The Municipality of Wermsdorf (Germany) formalized its membership of the European Network of Places of Peace following the unanimous decision of its Municipal Council.
The Municipality of Wermsdorf, chaired by Mr. Matthias Müller, has on its territory the Castle of Hubertusburg, where on February 15, 1763 the Peace Treaty known as “Peace of Hubertusburg” was signed, putting an end to the well-known “Seven Years’ War”.
The adhesion of this German public entity will certainly reinforce the work of ENPP in terms of promoting that important “place of peace”, which has already belonged to our Network since its foundation in 2010 through the Hubertusburg Castle Friendship Association, a non-profit association whose main objective is to safeguard and promote the architectural and historical heritage of the Castle of Hubertusburg.
In online format, ENPP held its Annual General Meeting on April 7, at 4 pm (Portuguese time), to discuss and vote on the management documents for the year 2021 (Rendering of Accounts and Management Report) and the Activities Plan for 2022, and an assessment of the ongoing projects at the Association was also made.
The management documents were unanimously approved by the members present.
With regard to ongoing projects, the Annual General Assembly considered the projects applied by the Association and other partners to the ERASMUS+ program, took cognizance of the application submitted by the Association for the EUROPA NOSTRA 2022 Awards, reviewed the status of the preparation of the application of sites in Europe where Peace Treaties were signed to the European Heritage Label for the 2023 evaluation period and discussed the possibility of submitting a new application of “Places of Peace Route” to Cultural Route of the Council of Europe for the 2022/2023 evaluation period in response to the invitation received in this regard from the Executive Secretary of the Extended Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.
The General Assembly was also informed of the invitation by the President of the Board of the Association Trencin European Town, a member of the ENPP, to hold the 2022 European face-to-face meeting in that Slovak city at the beginning of next September.
The war situation in Ukraine could have been avoided if the principles of dialogue and negotiation in the resolution of conflicts defended by the ENPP had prevailed, based on the historical experience of the Peace Treaties and the places where they were signed, which are part of our Network.
Unfortunately, this was not the path followed by the warring parties or other world policy makers and we are currently witnessing the immense suffering of the people of Ukraine, the separation of families and an immense influx of Ukrainian refugees.
ENPP calls on the parties to the conflict to use all windows of opportunity for dialogue and negotiation which open the way to putting an end to this war and putting an end to the harmful consequences for the European peoples, to whom the ENPP expresses its deepest and sincere solidarity.
Therefore, ENPP launched a solidarity campaign with the city of Khotyn (Ukraine), a member of the ENPP since last December, which, due to its proximity to the borders of Moldova and Romania, is receiving numerous war refugees. . According to our Ukrainian partners, the main needs focus on electrical heating equipment, water pumping equipment, beds, mattresses, food (canned goods, pasta, cereals, biscuits), medicines, medical devices and medical care aids, first aid kits and personal hygiene products.
This campaign is being conducted by ENPP members in several European countries and all those wishing to contribute should contact the ENPP members in their countries, whose contacts are available on the ENPP official website, in Portuguese, English, French and German through the link: https://placesofpeace.eu/contact/.
The European Network of Places for Peace was invited by the Minister of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan to participate and intervene in the “Peace4Culture Forum” which will take place on December 2nd, in the city of Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.
ENPP’s participation and intervention in this Forum will be the responsibility of itsPresident of the Board, Eduardo Basso, and will be held during the 2nd Plenary Session under the theme “How can we strengthen peaceful sustainable societies and the international system of peace?”.
The Forum “Peace4Culture” is part of the global program known as “Baku Process” (https://www.bakuprocess.az/), promoted by the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan since the year 2010 and which aims to promote intercultural dialogue and develop the system of peace at a global level, taking advantage of the country’s geographic location and the cultural and religious diversity of its people.
ENPP had already participated in the 3rd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue which took place in the city of Baku on the 18th and 19th of May 2015 under the theme “Sharing Culture for Shared Security”.
Photo: ADA University, Baku, the Forum venue
Dr. Georg Müller, former president of the Hubertusburg Castle Friendship Association (Wermsdorf, Germany), passed away today.
It’s really very bad news for the family, for the Hubertusburg Castle Friendship Association (Member of ENPP), for Wermsdorf and for the European Network of Places of Peace, which he co-founded and started working with in 2007 when our Network was still a project in its infancy. The dedication, enthusiasm and great commitment to publicize the Historic Heritage of the Castle of Hubertusburg are particularly noteworthy.
When in 2007 the Evorameonte Castle Friendship Association began contacts with European organizations with a view to creating the European Network of Places of Peace, the first response (and what an enthusiastic response) we received was precisely from Dr. Georg Müller, president of Hubertusburg Castle on that date Friendship Association. We especially recall the speech he made at the Peace Conference held in Évora Monte (Portugal) in December 2007 which constituted the starting point of our Network and made us sure that the project we had idealized made perfect sense.
