27 cultural forms were added to the German list of intangible cultural heritage. The cooperative idea is the first international nomination to be proposed to UNESCO. Since 2003, UNESCO has supported the protection, documentation and preservation of cultural forms that are passed on from generation to generation. More than 350 customs, performing arts, handicraft techniques and natural knowledge from all over the world are currently on the three UNESCO lists, including the tango from Argentina and Uruguay, traditional Chinese medicine and Italian violin making. Germany has been a signatory state since 2013 and, according to the convention, must first draw up a national list. 27 traditions and forms of knowledge are included: The Rhenish carnival is on the list, as is the confrontation with the Pied Piper of Hamelin and also our bread culture. The experts also nominated the cooperative idea from the 27 cultural forms for the international "Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity". Germany will submit its first nomination to UNESCO by March 31, 2015. The inclusion of the cooperative idea would add a new facet to the international diversity of intangible cultural heritage. To date, this form of social self-organization has not been represented on the UNESCO lists. The cooperative idea was proposed jointly by the German Hermann-Schulze-Delitzsch-Gesellschaft (Saxony) and the German Friedrich-Wilhelm-Raiffeisen-Gesellschaft (Rhineland-Palatinate) and forwarded with recommendations from both countries
Basic values: solidarity, solidity and sustainability
"The efforts to profile this form of self-organization of societies as an expression of a culture of sustainability worthy of international protection in a transnational application have thus led to success," said Dr Eva-Maria Stange, Saxony's Minister for Science and the Arts, congratulating the initiators. "With the nomination, one of the most important social movements in recent history has been selected. It is a clear indication that our culture includes not only the fine arts and traditional cultural forms, but also such social self-organization, which has a tradition of over a hundred years in Germany." Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters emphasized: "The intangible cultural heritage stands for our vibrant everyday culture. It is an expression of cultural diversity in Germany and should contribute to the preservation, continuation and further development of living traditions that shape the self-image of Germany as a cultural nation. Inclusion in the nationwide register will also raise public awareness of these traditions for future generations."
Further information:
www.genossenschaftsmuseum.de
www.unesco.de
www.raiffeisen-gesellschaft.de
