“PLACES OF PEACE” AWARDED THE EUROPEAN HERITAGE LABEL

The European Commission announced today, February 25, 2026, that the transnational application “Places of Peace”, submitted in 2025, which includes 7 European sites associated with the signing of Peace Treaties, has been awarded the European Heritage Label.

This transnational site application (https://placesofpeace.eu/ehl/)includes the following European sites: Monastery of St. Francis (Zadar, Croatia); Kaynardzha Historical Fountain Park (Kaynardzha, Bulgaria), Paço dos Henriques (Alcáçovas, Portugal), Evoramonte Convention House (Evoramonte, Portugal), Convent of São Francisco/Historic Complex of Alcañices (Alcañices, Spain), House of Peace (Vasvár, Hungary) and Trencin Castle (Trencin, Slovakia).

The official website of the European Heritage Label, where this European award is announced, highlights that the participating sites “… are united by their role in formalizing peace agreements that reshaped territories, power relations and governance systems across Europe” and that the Places of Peace “… illustrate peace not as an isolated event, but as a recurring European process. The group (of sites) highlights the emergence of diplomacy, international law and mutual recognition as common foundations of European history, underlining peace as one of Europe’s most enduring and defining values.”

This award will, in the future, make an important contribution to the visibility at the European level of all the sites that are part of the transnational site and the locations where they are situated.

The transnational application “Places of Peace” was promoted by the European Network of Places of Peace (ENPP) and submitted, in accordance with the rules of the European Heritage Label, in a Member State of the European Union, in this case, the Member State of Croatia, with the Municipality of Zadar, a member of the ENPP, as the coordinating entity in partnership with the Monastery of St. Francis of Zadar and the University of Zadar. The application also obtains the prior approval of the Ministries of Culture and Heritage Agencies of all Member States where the awarded sites are located.

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East German Cultural Associations Day

The Hubertusburg Castle Friendship Association, a founding member of the ENPP, took part on 9 and 10 May in the event called “East German Cultural Associations Day”, which brought together more than 100 representatives of cultural associations from the German states of Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony in the city of Wittenberg. At this event, the Association had the opportunity to publicise its work in promoting Hubertusburg Castle, the place where the Peace Treaty ending the Seven Years’ War (1756/1763) was signed, as well as ENPP’s activity as a network that brings together several places in Europe where Peace Treaties were signed, namely the network’s most recent activity in the management of ERASMUS+ projects.
The ERASMUS+ projects managed by ENPP since 2022 to date have involved the participation of more than 250 young people and youthworkers from 14 European countries and the respective international mobility activities have been carried out in 5 different countries, the last of which was held in Germany, in the city of Wermsdorf, where Hubertusburg Castle and the headquarters of its League of Friends are located.
During its participation in this meeting of cultural associations, the Hubertusburg Castle Friendship Association released a short video promoting Hubertusburg Castle, which has the particularity of having been starred by 2 young participants in the ERASMUS+ projects managed by ENPP (see it at: https://youtu.be/uiV001XEHHk, spoken in German and with English subtitles).

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“PLACES OF PEACE” APPLICATION FOR EUROPEAN HERITAGE LABEL HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO EUROPEAN SELECTION

The transnational application “Places of Peace” for the European Heritage Label (EHL) was submitted on 28 February to the European selection by the Government of Croatia, the Member State of the European Union where it had been submitted for evaluation in the national phase.

The current submission to the European selection was already expected by the promoters of the candidacy given the unconditional support expressed since the beginning of its preparation by the Croatian Government through its Ministry of Culture and the Croatian National Coordinator of EHL, Ms. Anuška Deranja-Crnokić.

The European Heritage Label, established in 2011 by a joint decision of the European Parliament and the European Commission, aims to distinguish “sites that symbolise important stages in the creation of today’s Europe and the role they have played in the history and culture of Europe“. The “Places of Peace” application is a transnational application which includes 7 sites associated with the signing of Peace Treaties located in 6 Member States of the European Union: Monastery of Saint Francis of Zadar (Croatia), Park of the Historic Fountain of Kaynardzha (Bulgaria), Paço dos Henriques of Alcáçovas (Portugal), Convento de San Francisco/Historic Complex of Alcañices (Spain), Convention House of Évora Monte (Portugal), House of Peace of Vasvár (Hungary) and Trencin Castle (Slovakia). The two German sites initially planned to be included in this application (Hubertusburg Castle and Altranstädt Castle) were forced to withdraw due to bureaucratic procedures and other constraints of the German State.

The application highlights the importance of the Intangible Heritage associated with these sites – Peace – as well as the way in which they combine this Heritage with the active pursuit of promoting a Culture of Peace and the fact that all of them are currently accessible to the public, housing various facilities: interpretation centers, art exhibitions related to their Heritage, public libraries, tourist offices, conference rooms and auditoriums, among others.