ENPP, by the hand of its Vice President, Mr. Ulf Müller, will deliver to Dr. George Müller’s family a bunch of flowers on behalf of the European Network of Places of Peace. ENPP will also present to the family, through his son Mr. Matthias Müller, Mayor of Wermsdorf, the condolences on behalf of all members of our Network.
Our Network is in mourning. At our 13th ENPP Meeting to be held in Markranstädt (Germany) between the 14th and the 17th of October, the ENPP will pay due tribute to Dr. George Müller and will propose his posthumous appointment as an Honorary Member of the ENPP.
Photo: Dr. Georg Müller at the signing of the public deed of ENPP (Torre/Paço de Évora Monte, Portugal, 28 May 2010)
Video “Tribute Dr. Georg Müller” in https://youtu.be/8OFUxTDOh_E
Last Monday, September 20, an ENPP delegation consisting of Eduardo Basso, President of ENPP and Apolónia Rodrigues, Coordinator of Places of Peace Route, was received at the Turkish Embassy in Portugal by the Ambassador, Ms. Lale Ülker and the First counselor of the Embassy, Ms. Sükrüye Bayar Balcius following the visit that an ENPP delegation carried out at the end of August to the Turkish city of Edirne, a founding member of the association.
The ENPP delegation had the opportunity to inform the Turkish Ambassador to Portugal about the friendly way in which the ENPP delegation was received in Edirne as well as the competent and very complete program that the Municipality of Edirne prepared and implemented for that visit.
At the meeting, the ENPP delegation expressed the Network’s interest in joining other Turkish cities where other peace treaties were signed and in strengthening the collaboration ties between the association and Turkey.
At the end of the meeting, it was decided to maintain regular contacts, namely on the evolution of the ENPP’s activity in Turkey.
A delegation from ENPP, constituted by Eduardo Basso, President of the Board, Apolónia Rodrigues, Coordinator of the Places of Peace Route and Áurea Rodrigues, President of the Scientific Council, visited the city of Edirne on August 24th and 25th, whose Municipality is a founding member of the Network and which recently regained its activity in the Association through the action of its current Mayor, Mr. Recep Gürkan.
The ENPP delegation was received on the first day by the Head of the EU&International Relations Office of the city of Edirne, Ms. Ebru Karaca, who accompanied the visits to some of the main ex-libris of the City’s Cultural Heritage: Municipal Museum of the City of Edirne, Selimiye Mosque (UNESCO World Heritage), Turkish Hat Art Museum, Edirne Archeology Museum and the Bazaars of Arasta, Bedesten and Alipaşa in the morning, followed in the afternoon with visits to the Great Synagogue, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Monument of the Turkish Baby and, finally, the Monument Lozan – Monument Commemorating the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923 – the Treaty that returned the region of Edirne to the Turkish Republic.
The morning of the second day of the visit was occupied with bilateral meetings between the ENPP delegation and the Municipality of Edirne: first, with the heads of the EU&International Relations Office of the city of Edirne, during which the cross-border projects were presented involving Edirne and several Bulgarian cities, as well as the current ongoing projects of the ENPP, namely the preparation of the 13th European Meeting of the Association that will take place in the German city of Markranstädt in October. This was followed by a meeting with the Deputy Mayor of Edirne City Council, Mr. Yaver Tetik, representing the Mayor, Mr. Recep Gürkan, who was absent abroad, in which various aspects related to the city’s involvement in the ENPP, with the ENPP delegation offering a stone painted by the Evoramonte artist Inocência Lopes representing the Convention House, where the Évora Monte Convention was signed, which ended with the so-called “Liberal Wars” in 1834.
In the afternoon of this day, it was also possible to visit the Health Museum Complex (Ottoman Hospital) before the departure of the ENPP delegation.
This visit helped to strengthen the collaborative ties between ENPP and the city of Edirne, which are expected to be strengthened in the future.
In the photo: the delegation of ENPP with Deputy Mayor Mr. Yaver Tetik and the Head of EU&International Relations Office, Ms. Ebru Karaca
After a period in which it was forced to hold its meetings online, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Network of Places of Peace (ENPP) is already preparing its 13th European Meeting and 10th General Assembly, in person, the which is scheduled for the next 14th to 17th October 2021, in the German city of Markranstädt (Leipzig), the Municipality to which belongs the Altranstädt Castle, one of the most emblematic places of Places of Peace Route.
The 13th ENPP European Meeting will be organized by the Association for the Promotion of Altranstädt Castle, a founding member of the ENPP, and will be held at the premises of the Municipality of Markranstädt, whose support was essential to make the meeting possible.
The presence of delegations of ENPP members from the 9 European countries that integrate the Network is expected, as well as other public and private entities from other European countries which will be invited to participate in the meeting as observers.
This Meeting will focus its work on the discussion and approval of the 3-Year Activity Plan with which it is hoped to start a new phase in the Association’s life, namely through the reinforcement of its management structure, the increase of activities in the Route’s locations and the launch of transnational activities along the entire Route and between neighboring locations, the empowerment of the Scientific Council of Places of Peace Route as well as the support structure of this Route.
