Newsletter December 2020

Seasons Greetings and up-to-date information at the end of the year. The newsletter provides concise and clear information about important developments in networking, new marketing tools and upcoming events.

Büdingen (DE): Fortress town of Büdingen becomes FORTE CULTURA station

With the signing of the membership application by Mayor Erich Spamer, the town of Büdingen has become the latest FORTE CULTURA member. The Upper Hessian fortress town not only has a picturesque old town with half-timbered houses and a fortified castle, it has also been protected for centuries by a well-preserved massive town wall with roundels. With Büdingen, the FORTE CULTURA region of North and Upper Hesse has gained another strong fortress partner and is consolidating the tourism axis between Mainz and Erfurt. Other partners in Hesse are the fortresses of Ziegenhain and Rüsselsheim.

Elbe Fortresses (DE-CZ): New FORTE CULTURA image folder

In cross-border co-operation, the Elbe fortresses Grauerort, Dömitz, Magdeburg, Torgau, Dresden, Pirna, Stolpen, Königstein, Terezin and Prague have developed and financed new FORTE CULTURA marketing tools. An attractive image folder for the Elbe fortresses was produced in three languages, providing an overview of the cultural heritage of the fortress monuments on the Elbe.

An additional insert provides information on the events of the FORTE CULTURA Cultural Summer Elbe Fortresses 2021, which is scheduled to start in Terezin in April 2021.

Dęblin (PL): New associate member on the Vistula

The Polish town of Dęblin is located east of the Vistula in the Lublin Voivodeship. From 1832, Russia commissioned the construction of the Iwangorod Fortress, one of the strongest Tsarist fortresses to secure the crossing of the Vistula.

A citadel directly on the Vistula and a bridgehead on the left bank were built in bastion style. Subsequently, a belt of individual forts was added. Today, Deblin is also a traditional site of the Polish Air Force with an air force museum.

EFFORTS (BE): Annual Congress conducted online

The Belgian partner network EFFORTS organised its annual congress 2020 as an online event. Under the patronage of the cities of Oudenaarde (BE) and Sibenik (HR), around 60 members and partners followed the exciting presentations, including from the European Cultural Routes Institute.

The congress focussed on a study of the socio-economic impact of fortified monuments on cities and regions. To this end, an online survey was launched among all participants with the aim of quantifying the socio-economic impact of fortification heritage in Europe in order to further emphasise its importance to policymakers. The survey is open until 1 February 2021. We invite all fortified monuments to participate. Further information: EFFORTS website

FORTE CULTURA Contact Tour Fortress Heritage Poland

FORTE CULTURA Vice-President Agnieszka Zurawska-Tatala visited 10 Polish fortress sites on a one-week contact tour to familiarise them with the FORTE CULTURA cultural route. Her route took her via Modlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Zamosc, Przemysl, Krzyztopor, Sandomierz, Lancut, Deblin and Lublin.

The positive discussions in many places showed the high level of interest in the marketing of fortresses in Poland via the FORTE CULTURA cultural route and in joint projects to promote fortress tourism and marketing.

Open Monument Day 2020 - digital

There were once again exciting monuments to discover on Open Monument Day 2020. Due to the coronavirus situation, many sites invited visitors to visit them virtually this time. Our member fortresses Bundesfestung Ulm and Zitadelle Mainz, for example, used this opportunity to draw attention to themselves and their valuable work to preserve the cultural heritage of fortified monuments in their city.

Launch of the FORTE CULTURA "Fortress of the Week" promotion

As part of the "FORTE CULTURA - Fortress of the Week" campaign, a regular member fortress is portrayed every week with several posts on social media.

The aim of the campaign is to raise public awareness of the exciting cultural heritage of fortress monuments and to present special highlights at our member locations. Facebook, Instagram

European Fortress Day 2020

The European Fortress Day (EFD) is organised by FORTE CULTURA partner EFFORTS (European Federation of Fortified Sites), 2020 with a new virtual concept. The European Fortress Day is part of the FORTE CULTURA initiative European Fortress Summer (www.fortress-summer.eu). All members, network partners and non-members are invited to take part in this year's EVS.

All participating fortresses should submit contributions to their "Summer 2020" under Corona conditions. Photos or videos can be sent by 30 September 2020 to info@efforts-europe.eu be sent. The most innovative entry wins the "2020 EFFORTS Award".

