Programme “7 most endangered”

Programme “7 most endangered”

The programme Seven Most Endangered is locating the most endangered cultural monuments throughout Europe and it motivates public and private organisations on the local, national and the wider European level with the aim of the future preservation of cultural monuments.

The programme Seven Most Endangered was initiated in January 2013 by Europa Nostra in cooperation with the Institute of the European Investment Bank as a co-founder and the Council of European Research and Development Bank as a joint partner. The success of the similar project of the National Programme for Historical Preservation of the United States of America, inspired the creation of this programme. As such, the programme Seven Most Endangered is not a funding programme, but instead it serves as a catalyst for initiating similar actions.

Every year, Europa Nostra is tasked with submitting nominations for endangered cultural monuments throughout Serbia for the programme 7 Most Endangered. Together with us, all public, civil and private organisations active in the field of heritage preservation are welcome to submit their own proposals and arguments for monuments they consider relevant, and in this way help in nominating endangered heritage.

Applications can be submitted by members of Europa Nostra or partner organisations, state offices where Europa Nostra is active, or public and private organisations active in the field of heritology in states where Europa Nostra does not have offices.

Applications are then considered by the advisory board comprised of experts from throughout Europe and the field of evaluating end popularisation of heritage, and also representatives of the European Investment Bank, who select monuments in accordance with the following criteria: the connection of the monument with wider European culture, the level of endangerment of the monument and the readiness of the local governments for potential restoration and preservation of the monument. The Board of Europa Nostra reviews the list after which it is published publicly at the annual congress.

Cultural monuments nominated as the seven most endangered are secured publicity on the wider European level, while Europa Nostra with local partners organises missions of preservation and conservation of selected monuments with the aid of experts from around Europe. Results and suggestions of undertaken actions are summed up by experts into reports and specific propositions for each of the monuments.

The current call for nominations is open until 1st July 2019, and more information can be found on the official website.

So far, archeologic site Vinča was nominated for this programme among the 14 most endangered cultural monuments in 2013, while during 2014 Subotica synagogue was officially selected as one of 7 most endangered European monument for the current year.