Launched by the Council of Europe in 1985, the initiative was joined by the EU in 1999, to be shared by all the people of Europe. Annual editions of the giant pan-European social and educational programme now see a total of around 20 million visitors.
European Heritage Days are held every year in September. The theme for the 2022 edition is "Sustainable Heritage" - "a focus on the active role of communities building a more sustainable and resilient future for European heritage, in the context of environmental changes and related risks" according to the EHD website.
As they write: "this year up to 50,000 events are aimed at recognising the value of a common European heritage and the need to preserve it for present and future generations.
A wide range of cultural activities (exhibitions, workshops, performances, guided tours) promoting sustainable heritage while respecting wildlife and biodiversity, will take place all over Europe in the coming weeks."
Poland's own slogan for the Days 2022 is "Connected by Heritage". As the website says, this "invokes the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (FARO), the document signed by Poland last year. The theme underscores the crucial role communication plays in creating, maintaining and strengthening community bonds. In particular, it shows that the transmission of heritage values is fundamental to the continued existence and development of communities both at the micro and the macro level. The theme serves as an incentive to explore various, traditional aspects of communication: from the symbolic and ritual to the literal and mundane. Heritage connects people and generations, the past with the future; it allows the society to integrate around shared values, allowing it to persist through time and turmoil."
Many of the events scheduled in Poland over two September weekends (10-11 and 17-18) are being joined by representatives of Ukraine.
Opening the Days, Poland's deputy Minister for Culture and National Heritage Jarosław Sellin said that "the theme for this year's edition also serves to show the relations between the cultural heritage of Poland and Ukraine, which become increasingly evident in connection with Russia's aggression and the millions of Ukrainian refugees accepted by our country. This difficult time gives an opportunity to develop the dialogue between our two nations, drawing on the richness of a common past."
Poland first participated in the European Heritage Days in 1993. All events within the programme, including entry to many cultural institutions (museums, open-air collections, parks and gardens, also many not usually open to visitors) are free. Polish Radio is media patron of the Days.
Source: IAR, https://www.europeanheritagedays.com/