European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra 2021

The winners of this year's European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra 2021, the most prestigious European heritage award, were honored at the European Heritage Awards gala in Venice. The winners of the Grand Prix were also announced.
 
The highest European honor in the field of heritage in 2021 was awarded to 24 unique projects from 18 European countries. One of them (and the only Polish project awarded this year) is the permanent exhibition of the European Solidarity Center in Gdańsk, which was assessed in the Education, Training and Awareness Raising category.

LIST OF FEATURED PROJECTS

- Winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra 2021 are ambassadors of the beauty of cultural heritage in Europe, be it traditions or know-how, breathtaking architecture or the way heritage connects communities and generations. I strongly believe that the effectiveness in maintaining our tangible and intangible heritage depends on the sacrifice of the people behind it. These awards honor exceptional women and exceptional men, heritage professionals, architects, scientists and volunteers who make our common heritage ever closer to our heart. Their visions deserve applause - said Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, when announcing the list of laureates.

- Each year, the winners of the European Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards are an example of the unparalleled creativity and dedication of those who work to preserve, add value and pass on the precious European heritage to the next generation. This year's winners are very strong in demonstrating how heritage suggests solutions and paths to improvement, in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, as we take climate action, mobilize for sustainable urban and rural development, and face many of our key threats. European values. We applaud their remarkable achievements: let them serve as inspiration and encouragement to so many heritage professionals and enthusiasts across Europe and beyond - said Hermann Parzinger, Executive President of Europa Nostra.

From the moment the winners were announced, heritage fans and enthusiasts around the world were able to decide who among them would receive this year's Audience Award. The winners of the Audience Award and Grand Prix 2021 have just been announced in Venice.
Audience Award:

Grand Prix 2021:

The European Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards were established by the European Commission in 2002 and the project has been carried out by Europa Nostra ever since. It is supported by the EU's Creative Europe program. The awards highlight and promote heritage excellence and best practice in the field, encourage cross-border exchange of knowledge and connect heritage stakeholders in larger networks. The awards bring significant benefits to the winners, such as greater national and international promotion, further funding and increased visitor numbers. In addition, the awards program promotes greater care among European citizens for our common heritage. Therefore, the awards are crucial in promoting the many values ​​of cultural and natural heritage for the community, economy and environment of Europe.
In 2021, two Special ILUCIDARE Awards were awarded to applications submitted to the European Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards. Unfortunately, not a single Polish project was included in the shortlist of nine projects that aspired to the awards. Awards were given to:

ILUCIDARE is funded under Horizon 2020 and aims to create an international network to promote heritage as a resource for innovation and international relations.