On Cultural Heritage in the Europe of Tomorrow
The conference “Heritage as a resource: Historic monuments and contemporary interventions in the Europe of tomorrow” took place at the Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest. Experts discussed issues related to cultural heritage in terms of values, best practices and principles. Among the speakers was Agata Wąsowska-Pawlik, director of the ICC and a member of the Europa Nostra Council and Executive Board, who presented a lecture titled “The importance of education for heritage – mutual interaction”. The conference provided an opportunity to exchange experiences in the field of European cultural heritage management.
The ICC’s Commitment to Reflection on Heritage
Agata Wąsowska-Pawlik spoke about the international dialogue in which the ICC participates, as well as the interdisciplinary research we conduct in the field of culture and heritage. She emphasized the unique experience of Central Europe, a region understood more as a community of experience, memory and choice than as a geographical area. The ICC Director emphasized the role and importance of education and the exchange of experiences in the field of cultural heritage in this region. She spoke about our institution’s involvement in coordinating the work of the Expert Working Group on the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Visegrad Group Countries and the projects it implements: the V4 Heritage Academy and the Central European Heritage Forums, as well as the benefits of the ICC’s participation in Europa Nostra’s activities.
Conference participants on European values and practices
In the international section of the conference, moderated by Graham Bell—president of the MRA, member of the Europa Nostra Board and director of the Culture Trust—alongside a representative from the ICC, speakers on European values and practices included Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger, Executive President of Europa Nostra, Prof. Ferenc Miszlivetz, Director General of the Institute of Advanced Studies Kőszeg (iASK), Markus Wimmer, Vice President of Burghauptmannschaft Österreich, and Gábor Zoboki, an architect and lecturer, who introduced the audience to the topic of the renovation of the Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest.
In the afternoon, there was a presentation of examples of historic building renovations recognized by ICOMOS, followed by a discussion on the state of cultural heritage preservation in Hungary, its value and its identity.
Hungarian State Opera Honored with the Europa Nostra Award
The Neo-Renaissance building of the Hungarian State Opera, where the event took place, reopened in 2022 after a five-year renovation. Conference participants had the opportunity to tour the historic 1884 building, designed by Miklós Ybl, and see the results of the renovation work. It was also announced at the conference that the Budapest Opera House had been awarded the 2026 Europa Nostra Award in the “Conservation and Adaptation” category. Its renovation was recognized for combining a faithful reconstruction of the historic design, atmosphere and acoustics with modern stage technology and contemporary acoustic solutions.
