Zadar (Croatia) celebrated its Peace Treaty once again

On February 18th, as in previous years, the city of Zadar celebrated its Peace Treaty at the place where it was signed 668 years ago – the Convent of St. Francis of Zadar.

The Treaty of Zadar ended the long war between the Republic of Venice and the Kingdom of Croatia and Hungary, and in the period following its signing, the cities of Dalmatia, thanks to their connection with the natural interior of Croatia, Bosnia and Hungary, flourished on a social, economic and cultural level. This was a golden period in the history of Zadar, which was widely reflected in the Dalmatian region and is still felt today in the life of this city.

As in previous years, this year’s Commemoration was a joint organization of the Municipality of Zadar, represented by Anita Gržan Martinović, specialist in International Cooperation, and the “Islands of Zadar” Primary School, represented by Professor Anamarija Botica Miljanović, and was hosted by Dr. sc. Fra Stipe Nosić, Guardian of the Monastery of Saint Francis.

In addition to the organizing school – Islands of Zadar – this year’s participants included Nova Private Primary School, Stanovi Primary School, Petar Preradović Primary School, Šime Budinić Primary School, Šimun Kožičić Benje Primary School, Jordanovac Kindergarten, St. Benedict Elementary Music School, as well as the School of Applied Arts and Design, Slobodan Mijolović on behalf of Athletic Club Alojzije Stepinac, Dario Tikulin, and many other personalities from the city of Zadar.

This Commemoration resulted from the Municipality of Zadar joining in the European Network of Places of Peace (ENPP) in 2012, and since then it has been held with increasing involvement from institutions, schools, and the city’s population.

It should be recalled that the Municipality of Zadar, in partnership with the Monastery of St. Francis and the University of Zadar, is the coordinating entity for the “Places of Peace” application submitted in February 2025 to the European Heritage Label (EHL), along with 6 other sites spread across Europe (Park of Historical Fountain of Kaynardzha Park, Bulgaria; Palace of Henriques of Alcáçovas, Portugal; Convent of St. Francis of Alcañices, Spain; House of the Convention of Évora Monte, Portugal; House of Peace of Vasvár, Hungary and Trencin Castle, Slovakia) and whose final result is expected to be announced on February 24th.

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“PEACETOUR” linked the 2 Places of Peace in Saxony (Germany)

Several members of the Association for the Promotion of Altransädt Castle (Germany), a founding member of ENPP, promoted the bicycle connection between the 2 Places of Peace  in Saxony.
On May 4th, they covered the 76 km that separate Altranstädt from Wermsdorf, the city where Hubertusburg Castle is located, in an action to promote peace which is both necessary and important in the troubled times we are going through.
During the route, which lasted around 6 hours, the cyclists visited several locations and took the opportunity to carry out actions to promote Peace, the main objective of this initiative.
Upon arrival at Hubertusburg Castle, where the Peace Treaty putting an end to the well-known Seven Years’ War was signed, they were received by Mrs. Martina Lotzmann, from the Board of Hubertusburg Castle Friendship Association, also a founding member of ENPP, who provided an interesting and well-documented guided tour of this Castle.
On May 5th, the participating cyclists made the return journey with the pride of having covered more than 150 km promoting Peace.

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Croatia: 666 Years of the Treaty of Zadar celebrated

For the 12th consecutive year, the city of Zadar celebrated the signing of its 666-year-old Peace Treaty.
The Celebration took place on Friday, February 16th, with the Monastery of St. Francis as its center, organized by the “Islands of Zadar” Primary School Museum “Heritage and Peace”, head by Prof. Anamaija Botica with the suport of the Municipality of Zadar, a member of ENPP.
Before the Commemorative Session, a historic procession that also included students from that school and traditional groups from this Croatian region, traveled through some central streets of the city to the Monastery where the Peace Treaty was signed on February 18, 1358.
The President of ENPP, Eduardo Basso, sent a congratulatory message for this Commemoration which was read during the Commemorative Session by Anita Grzan-Martinovic, head of the Department of International Relations of the Municipality of Zadar and member of the ENPP Board. In this message, the President of ENPP congratulates the continued struggle for Peace led by the city of Zadar and calls on the main European institutions to act in accordance with the interests of all European peoples and with the very principles that guided its constitution, guiding its action to put an end to this war and create the conditions to guarantee lasting peace for all the Ukrainian people and to prevent the spread of this war and its consequences for the remaining European peoples, adding that Peace in Europe and in the World will never  will be achieved by force of arms but by dialogue and negotiation.
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Altranstädt celebrates Poppy Day 2023