At the same time, ENPP members will discuss the Financial Plan to support the 3-Year Activity Plan, which includes greater financial involvement of Network members, namely public entities and the submission of applications for national and EU funds.
In the photo: Overview of Altranstädt Castle (see more at: https://placesofpeace.eu/destinations/altranstadt/)
ENPP and its partners in 9 EU Member States have been preparing for a few months an application from the sites in Europe where Peace Treaties have been signed to the European Heritage Label.
The European Heritage Label was created by the European Commission and the European Parliament in 2011 and aims to reinforce the feeling of belonging to the European Union by European citizens, particularly young people, based on the common values and elements of history and Europe’s cultural heritage, in enhancing national and regional diversity and in promoting mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue.
The Brand is awarded through a European selection which takes place every 2 years, having so far distinguished around 50 European sites. The selection period for the year 2021 is currently open.
Most of the sites planned to integrate the application are managed by members of ENPP and where this is not the case, the local members of the Association have been establishing cooperation agreements with the managing entities of these sites that allow them to participate actively either in the preparation of the application or in the organization and management of the Labeldevelopment plans on these sites.
In Trencin, Slovakia, a cooperation agreement was signed on 15 October between the Association Trencin European City (TREUM) run by Janka Fabová who is also a member of the ENPP Board and the Trencin Museum, run by Peter Martinisko, the manager entity of Trencin Castle, the site where on the 24th of August 1335 the precursor treaty of the Visigree Agreements was signed (in the photo).
This agreement guarantees the integration of Trencin Castle in the application for the European Heritage Label as well as establishing the principles and rules that will guide the activities to be carried out on this site, should the Label be attributed to it.
The COVID-19 epidemic spread across Europe and the world, infecting millions of people and reaching hundreds of thousands of fatalities. During the most severe period of the pandemic, life stopped in most European countries with profound restrictions on the movement of people, confinements at home, commercial and industrial activity and social life reduced to historic lows.
In a word, Europe experienced (and still lives) a real scenario of war against an invisible and unpredictable enemy, which doesn’t choose ages, gender, social classes or countries.
The experience of the European Network of Places of Peace and of all the places in Europe that constitute it proves that the majority of conflicts and wars ended with the signing of Peace Treaties which, in many cases, led to periods of great political changes and great economic and social development during which peace was a fact.
However, the war against COVID-19 will not end with a Peace Treaty as we know it, and instead of development what is expected is rather a long period of economic recession and even social setback.
While it’s true that the response to the pandemic in many European countries was rapid and competent, and the respective public health services managed to halt its growth and minimize the number of infected people and fatalities, in others such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, (4 of the 6 largest European economies) the response was not efficient and the number of infected and fatal victims revealed unexpected weaknesses in their health and civil protection systems, which even the solidarity shown by other more equipped countries was unable to hide.
On the other hand, it is important to highlight the exemplary role played by the vast majority of European citizens, materialized in numerous expressions of solidarity and good neighborliness, in popular mobilizations for mutual help and in the discipline of their behavior, a role that was (and is being) one of the essential factors in combating the pandemic and its immediate economic and social effects.
The European Network of Places of Peace, which includes public and private organizations representing various locations in Europe where Peace Treaties were signed, from Portugal to Romania, and is a bearer of the experience and historical memory of those places, considers this an opportunity to reinforce solidarity among all European countries, the exchange of experiences and mutual knowledge among all its peoples with the aim of responding to Europeans’ wishes for a Europe of Citizens and a Europe of Peace.
Therefore, both national governments and European institutions must work on the implementation of concrete measures that contribute to achieving this objective, namely in the field of public health, through a generalized and equitable increase in national and European health budgets, strengthening Universal and free National Health Services without prejudice to complementary private initiative, the generalized and equitable increase in all European countries in the number of beds available in hospitals as well as the European production of medical, diagnostic and treatment equipment and in support of research scientific approach to the prevention and treatment of epidemic outbreaks and chronic diseases;
In the field of education, through the introduction of educational content on this and other pandemics, on the effects of other wars but also on the effects and consequences of the Peace Treaties, educational content promoting solidarity, mutual aid and a culture of peace in all levels of education and with appropriate adaptations by age level;
in the economic and social fields, by promoting employment and income guarantees, by encouraging companies to produce European finished products, particularly in vital sectors such as health, communications and technology, by expanding or launching European programs in the areas of education and culture and, finally, the promotion of European Cultural Tourism, with a view to cultural exchange and better knowledge among European peoples.
All crises and wars have had terrible effects on the people who have lived through them, but they have also opened up opportunities for political, economic and social development and, therefore, Europe must enhance the opportunities this pandemic nevertheless also opens up.
April 24, 2020
The Members of the European Network of Places of Peace (in a videoconference meeting)
