Königstein Fortress, Saxony (DE): FORTE CULTURA General Meeting 2021

29 members and guests from 7 countries met at the 2021 FORTE CULTURA General Assembly at Königstein Fortress (Saxony). Under the leadership of Dirk Röder, the Executive Board and Scientific Advisory Board presented a highly impressive performance report on the activities and results of the last 15 months. Highlights included the positive network development, project developments and the extensive workshop and conference programme in cooperation with EFFORTS.

In the subsequent elections, Frank Riesbeck (DE) was re-elected as President, Frauke Vos-Firnkes (DE) as Vice President, Dirk Röder (DE) as Vice President Finance and Agnieszka Zurawska-Tatala (PL) as Vice President Communication. New members were Huibert Crijns (NL) as Vice President Cultural Heritage and Filippo Cailotto (IT) as Assessor Alps-Adriatic. Hartmut Röder (DE) did not stand for re-election. Due to his great services to FORTE CULTURA, the General Assembly made him an honorary member.

The Scientific Advisory Board was also elected. Standing for re-election were Prof. Dr Teresa Colletta (IT), Ass. Prof. Dr Nataša Urošević (HR), Ass. Prof. Dr Marcin Gorski (PL) and Dipl.-Ing. Volker K. Pachauer (AT). Dr Alexander Jordan (DE) and Dr Juan Antonio Mira Rico (ES) are new members. Further information

Bergen op Zoom (NL): Workshop "Forts Unchained"

In Bergen op Zoom came EFFORTSwhich Liberation Route Europe and FORTE CULTURA to discuss the role of fortresses in the Second World War. Fortresses were often used as concentration camps and prisons during the Second World War or were the scene of heavy warfare. Many of these sites are now memorials and offer exhibitions to commemorate this period. Due to their orientation, both cultural routes can reflect on this topic together. The project approach under discussion is intended to reappraise the Second World War in fortress monuments and realise it for tourism. Fortress sites with a corresponding history are invited to participate in the project.

Karlovac (HR): Workshop HERITAGE AND PROMOTION

As part of the Interreg - IPA CBC project FORTITUDE a specialist workshop on the subject of heritage and promotion was held in the fortress city of Karlovac in October under the direction of Dirk Röder and Rafael Deroo. Project partners are the Sibenik Cultural Fortresswhich The ideal fortress town of Karlovac (both HR), the Fortified town of Herceg Novi (BA) and the city of Banja Luka (ME). The two-day workshop dealt with issues relating to the management and sustainable use of fortresses, digitalisation and digital marketing for fortresses and the development of fortress tourism using the example of the fortress town of Karlovac and the Dubovac Castle.

Dömitz (DE): Study project of the Warsaw University of Technology on Dömitz Fortress

Under the title "Reintegration, renovation and upgrading of the tourist functions of Dömitz Fortress", students from Warsaw University of Technology visited Dömitz Fortress at the beginning of the winter semester. All areas of the fortress and former ideal fortress town were analysed in a four-day survey in order to develop concepts and proposed solutions over the winter. A lack of funding for renovation work in Dömitz recently led to the closure of parts of the fortress. The study project was initiated by FORTE CULTURA and is led by Marcin Gorski (Warsaw University of Technology and member of the FORTE CULTURA Scientific Advisory Board).

's-Hertogenbosch (NL): Fortified town with citadel becomes the first FORTE CULTURA centre in the Netherlands

The fortified city of 's-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch for short) is the capital of the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant and boasts an extraordinary fortified heritage with its city walls and citadel. Den Bosch is also extremely innovative in its approach, as can be seen in the visitor centre in the Bollwerk Sankt Johann, a multi-storey car park integrated into the fortifications, or in the digital Den Bosch Time Machine project. The city is also a founding member of EFFORTS and has been supporting the cultural heritage of fortified monuments in Europe for many years. By joining FORTE CULTURA, the city's fortress marketing is to be supported and the fortress tourism offers in Den Bosch expanded and internationally networked. We are looking forward to the co-operation.

Four á Chaux, Lembach (FR): New FORTE CULTURA centre in Alsace

The Four à Chaux in Lembach is an underground fortification of the Maginot Line from the 20th century. Managed and organised by the Association des Amis de la Ligne Maginot de Lembach, tens of thousands of visitors marvel at the extensive complex every year. Many exciting features, from the retractable machine gun cupola to the escape room, make the fort a popular excursion destination in Alsace. We are looking forward to intensifying our cooperation with President Joseph Haensli and his team, which has already begun successfully as part of the Upper Rhine Fortress Co-operation.