The application is coordinated by the Municipality of Zadar, Croatia, and after the submission to the European selection process, it will now go through a phase of verification of its eligibility and then a qualitative evaluation phase, carried out by an International Panel of Experts appointed for this purpose by the European Commission.

The “Places of Peace” application was sponsored by the European Network of Places of Peace (ENPP) since the vast majority of public entities that currently manage the candidate sites are members of this European Association, which is based in Portugal, in the historic town of Évora Monte.

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“PLACES OF PEACE” APPLICATION FOR THE EUROPEAN HERITAGE LABEL SUBMITTED IN CROATIA

The “Places of Peace” application for the European Heritage Label was submitted on 30 January in Croatia, a Member State of the European Union.

The European Heritage Label, established in 2011 by a joint decision of the European Parliament and the European Commission, aims to distinguish “sites that symbolise important stages in the creation of today’s Europe and the role they played in the history and culture of Europe”

The “Places of Peace” is a transnational application which includes 7 sites associated with the signing of Peace Treaties located in 6 Member States of the European Union: Monastery of St. Francis of Zadar (Croatia), Park of Historical Fountain of Kaynardzha (Bulgaria) , Paço dos Henriques of Alcáçovas (Portugal), Convento de San Francisco/Historic Complex of Alcañices (Spain), Convention House of Évora Monte (Portugal), House of Peace of Vasvár (Hungary) and Trencin Castle (Slovakia).

The application highlights the importance of the Intangible Heritage associated with these sites – Peace – as well as the way in which they combine this Heritage with the active pursuit of promoting a Culture of Peace and the fact that they are all currently accessible to the public, housing diverse facilities: interpretation centers, art exhibitions related to its Heritage, public libraries, tourist offices, conference rooms and auditoriums, among others.

The application has as coordinator Municipality of Zadar, Croatia, and will now be assessed by the Government of this Member State and, if approved, will then be submitted to the European selection.

The “Places of Peace” application was sponsored by the European Network of Places of Peace (ENPP) since the vast majority of public entities that currently manage the candidate sites are members of this European Association, based in Portugal, in the historic village of Évora Monte.

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190 Years of the Évora Monte Convention with children

A few dozen children from the Basic Education Schools of Caldeiro and Mata (Estremoz) and Évora Monte participated throughout the morning of May 27th in a set of activities commemorating the 190th Anniversary of the Évora Monte Convention, in an initiative organized by the Teachers Ana Basaloco and Sílvia Cuco, from the Education Department of the Municipality of Estremoz.
The activities took place in the Historic Center of Évora Monte (Portugal) and the children had the opportunity to watch a video about the Introduction of Liberalism in Portugal in the Torre/Paço of Évora Monte, they visited the Exhibition “Celebrating Peace” in that space and the Interpretative Center of Convention of Évora Monte installed in the House where the Convention was signed on May 26, 1834 and they made a short visit to the main points of heritage interest of the site.
This initiative had the support of the European Network of Places of Peace  (ENPP) which was represented by its President, Professor Eduardo Basso and comes as a result of the ERASMUS+ Training Course carried out by ENPP in Bulgaria in October/November 2023,
in which the two teachers responsible for its organization participated.

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Exhibition “CELEBRATING PEACE” at Torre/Paço of Évora Monte (Portugal)

On the initiative of the European Network of Places of Peace (ENPP), the exhibition entitled “Celebrating Peace” was inaugurated on the 24th of May, which will be open to the public in the Torre/Paço de Évora Monte (Portugal) until the 16th of June, during the opening hours of that space.
The Exhibition “Celebrating Peace” was organized by the Department of History of the School of Social Sciences of the University of Évora (Portugal), under the coordination of Professors Mafalda Soares da Cunha and Ana Sofia Ribeiro and consists of 17 panels created by teachers and master’s and undergraduate students in History from that Department which address the theme of Peace from different perspectives and areas.
This ENPP initiative coincides with the period in which 190 years have passed since the date of the Signing of the Évora Monte Convention (May 26, 1834), the peace treaty that ended the Civil War that broke out in Portugal in the third decade of the XIX century.
Entry is free.

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THE CITY OF WAGENINGEN (NETHERLANDS) CELEBRATES THE GERMAN CAPITULATION

On the 4th and 5th of May, the city of Wageningen (The Netherlands) commemorates the German Military Capitulation signed at the Hotel De Wereld in that city and which led to the end of the Second World War (WWII) a few days later.
This year’s event has a vast program with military ceremonies, live music, meetings with war veterans and recreational and sporting activities.
The program for May 4th highlights the Silent Procession from the Church of S. João Baptista to the “Monuments of the Fallen”, the Fire of Freedom and the Freedom Race in which 2,500 athletes are expected to participate.
On May 5th, it will be the turn of the National Commemoration of the Capitulation of 1945 and the Freedom Parade that honors the international military cooperation that led to the defeat of Hitler’s armies.
Also on this day, the event “Children are in charge”, live music shows on 15 stages spread across the city and meetings between WWII Veterans with the population will take place. Great World War . The day ends with the “Freedom Meal” in which around 790 guests will participate at a 400 meter long table.
The Commemoration of the German Capitulation is an organization of the National Committee Wageningen45.