FORTE CULTURA launches Facebook and Instagram account

FORTE CULTURA is now using social media to increase its reach Facebook and Instagram. While the Instagram account is aimed more at the general public, the Facebook account is more inward-looking and describes current events and network activities.

FORTE CUTURA®: Application for certification as "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe" submitted

The application for certification of FORTE CULTURA® as a "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe" was submitted in Luxembourg just in time for the deadline. FORTE CULTURA® is thus officially a candidate for certification, alongside 15 other cultural route candidates. To be certified, cultural routes must meet defined criteria, which will be reviewed by independent experts from October to December 2020. This includes field visits along the route and meetings with the cultural route management. Link to the Cultural Routes: newsroom

Srbrna Góra (PL): Silberberg Fortress becomes a new network member

The Srebrna Gora fortress is the highest mountain fortress in Europe. Built between 1765 and 1777, it reinforced the defence of the Prussian state borders in Lower Silesia. The Silberberg fortress system consists of the bastion "Fort Donjon" - the heart of the complex, as well as the surrounding secondary fortresses of "Wysoka Skala", "Fort Rogowy" and "Fort Ostrog". The Chochol Wielki and Chochol Maly hills were also fortified. The result was a powerful defence complex that even Napoleon Bonaparte was unable to defeat in 1807.

Parts of the old fortress were already being used for tourism at the beginning of the 20th century, including hostels, restaurants and exhibitions. During the Second World War, Silberberg was a prisoner of war camp for Polish officers (Oflag VII b).
The historical monument of the Republic of Poland in the first Polish "Fortress Culture Park" since 2004 offers an attractive leisure and cultural programme and is an outstanding example of historical fortification architecture, modern renovation and use.

Berlin (DE): Cooperation agreement with EFFORTS expands network base and gives FORTE CULTURA members a voice in Brussels

The European Federation of Fortified Sites (EFFORTS) network, based in Brussels, was founded in 2017 in the Spandau Citadel. As a lobby organisation, EFFORTS is the interface between European institutions and fortified monuments or networks that deal with the preservation and use of the European cultural heritage of fortified monuments.

In addition to practical work on joint studies and projects on the cultural heritage of fortresses, the cooperation agreement also includes both networks expanding their membership base through reciprocal associate memberships. As a result, the FORTE CULTURA network will grow to 67 members from 17 countries.

Berlin (DE): General Assembly decides to change the name and statutes of the network

At this year's virtual Annual General Meeting, far-reaching resolutions were passed that will have a lasting impact on the development of our network and cultural routes.
The most striking change is the name change from "European Fortress Tourism and Fortress Marketing Network e.V." to "FORTE CULTURA e.V." with the subheading "Fortress Monuments Cultural Route Network". The resolutions adopted are aimed at achieving certification as a Council of Europe cultural route and classification as a non-governmental organisation.

Magdeburg (DE): Route of the Reformation and FORTE CULTURA sign co-operation agreement

The world-historically significant age of the Reformation and the development of modern fortress construction fall within the same era, albeit at different times, and have influenced each other. These historical similarities are now also the basis of a co-operation agreement between the two cultural routes. The aim of the cooperation is to develop impulses for the cultural-touristic, social and economic valorisation of the cultural heritage of the Reformation and fortress architecture. The co-operation partners are convinced that the existing interfaces open up development opportunities and synergies for both cultural routes.

The cooperation agreement was "signed" during the virtual annual general meeting of the Reformationsroute on 16 June.

Berlin (DE): Orte der Geschichte e.V. strengthens network

The Berlin-based association organises guided tours and excursions to architectural legacies from the Cold War era (barracks, airfields and bunkers).

The association is also committed to preserving the most modern telecommunications bunker in the former GDR as a Strausberg culture bunker accessible to the public. In autumn 2019, the first stage saw the approximately 300-metre-long access tunnel rededicated as a gallery tunnel. Guided tours of the imposing monument were also offered. Under the motto "Communication unites - friendship unites", the Cold War monument is to be gradually expanded into an extracurricular learning and educational centre and a meeting place for creative minds and people interested in history and will reopen in 2021.

Under the leadership of Martin Kaule, the association also organises fascinating trips to lost places and the fortress heritage of the 20th century throughout Europe and implements numerous book projects. FORTE CULTURA® is intended to extend the reach and range of programmes.