Ziegenhain (DE): European Fortress Summer

FORTE CULTURA meets renew Europe in the fortress and confirmation town of Ziegenhain
At the end of August, the town of Ziegenhain and the Renew Europe political group took the European Fortress Summer as an opportunity to organise a lavish summer party on the parade ground in the fortress town. Host Engin Eroglu (MEP) welcomed almost 200 invited guests, including Frauke Vos-Firnkes and Dirk Röder from the FORTE CULTURA board. In his speech, the latter emphasised the role of fortress monuments for a free and sustainable Europe.

Germersheim (DE): 4th symposium on the expansion of fortress cooperation on the Upper Rhine

The Upper Rhine region is one of the European regions with the most fortified monuments from 2000 years of history. Since the fortified town of Germersheim joined FORTE CULTURA in 2017, a Franco-German cooperation network for fortress tourism has been established in the Upper Rhine region. The 4th symposium dealt with the question of how cross-border tourism for the fortress monuments of the Upper Rhine region can be organised in cooperation with the European cultural route FORTE CULTURA. The practice-orientated content provided information on the path from fortified monument to booked tourist destination. Specific travel modules for fortress tourism on the Upper Rhine were developed in workshop sessions.

Pula (HR) - Berlin (DE): Online conference with 105 registrations from 17 countries

On 6 May, the joint scientific committee FORTE CULTURA / EFFORTS organised an evaluation conference on the "Sustainable valorisation of the cultural heritage of fortified monuments", which was hosted by the Juraj Dobrila University in Pula (HR). Exciting contributions on best practice from Croatia, Poland, Italy, Montenegro and FORTE CULTURA should help to stimulate transnational discussions and knowledge transfer on important topics for the fortress heritage. The conference demonstrated the great need for exchange at European level. It is therefore intended as a prelude, further events are planned and financial support will be sought. The recording of the conference can be viewed at FORTE CULTURA YouTube channel be seen as an opportunity.

European Fortress Summer 2021 mit Pressekonferenz am Oberrhein gestartet

Am 15. April wurde in Germersheim im Rahmen einer Pressekonferenz der Europäische Festungssommer 2021 eingeläutet.

Die 2018 von FORTE CULTURA entwickelte Kampagne zur Vermarktung von Sommerevents in Festungen wird ab diesem Jahr gemeinsam mit EFFORTS durchgeführt und erhält ein neues Label. Zum Europäischen Festungssommer gehören u.a. der „Kultursommer Elbe-Festungen“, der „Festungssommer Oberrhein“ sowie viele weitere Events und Eventserien.

All fortresses (including non-members) are invited to take part.

New marketing instruments "Cultural heritage fortress monuments on the Upper Rhine"

On the initiative of the fortress town of Germersheim, supported by the PAMINA Eurodistrict and the Baden-Alsace-Palatinate Tourist Association (Vis-à-Vis), FORTE CULTURA has developed a fortress flyer with a map, a stamp pass and a travelling exhibition on behalf of the Upper Rhine Marketing Association.

The marketing tools are now available from the 30 participating fortresses and museums and will accompany the Fortress Summer Upper Rhine from 15 April to 31 October 2021. Further information can be found in the section Upper Rhine on our website.

New FORTE CULTURA station(s) on the Upper Rhine (DE-FR)

We welcome the regional fortress group "Fortresses and defence history on the Upper Rhine 1929 - 1999" with the Dettenheim Bunker Museum, the Hausach Bunker Tour, the Hornisgrinde Bunker, the Neumühl Camouflage Bunker, the Emilie Museum Bunker (all DE) and the Musée Mémorial Walbourg (2MCLADN, FR) as new FORTE CULTURA stations in our network. The fortress group is part of the Franco-German initiative of 30 fortress monuments and museums on the Upper Rhine, which also includes the fortified town of Germersheim and Fort Schoenenbourg.

Sandomierz (PL): New FORTE CULTURA centre on the Vistula

Sandomierz is located on the western bank of the Vistula in the Holy Cross Voivodeship. The formerly fortified old town with its central town hall square is home to buildings from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods. It is one of the most beautiful and best preserved in the whole of Poland. The fortified Casimir Castle from the 14th century towers in front of the town and guards the small harbour. A bastion in the west of the city, the underground passages and rooms of the old town and the many churches are also fascinating. With the Sandomierz Cultural Centre, FORTE CULTURA has another strong partner from Poland.