The Association for the Promotion of Altranstädt Castle, a founding member of ENPP, as in previous years, celebrated “Poppy Day” yesterday, November 11th, with the placing of bouquets of flowers in memory of the combatants who disappeared during the First World War World Cup 1914/1918.
“Poppy Day” or “Remembrance Day” is celebrated on the 11th of November each year in England and in many countries in Central and Northern Europe, marking the day, month and time (11 am on the 11th of month 11) in which the Armistice was signed, ending that bloody war that involved the greatest world powers at the time.

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Altranstädt Castle holds its Annual Festival

As in previous years, the Association for the Promotion of Altranstädt Castle (Germany), a founding member of ENPP, is promoting its Annual Party which will take place on the 10th of September, starting at 1pm, in the Castle gardens where in September 24, 1706, the Peace Treaty, known as the Peace of Altransträdt, was signed.
The program for this event includes several musical concerts, a Conference on the theme “Altranstädt Church through the ages”, historical camp and guided tours of Altranstädt Castle as well as gastronomic gatherings and the production of handmade materials by participating children.

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Municipality of Estremoz (Portugal) submitted “PEACE GAMES” application to the CREATIVE EUROPE program

The Municipality of Estremoz and another 6 Municipalities from 6 European Countries submitted yesterday an application entitled “PEACE GAMES” to the CREATIVE EUROPE program of the European Union. In addition to the Municipality of Estremoz as lead partner, this application includes the Municipalities of Zadar (Croatia), Khotyn (Ukraine), Vasvár (Hungary), Kaynardzha (Bulgaria), Alcañices (Spain) and Viana do Alentejo (Portugal), all members members of the Association European Network of Places of Peace (ENPP).
The application was presented in the “Medium Scale” category and is a cultural cooperation project between places in Europe where relevant Peace Treaties were signed, which will promote the circulation of groups and artists from different areas (Music, Theatre, Crafts, Visual Arts and Sciences/History) from all the countries that integrate it with the aim of creating cultural products that appeal and promote Peace among the European Peoples.
During the execution of the project, multinational teams will be created which will carry out several online meetings and face-to-face meetings in the different places and countries that are part of the application, with the objective of reinforcing the feeling of belonging of the European peoples to the European Union, as well as to implement a Culture of Peace in Europe, namely from the perspective that Peace is not a given, as the current war situation in Europe proves.
If approved, the project will last for 4 years (2024/2027) and will culminate in a major event with the participation of all multinational teams and all member countries (PEACE GAMES) to be held in the city of Estremoz (Portugal) on the 2nd. quarter of 2027.

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HUBERTUSBURG CASTLE WILL CELEBRATE 260 YEARS OF THE SIGNING OF ITS PEACE TREATY

On the 18th of February, the Commemorations of the 260th anniversary of the signing of the Peace of Hubertusburg, which put an end to the well-known Seven Years’ War, will animate Hubertusburg Castle, Wermsdorf, Germany, the place where the negotiations took place and the Peace Treaty was signed.

The Hubertusburg Castle Friendship Association, a founding member of the ENPP, organizes a Baroque Music Concert at 6 pm on that day performed by the Lausitzer Barockensemble, comprising Magdalena Spielmann, Eleni Ioannidou, Szczepan Dembiński and Adam Piotr Rorat, who will perform pieces from the composers Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759), Johann Adolf Hasse (1699-1783), Antonio Lotti (1667-1740), Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) and Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762).

