
in September 2019.
The Directorate General IV – Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport of the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it has 46 member states, with a p ...
, in close cooperation with the Directorate General for Education and Culture of the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
, ensures the general orientation, definition and execution of the tasks to be achieved within the framework of the EHD. The Secretariat of the EHD is carried out by the Directorate of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage, under the responsibility of the Council of Europe's Steering Committee for Cultural Heritage.
Member states
Participating member states of the European Heritage Days are:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Responsible institutions per European country
* : "Jornades europees del patrimoni" by
Patrimoni Cultural Patrimoni Cultural refers both to the cultural heritage of Andorra, and also to the Andorran government protection agency called by the same name (''Departament de Patrimoni Cultural'', or Department of Cultural Heritage).
The agency administers t ...
* :
Tag Des Denkmals by
Bundesdenkmalamt
* :
**
Journées du patrimoine à Bruxelles**
Open Monumentendag Vlaanderen**
Journées du patrimoine en Wallonie*
"Journées européennes du patrimoine" under the auspices of the
Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to:
*Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania)
* Ministry of Culture (Algeria)
*Ministry of Culture (Argentina)
*Minister for the Arts (Australia)
*Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)
* Ministry of ...
* :
Tag des offenen Denkmals
The Tag des offenen Denkmals (Day of Open Monuments) is an annual event all over Germany. The day of action has been coordinated by the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz since 1993. Historic monuments are open to the public free of charge. It takes ...
by the
Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz
* :
Heritage Week
Heritage Week (Irish: Seachtain na hOidhreachta) is an annual nationwide set of hundreds of events organized by the Heritage Council in Ireland.
They are a celebration of Ireland's culture, history, gardens, and architecture that gives visitors f ...
by the
Heritage Council
The Heritage Council ( ga, An Comhairle Oidhreachta) is an organisation created by the Irish government to "engage, educate and advocate to develop a wider understanding of the vital contribution that our heritage makes to our social, environmenta ...
* : "Giornate Europee del Patrimonio" by
Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali
The Ministry of Culture ( it, Ministero della Cultura - MiC) is the ministry of the Government of Italy in charge of national museums and the '' monuments historiques''. MiC's headquarters are located in the historic Collegio Romano Palace (vi ...
* : "Eiropas kultūras mantojuma dienas" by National Heritage Board of Latvia
* : "Open Monumentendag" by Stichting Open Monumentendag
* : "Europejskie Dni Dziedzictwa" ("European Heritage Days") by
National Heritage Board of Poland
The National Institute of Cultural Heritage of Poland ( pl, Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa NID) is a Polish governmental institution responsible for documenting cultural property and the intangible cultural heritage, as well as for supporting and ...
*
"Jornadas Europeias do Património"by Direção Geral do Património Cultural
*
"Европейские дни наследия"by Russian Scientific Research Institute for Natural and Cultural Heritage
* : "Las Jornadas Europeas de Patrimonio" by Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural de España (
Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to:
*Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania)
* Ministry of Culture (Algeria)
*Ministry of Culture (Argentina)
*Minister for the Arts (Australia)
*Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)
* Ministry of ...
)
** : "Les Jornades Europees de Patrimoni" by
Patrimoni Cultural Patrimoni Cultural refers both to the cultural heritage of Andorra, and also to the Andorran government protection agency called by the same name (''Departament de Patrimoni Cultural'', or Department of Cultural Heritage).
The agency administers t ...
* :
**:
Heritage Open Days
Heritage Open Days (also known as HODs) is an annual celebration of England's architecture and culture that allows visitors free access to historical landmarks that are either not usually open to the public, would normally charge an entrance fee, ...
by the
National Trust
The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
. London has a separate event,
Open House London
Open House London is an annual festival celebrating the architecture and urban landscape of London. It is staged by the charity Open City which campaigns to make London a more accessible, equitable and open city. During the Open House festival, ...
.
** :
Doors Open Days by
Scottish Civic Trust
** : Open Doors Days (
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
: ''Drysau Agored'') by
Civic Trust for Wales
** : European Heritage Open Days
* : "Europäischer Tag des Denkmals - Journées européennes du patrimoine - Giornate europee del patrimonio" by the
Swiss Information Centre for Cultural Heritage Conservation
The Swiss Information Centre for Cultural Heritage Conservation (''Nationale Informationsstelle für Kulturgüter-Erhaltung'', abbreviated "NIKE"), is a Swiss association that advocates cultural heritage conservation in Switzerland.
The informatio ...
Similar concepts
This idea is popular outside Europe, too, with similar schemes in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
since 1974
in Alberta, the United States,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
,
and other countries, at various times of year. In
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
and
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
the corresponding ''Día del Patrimonio'' is held on the last weekend of September, while in
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
the same event is held on the last Sunday of May.
See also
*
Culture of Europe
The culture of Europe is rooted in its art, architecture, film, different types of music, economics, literature, and philosophy. European culture is largely rooted in what is often referred to as its "common cultural heritage".
Definition
T ...
*
European Integration
European integration is the process of industrial, economic, political, legal, social, and cultural integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integration has primarily come about through the European Union and its ...
*
European Year of Cultural Heritage (2018)
References
External links
European Heritage Days— includes links to the national sites of all participants
Home page
{{Authority control
Recurring events established in 1984
Doors Open Days
European culture
Cultural heritage of Europe
Pan-Europeanism