Berlin (DE): Handout "C19 consequences" for fortress monuments

The network office provides a comprehensive information and strategy paper on dealing with the "C19 consequences" in fortified monuments. It contains information and recommendations for ensuring the safest possible conditions in fortified monuments, links to current support programmes in Germany as well as ideas and suggestions for concrete measures from various perspectives.

As part of a Online survey we would like to support this information. We ask for your Participation.

Stade (DE): Grauerort Fortress becomes a new network member on the Elbe

Fort Grauerort, a Prussian fortress pearl on the Elbe, was built in the 19th century and developed into an attractive cultural location in the Hanseatic city of Stade under the auspices of the Festung Grauerort e.V. association. The association signed its network membership on 25 February 2020, making it the fourth member of the FORTE CULTURA® cluster of Elbe fortresses after Königstein, Torgau and Dömitz.

One of the aims of joining is to support the marketing activities of the Festung Grauerort e.V. association in connection with the FORTE CULTURA® regional brand. Elbe fortresses be extended to the European level.

Dresden (DE): Project Consultancy Elbe-Festungen

At the end of February, representatives of the fortresses in Stade, Königstein, Terezín (CZ), Torgau, Pirna, Magdeburg and Dresden (here Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und Gärten Sachsen gGmbH) as well as the Elbe Cycle Route and our network met at the Albertinum in Dresden.

The aim of the consultation was to further develop the cooperation of the Elbe fortresses in tourism and marketing as a regional brand under the umbrella of the European Cultural Route Fortified Monuments FORTE CULTURA®. The focus of the meeting was the organisation of the marketing initiative "CULTURAL SUMMER ELBE FORTRESSES 2020". The next steps for joint marketing and mutual support were developed, budgeted and agreed. The joint visit to the new multimedia productions "Fortress Xperience" and "Zwinger Xperience" brought the event to a successful conclusion.

Brussels (BE): LRE Conference and LREXPO 2020

The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces in Brussels was an impressive venue for the Liberation Routes Europe (LRE) Annual Conference and Expo 2020. Dirk Röder represented FORTE CULTURA® and the European Fortress Tourism and Fortress Marketing Network. In addition to many new network contacts, there was also in-depth coordination in preparation for the cooperation between the two European cultural routes, which is to be signed at the FORTE CULTURA® annual conference in Terezin in May.

Another interesting side event was the concrete coordination of future cooperation with the fortress lobby network EFFORTS Europe, which is also headquartered in Brussels.

Upper Rhine (DE/FR): Great response to the commemorative weekend "75 years of Unternehmen Nordwind"

In memory and remembrance of the many victims of the last major German offensive in the West, known as "Unternehmen NORDWIND", 75 years ago, 18 fortifications on both sides of the border between the Saar and Rhine opened their doors on the weekend of 11 and 12 January 2020. 22 different events commemorated the warlike events of January 1945, including exhibitions, lectures, a historical tour with US vehicles and a "Battlefield Tour".

The response in Baden, Alsace, Bitscher Land and the Palatinate was overwhelming with a total of over 2,200 visitors and many press articles. The cross-border commemorative weekend brought together fortifications and partners between the Saar and Rhine rivers for the first time in this form and laid the foundations for further co-operations and closer networking between the players involved in the shared cultural heritage of "fortresses".    Further information

Dömitz (DE): The ideal fortress town of Dömitz becomes a new network member on the Elbe

Dömitz Fortress is widely known along the Elbe. What is far less well known is that the fortress is actually the citadel of the formerly fortified ideal town of Dömitz, which was built in the Renaissance style.

Mayor Reinhold Suhrau signed the membership of our network at the end of December, thereby strengthening the FORTE CULTURA® cluster of Elbe fortresses. By joining the network, Dömitz's marketing activities will be even more focussed on fortress tourism and processes for the necessary renovation of parts of the fortress will be initiated.

Rüsselsheim (DE): City of Rüsselsheim becomes new network member on the River Main

Rüsselsheim Fortress is located directly on the River Main and is now the second former Hessian state fortress in our network after Ziegenhain. The fortress is home to the Rüsselsheim Town and Industry Museum and a fortress café.

Lord Mayor Udo Bausch signed the membership agreement at the end of November, which now comes into force in the new year.