Dirk Röder (left) congratulates Filippo Cailotto on his new position as FORTE CULTURA President

The FORTE CULTURA General Assembly 2025 took place on 27 March 2025 at the Forte di Bard fortress (IT). A total of 48 participants from 11 countries took part on site, with additional members following the professional online stream.

The core contents of the General Assembly were the President’s Report, the reports of the Executive Committee on finances, membership development, activities and projects as well as the report of the Scientific Advisory Board. In particular, the extremely positive growth in membership in 2024/2025 to currently 63 members in 17 countries, which together represent 61 cultural route stations in 14 countries, was emphasised. Seven new members, who have joined FORTE CULTURA since the beginning of 2025, introduced themselves with short presentations:

• Ehrensvärd Society, Suomenlinna (FI)
• Daugavpils City Municipal Institution “Daugavpils Fortress & Museums Administration” (LV)
• Juraj Dobrila University of Pula FET “Dr Mijo Mirkovic” (HR)
• Comune di Sant’Oreste, Bunker Soratte (IT)
• Comunita’ Montana di Valle Sabbia, Rocca d’Anfo (IT)
• Tourplus Cyprus (CY)
• University of Malta (MT)

The activity report included the two outstanding FORTE CULTURA Conferences 2024 in Strasbourg (FR) and Kostrzyn nad Odra (PL). Furthermore, the numerous activities to support our partners in Ukraine, together with EFFORTS, the FORTE CULTURA pilot and study trips with Dr Hans-Rudolf Neumann as well as FORTE CULTURA participation in various project approaches. News from the FORTE CULTURA clusters Bohemia (CZ) and Upper Rhine (DE-FR) were also presented.

Olha Tikhonova (UA), reports on the situation in Ukraine as part of her presentation “Forts as Pillars of Peace and Unity”.

Nataša Urošević (University of Pula, HR; head of the FORTE CULTURA Scientific Committee) reported on the activities of the Scientific Advisory Board 2024, including workshops and symposia, student projects, activities to build a university network to support the fortress heritage and preparations for an application by FORTE CULURA as a Council of Europe cultural route. Marcin Gorski (TU Warsaw, PL) then reported on the activities of the Scientific Advisory Board in connection with the preparation of an application for the inclusion of “mountain fortresses” on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the leadership of the Srebrna Góra Fortress (PL). He also reported on summer seminars organised by Polish student groups in the Boyen Fortress, Gizycko and in Srebrna Góra (PL).

Elections of the FORTE CULTURA Board and Scientific Advisory Board

FORTE CULTURA President Dr Frank Riesbeck (Humboldt University of Berlin, DE) stepped down after 10 years as President. The General Assembly elected Filippo Cailotto (Verona, IT) unanimously elected as new President.

Furthermore in the Managing Board were elected Dirk Röder (DE, Vice President Finance), Frauke Vos-Firnkes (DE, Vice President), Agnieszka Zurawska-Tatala (PL, Vice President Communications) and Dr Frank Riesbeck (DE, Vice President Cultural Heritage). The following were elected to the extended Board Tomáš Jirouch (Hradec Králové, CZ) and Olha Tikhonova (UA).

The previous Scientific Advisory Board under the direction of Ass. Prof. Dr. Nataša Urošević (HR) was confirmed in office. The following were newly elected Dr John Ebejer (University of Malta) and Olha Tikhonova (UA).

We would like to thank the Associazione Forte di Bard and especially Cristiano Accornero for the excellent organisation and hosting of the General Assembly 2025 and the FORTE CULTURA Congress 2025 from 26 to 29 March 2025.

The next General Assembly will take place at the end of April 2026 in La Línea de la Concepción in Spain..