Latest news with #Romanesque
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Germany issues invitation to culture and nature on World Heritage Day
The Wadden Sea, Cologne Cathedral and the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen have one thing in common: They have been designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, marking them as places of exceptional value to all of humanity. There are now 54 World Heritage Sites in Germany, and, for the 20th time, the German UNESCO Commission invited people to these protected sites with a variety of activities for World Heritage Day on Sunday. "The aim of the day of action is to make World Heritage accessible to everyone," German UNESCO Commission President Maria Böhmer said at a ceremony in St Michael's Church in the northern German city of Hildesheim. The World Heritage Day was opened there under the motto "Convey, Connect, Enthuse." It is a "very beautiful, colourful, lively festival," a spokesman said on Sunday afternoon. The Romanesque cathedral and St Michael's Church in the approximately 1,200-year-old city have been World Cultural Heritage sites since 1985. According to UNESCO, more than 350 events are on the programme across Germany. These range from a torchlight tour for children through the caves of the Swabian Jura to a mining adventure hike in the Ore Mountains and a rap tour through Hamburg's Speicherstadt. There are now more than 1,200 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 168 countries worldwide, and the list expands every year. Already nominated are Germany's castles of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee. The World Heritage Committee is expected to decide in July whether they will be added to the World Heritage list. In the meantime, some World Heritage Sites are transnational. Germany's Ancient Beech Forests were added to the list in 2011 as an extension of the Carpathian Beech Forests, which span 18 countries in Central and South-Eastern Europe. The Wadden Sea, on the edge of the North Sea, was included in 2009 and extended in 2014 to include the Danish Wadden Sea. In the German state of Lower Saxony, the Rammelsberg Mine, the old town of Goslar in the Harz, and the Upper Harz Water Management System can also boast the title. The Fagus Factory in Alfeld, Lower Saxony, designed in 1911 by architect and Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, has been on the World Heritage list since 2011.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Foundations donate $1.5 million to help restore historic Black church in Memphis gutted by arson
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Several foundations have donated $1.5 million to help rebuild after arson gutted a historic Black church in Memphis, Tenn., that played an important role in the civil rights movement. Clayborn Temple had been undergoing a years-long renovation when someone intentionally set a fire inside the church in the early hours of April 28, destroying almost everything but parts of the facade. Before the fire, the Romanesque revival church was in the midst of a $25-million restoration project that included restoring a 3,000-pipe grand organ. The project also sought to help revitalize the neighborhood with a museum, cultural programming and community outreach. Despite the extensive damage, Anasa Troutman, executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple, has said they plan to continue moving forward with the restoration. Troutman announced the new donations for that effort Wednesday. The money comes from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund along with the Mellon and Ford foundations. Located just south of the iconic Beale Street, Clayborn Temple was built in 1892 as the Second Presbyterian Church and originally served an all-white congregation. In 1949, the building was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation and given its current name. In 1968, the church served as the headquarters for a sanitation workers' strike, which brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis, where he was assassinated.
NDTV
4 days ago
- NDTV
"Stop Stealing Cobblestones": Bruges Pleads With Tourists As Historic Streets Crumble Underfoot
The picturesque city of Bruges, the capital and largest city of West Flanders in Belgium's Flemish Region, is celebrated for its medieval architecture and rich cultural heritage. Situated in the country's northwest, it is the sixth most populous city in Belgium. However, this historic tourist destination is now facing a rather unusual problem, officials have issued a public plea asking visitors to stop removing cobblestones from the city's iconic center, according to The Metro. Tourists have reportedly been taking pieces of the historic pavement as souvenirs, raising concerns about preserving the integrity of Bruges' treasured streets. According to The Metro, Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its charming canals and blend of Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance, Neo-Classicist, and Baroque architecture. The iconic cobbles date back to the Middle Ages. Every year, over 8 million international tourists descend on the capital of West Flanders to marvel at these wonders in real life. However, such popularity has led to the destruction of Bruges, which ironically, is also famed for being one of the most preserved medieval cities in Europe. According to the city councillor, Franky Demon, Bruges is losing between 50 and 70 cobblestones every month, due to tourists taking a piece of history home with them. While sneaky travellers might not think it's a big deal, he revealed that repair costs actually add up to 200 Euros (Rs 17,121) per square metre of stones. Demon told the The Brussels Times: 'We ask for nothing but respect. Walking in Bruges means treading on centuries of history. Please leave these stones where they belong.' The councillor then highlighted the places experiencing the most damage, including the iconic areas of Minnewater, Vismarkt, the Grand Place and the Gruuthuse Museum. He explained that while these thefts occur each month, the severity increases during spring and summer, when Bruges welcomes the majority of its visitors. Additionally, Demon said pinching the stones is a threat to people's safety, too. As Bruges is a compact and walkable city, renowned for being pedestrian-friendly, the gaps left by the missing stones pose trip hazards.
5 days ago
Foundations donate $1.5M to help restore historic Black church in Memphis gutted by arson
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Several foundations have donated $1.5 million to help rebuild after arson gutted a historic Black church in Memphis, Tennessee, that played an important role in the civil rights movement. Clayborn Temple had been undergoing a yearslong renovation when someone intentionally set a fire inside the church in the early hours of April 28, destroying almost everything but parts of the facade. Before the fire, the Romanesque revival church was in the midst of a $25 million restoration project that included restoring a 3,000-pipe grand organ. The project also sought to help revitalize the neighborhood with a museum, cultural programing and community outreach. Despite the extensive damage, Anasa Troutman, executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple, has said they plan to continue moving forward with the restoration. Troutman announced the new donations for that effort Wednesday. The money comes from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund along with the Mellon and Ford foundations. Located just south of the iconic Beale Street, Clayborn Temple was built in 1892 as the Second Presbyterian Church and originally served an all-white congregation. In 1949, the building was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation and given its current name. In 1968, the church served as the headquarters for a sanitation workers' strike, which brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis, where he was assassinated.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Foundations donate $1.5M to help restore historic Black church in Memphis gutted by arson
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Several foundations have donated $1.5 million to help rebuild after arson gutted a historic Black church in Memphis, Tennessee, that played an important role in the civil rights movement. Clayborn Temple had been undergoing a yearslong renovation when someone intentionally set a fire inside the church in the early hours of April 28, destroying almost everything but parts of the facade. Before the fire, the Romanesque revival church was in the midst of a $25 million restoration project that included restoring a 3,000-pipe grand organ. The project also sought to help revitalize the neighborhood with a museum, cultural programing and community outreach. Despite the extensive damage, Anasa Troutman, executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple, has said they plan to continue moving forward with the restoration. Troutman announced the new donations for that effort Wednesday. The money comes from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund along with the Mellon and Ford foundations. Located just south of the iconic Beale Street, Clayborn Temple was built in 1892 as the Second Presbyterian Church and originally served an all-white congregation. In 1949, the building was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation and given its current name. In 1968, the church served as the headquarters for a sanitation workers' strike, which brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis, where he was assassinated.