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TRANSNATIONAL APPLICATION “PLACES OF PEACE” TO THE EUROPEAN HERITAGE LABEL WAS APPROVED IN CROATIA AND SUBMITTED TO THE EUROPEAN SELECTION

The transnational application “Places of Peace”, which integrates 7 sites located in 6 EU Member States, was approved by the Government of Croatia, the country where it was submitted to the national selection, and has already been submitted by the Croatian authorities to the European Commission for selection purposes at European level with the explicit approval of the Governments (Ministries of Culture) of all the countries in which the places that integrate it are located.

The “Places of Peace” application aims to award the European Heritage Label to the 7 places that constitute it, all of them European places where important Peace Treaties were signed: Paço dos Henriques (Alcáçovas, Portugal), Évora Monte Convention House (Évora Monte, Portugal), Historic Complex of Alcañices (Alcañices, Spain), Trencin Castle (Trencin, Slovakia), House of Peace (Vasvár, Hungary), Monastery of Sf. Francis (Zadar, Croatia) and Park of Histoical Fountain of Kaynardzha (Kaynardzha, Bulgaria).

It should be noted that all these places are part of the Places of Peace Route and that their management entities, all public entities, are members of the Association European Network of Places of Peace, which promoted the preparation and submission of the transnational application “Places of Peace”.

Approval is now awaited by the European Commission, which, if it becomes a reality, will allow not only to give European visibility to this 7 sites where Peace Treaties were signed, but also to carry out a series of actions to enhance the value of these sites.

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The European Network of Places of Peace present at the “Peace4Culture Forum” in Baku (Azerbaijan)

The European Network of Places of Peace (ENPP) was present at the 1st Edition of the “Peace4Culture Partners Forum” which took place on December 2nd at the University of Baku, in the capital of Azerbaijan, at the initiative of the Minister of Culture of that country, Mr .Anar Karimov. The ENPP representation was in charge of its President of the Board, Eduardo Basso, who presented a paper entitled “European Network of Places of Peace – An example of multilateral cooperation in Europe” during the 3rd Forum Plenary Session entitled “The Peace and Security Challenges: building multilateral cooperation“.

The Forum’s inaugural session was attended by, among others, Mr. Hikmat Hajiyev, International Policy Advisor to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr.  Anar Karimov, Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan and Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, High Representative of the Nations United for the Alliance of Civilizations.
At one of the breaks in the sessions, guest speakers and moderators were welcomed by the Head of the Organization of Muslims of the Caucasus, Grand Mufti Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade.

On the second day of presence in Azerbaijan, the ENPP representative joined a group of speakers and moderators on a visit to the city of Shusha, considered the Cultural Capital of Azerbaijan and which was occupied by Armenia from 1992 until 8 November 2020, when was released by action of the Azerbaijani Army. On this visit, it was possible to observe the degree of destruction caused by the War between the two countries and the Armenian occupation, but also the gigantic effort that the Government of Azerbaijan has already made and continues to make to recover the Historical and Architectural Heritage of the city of Shusha.

With the accomplishment of the 1st “Peace4Culture Partners Forum“, the Government of Azerbaijan kicked off a broader initiative, the “Peace4Culture Call“, which will implement other projects under the general theme “Peace4Culture” to be launched soon.

In the Photo: An aspect of the Closing Session of Peace4Culture Partners Forum with Mr. Anar Karimov, Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan

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ENPP JOINED THE “RINGING THE BELLS FOR PEACE&HERITAGE” INITIATIVE

 

On September 21st the bells will ring across Europe

This Tuesday, 21st of September, celebrates 40 years of the institution by the General Assembly of the United Nations of the International Day of Peace.
To mark this date, the European civic association “Europa Nostra” has launched a Europe-wide initiative called “Ringing the Bells for Peace&Heritage” which consists of a simultaneous ringing of bells at 12:00 (Time of Central Europe)  in hundreds of towns and cities across Europe, also coinciding with the 2021 European Cultural Heritage Conference in Venice (Italy).
Since this initiative fits into the main objectives of the association, namely with regard to the dissemination of a culture of peace and the defense of the Heritage of Peace, the European Network of Places for Peace (ENPP) joined the initiative of “Europa Nostra” and encouraged its members to actively participate in it on 21 September.
Thus, at the same time as many other places in Europe, the bells will also ring at least in the following places in our Network: Alcáçovas, Portugal (Igreja Matriz), Évora Monte, Portugal (Igreja de S. Pedro), Hubertusburg Castle, Wermsdorf, Germany (Catholic Church), Trencin, Slovakia, Zadar, Croatia and  Kaynardzha, Bulgaria.
Anyone wishing to join the initiative in these places will simply publish a photograph or video captured during the period in which the bells will ring on Social Media, mentioning the hashtag #Ringingthebells.

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