Extreme Car Show in Park (Over-the-top Car Exhibition in Park) - Borders crossed: Muskauer Park undergoing renovation in neighboring region
Muskauer Park Receives Global Recognition, Spurring Cross-border Restoration
Following its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the transboundary restoration of Muskauer Park has taken place between Germany and Poland. According to the managing director of the Stiftung Fürst-Pückler-Park Bad Muskau, Cord Panning, the title was instrumental in making the renovation possible, as without it, the park would have remained a decaying relic.
Previously, the park bore the appearance of a ruin, with remnants of both nature reclaiming the area and human intervention gone wrong. With the help of federal, Warsaw, and Saxon funding, central sections have now been restored. Panning firmly believes that the World Heritage status was essential for this transformation to take place.
On the occasion marking the 20th anniversary of this World Heritage title, the history of the park was commemorated on both sides of the border. Saxony's Minister of Culture, Barbara Klepsch, was among the guests at a ceremony held in the park. Klepsch praised the recognition as a World Heritage Site as a remarkable success story, highlighting its contribution to the structural transformation of Lusatia and the increased attractiveness of the region.
Established in the early 19th century by Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau, Muskauer Park is a unique European landscape park and an artistic ideal landscape. The prince incorporated the Neisse River into his design, which later became a border river following World War II. Since 1945, the approximately 830-hectare park has covered two-thirds of Polish territory. The joint application by Germany and Poland for inclusion on the UNESCO list was aided by a policy change that supported transnational projects outside of purely national sites.
In July 2004, the Muskauer Park was granted World Heritage status by the UNESCO committee in Suzhou, China. The decision was based on the park's exceptionally outstanding representation of a European landscape park and an artistic ideal landscape. The new commemorative plaque, which features the same inscription in four languages and replaces a stolen bronze plaque from 2005, was unveiled on Wednesday on the double bridge at Jeanetten Island.
For the preservation of Muskauer Park as a binational World Heritage site, the foundation on the German side collaborates with the National Institute for Cultural Heritage in Warsaw and its branch office in Łęknica. Since 1993, around 60 million euros have been invested in restoring and maintaining the park on the German side.
According to Panning, the park is slowly but surely regaining its former glory. The areas in both countries that had long been separated after the border was drawn are being restored, with lost sight axes reestablished and bridges in Pückler's garden art rebuilt. In addition, the New Palace, which stood as a ruin in the park for decades after burning down shortly before the end of World War II, has been reconstructed.
The park attracts approximately 330,000 visitors annually, with the number of Polish visitors significantly increasing in recent years. Moreover, in addition to celebrations at Bad Muskau, the cross-border World Heritage sites of the Montanregion Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří and the Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine are also joining in the festivities this World Heritage Day under the theme "Mediate, connect, inspire." The main celebration in Saxony will take place in Dippoldiswalde. Klepsch commended the three Saxon World Heritage sites for their importance to culture and tourism, noting that they preserve our cultural heritage and are unique destinations that welcome visitors from all over the world.
- The cross-border restoration of Muskauer Park, inspired by its World Heritage status, has led to a significant improvement in the community policy and lifestyle of the surrounding areas, making it more attractive to tourists and promoting a sense of unity between Germany and Poland.
- As the New Palace in Muskauer Park, a home-and-garden masterpiece, is reconstructed, the park's employment policy is also experiencing a boost, with increased job opportunities in the restoration, maintenance, and tourism sectors on both sides of the border.
