FORTE CULTURA e.V.
Network of the Cultural Route of Fortified Monuments
Non-governmental organisation, non-profit
FORTE CULTURA e.V. was founded on 24 November 2014 in Kostrzyn nad Odra /PL under the name "European Fortress Tourism and Fortress Marketing Network e.V.". The association is a result of the "FORTE CULTURA" project funded by the European Union from the CENTRAL EUROPE PROGRAMME, in which 13 organisations from 8 countries took part from 2012 to 2014.
The network is a registered association under German association law. In July 2020, the association was renamed FORTE CULTURA e.V. by resolution of the general meeting, with the addition of "Netzwerk der Kulturroute Festungsmonumente". It is open to corporate bodies (such as fortress organisations, municipalities and experts) that want to promote fortress tourism and fortress marketing.
Founding members include the fortified town of Kostrzyn nad Odra (PL), the European Cooperation Centre for the Cultural Heritage of Fortified Monuments -ECCOFORT- Berlin (DE), the fortified town of Kronach (DE), the fortified town of Josefov (CZ), the fortress organisation Fort Monostor Komarom (HU), experts from the Humboldt University of Berlin (DE) and many more.
Our team
The FORTE CULTURA network is managed by our Board of Directors.
Dr Frank Riesbeck
Berlin (DE)
President
Dirk Röder
Berlin (DE)
Vice President, Director of the Cultural Route, Head of the Network Office
Frauke Vos-Firnkes
Germersheim (DE)
Vice President, Head of FORTE CULTURA Cluster Upper Rhine
Filippo Cailotto
Verona (IT)
Vice President
Agnieszka Zurawska-Tatala
Kostrzyn nad Odra (PL)
Vice President
Assistant Prof. Nataša Urošević
Pula (HR)
Head of the Scientific Advisory Board
Tomáš Jirouch
Hradec Králové (CZ)
Assessor
Jelena Kölble
Berlin (DE)
Social Media
The honorary president of the network is the mayor of Kostrzyn nad Odra (PL), Dr Andrzej Kunt.
Due to his many years of service Hartmut RöderECCOFORT e.V., Berlin (DE) was appointed an honorary member in 2021.
The objectives and tasks of the network can be found in the currently valid Articles of Association.
Scientific Advisory Board
The experts on the Scientific Advisory Board support FORTE CULTURA members in various matters relating to their respective specialisms. They are also responsible for the scientific authenticity of the cultural route.
Ass. Prof. Dr Nataša Urošević (HR)
Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Study Programme for Culture and Tourism
Prof Dr Teresa Colletta (IT)
University Federico II Naples, Vice-President of the International Committee for Historic Towns and Villages, World Monuments Fund, ICOMOS Italy
Ass. Prof. Dr Marcin Gorski (PL)
Warsaw University of Technology, Commission for "architectura militaris", ICOMOS Poland
Dipl.-Ing. Volker K. Pachauer (AT)
Austrian Society for Fortification Research, ICOMOS Austria
Dr Alexander Jordan (DE)
Director of the Wehrgeschichtliches Museum Rastatt, Commission Internationale d'Histoire Militaire (CIHM), International Committee for Museums and Collections of Arms and Military History (ICOMAM)
Dr Juan Mira Antonio Rico (ES)
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, ICOMOS Spain
FORTE CULTURA Stations
The fortress members of the network form the stations of the European Cultural Route of Fortified Monuments - FORTE CULTURA.
Discover over 50 stations in more than 10 countries on our Tourism portal of the FORTE CULTURA cultural route.
Become a FORTE CULTURA member now.
Join FORTE CULTURA e.V. and become part of the European Cultural Route of Fortified Monuments.
FORTE CULTURA Partner
EFFORTS (European Federation of Fortified Sites)is a European network for fortresses and fortress organisations based in Brussels. It supports and promotes the cultural heritage of fortress monuments and carries out EU lobbying work for the European fortress heritage. FORTE CULTURA e.V. is a member of EFFORTS Europe
Alsace Destination Tourisme (AD) is the travel agency of the European Community of Alsace and is responsible for the development and promotion of tourism, especially in cross-border co-operation. Due to the chequered French and German history of Alsace, there are many fortified monuments in the region. Together with FORTE CULTURA, the ADT would like to further strengthen this cultural heritage and sustainably expand the already numerous tourist offers. ADT is also an important partner for the FORTE CULTURA cluster of fortresses in the Upper Rhine region. ADT has been a member of FORTE CULTURA since September 2022. www.alsace-destination-tourisme.com
Fortress monuments and the Second World War also have many points of contact. The European cultural route "Liberation Route Europe", certified by the Council of Europe in 2019, leads along remembrance routes to the historical sites of the Second World War in Europe. FORTE CULTURA and the Liberation Route have been cooperating on various levels since the end of 2019. www.liberationroute.de
CIO (FSG) was founded in the UK in 1975 and is a registered charity dedicated to the study and conservation of fortifications from the age of artillery (c. 1500 AD onwards). In 2024, FSG and FORTE CULTURA began working together to achieve common goals with a positive impact on fortified heritage. In particular, research findings on fortifications are published in the regular FSG publications "FORT" and "Casemate", with wide readership and distribution to academic libraries worldwide. Since the Corona pandemic, the FSG also offers an extensive webinar programme. www.fortressstudygroup.org
The European Route of the Reformation represents the era of the Reformation, which was significant in world history. There are many points of contact here with modern fortress construction, and the two have influenced each other.
In May 2020, FORTE CULTURA e.V. and the European Route of the Reformation signed a cooperation agreement to explore synergies and develop impulses for the cultural-touristic, social and economic valorisation of the cultural heritage of the Reformation and fortress architecture. www.reformationroutes.eu