Before this concert, the courtyard of Hubertusburg Castle will be the stage for a historic performance by various local historical associations, which will “include” some of the most prominent figures in the peace negotiations and the signing of the Treaty, such as the Saxon Elector, Friedrich August II and the Prussian King Friedrich II.

On the occasion of the commemorative date of the signing of the Peace of Hubertusburg, on February 15th, the German radio station “Westdeutscher Rundfunk” will broadcast a program lasting 10 minutes dedicated to this Peace Treaty and called “Signs of the Times” in which will participate Mr. Ulf Müller, former member of the ENPP Board and current Associate Member and Ms. Martina Lotzmann, member of Hubertusburg Castle Friendship Association.

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Alcáçovas (Portugal) celebrates 543 years of its Peace Treaty

On the 4th of September, the village of Alcáçovas (Portugal) celebrates the 543rd anniversary of the signing of the Peace Treaty of Alcáçovas, signed between the Kingdoms of Portugal and Castile, which put an end to the so-called “War of the Succession of the Throne of Castile”. ” and defined for the first time the division of the world between these two kingdoms and opening the door to the maritime expansion of the two peninsular kingdoms.
The Commemorations of the Treaty of Alcáçovas (also known as the Treaty of Alcáçovas/Toledo) will take place from 5 pm at Paço dos Henriques (place where the peace negotiations took place) and its Program includes an Official and Institutional Ceremony, a Historical Recreation by the Scenic Group of “Sociedade União Alcaçovense” and at 6 pm an Exhibition entitled “O Paço dos Henriques: History and Memory”, by Fátima Farrica will be inaugurated. The Celebrations end with a Medieval Music concert by the group “Barro Negro” at 9 pm.
The Commemorations of the Treaty of Alcáçovas are part of the Cultural Week program of that Portuguese village and are an organization of the Parish of Alcáçovas, a member of the ENPP and the Sociedade União Alcaçovense, with the support of the Municipality of Viana do Alentejo and Evoramonte Castle Friendship Association, both members of the ENPP.

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GUIDED TOURS TO EVORAMONTE CASTLE

The Municipality of Estremoz (Portugal), a member of ENPP,  informs that as of this month of June, as a cultural offer, guided visits to the Castle of Évoramonte, which includes the medieval urban centre, the Tower/Paço Ducal, the Churches and the Interpretive Center of the Convention of Évora Monte.
Two daily visits will be available, at 10:30 am and 4:00 pm, from Tuesday to Sunday, in Portuguese, English, French or German.
Interested parties can make an appointment by calling (+351) 268950025 or by e-mail: museu.municipal@cm-estremoz.pt, or simply go to the Torre/Paço Ducal of Évora Monte at one of the indicated times.
Visits are free and will run from June to September.
#ViveEstremoz

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TOWER/PAÇO DE ÉVORA MONTE WILL BE MANAGED BY THE MUNICIPALITY OF ESTREMOZ (PORTUGAL)

In a symbolic ceremony held today in Évora Monte (Portugal), the management of the main monument in this town (the Tower/Paço) has definitively passed into the hands of the Municipality of Estremoz, a member of the ENPP.
The key to this monument, classified as a Portuguese National Monument since 1911, was handed over by the Regional Director of Culture of Alentejo, Dr. Paula Amendoeira, to the Mayor of Estremoz, Prof. José Daniel Sadio (in the photo).
With this transfer of management, the conditions are created for a more frequent and adequate use of this important space in the Castle of Évora Monte, the place where the Convention that ended the bloody Civil War that Portugal knew in the first quarter of the 19th century was signed.
During the session, a Cultural Development Plan for the Castle of Évora Monte was also presented, which, among other actions, provides for regular guided tours to the main places of interest in the site, namely the Tower/Paço, the Convention House and the Évora Monte Convention Interpretive Center, the Santa Maria Church and the Misericórdia Chapel.
In the Tower/Paço, consisting of 3 floors, there will be a temporary exhibition room, an exhibition about this monument and a museum of medieval tombstones.

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