The Federal Foreign Office’s Cultural Preservation Programme
Usbekistan: restauration of the mausoleum Shadi Mulk-Aga in Samarkand
Since 1981, Germany has been supporting the preservation of cultural heritage across the globe as part of the Federal Foreign Office’s Cultural Preservation Programme.
Funding is provided for projects
- to safeguard cultural heritage in developing countries
- to safeguard Germany’s cultural heritage abroad, except for in historical settlement areas
The programme is primarily designed to help developing countries build a sense of national identity, thus promoting the sort of intercultural dialogue between equal partners that is sought by Germany. It has become a highly effective instrument of Germany’s foreign cultural and education policy.
Between 1981 and 2005, some EUR 34.3 million were made available to fund a total of more than 1,300 projects in 132 countries, mainly in the following areas:
- restoration of historical secular and sacred buildings
- restoration of historical artefacts
- restoration of manuscripts
- support and equipping of museums/archives for the preservation of cultural heritage
- documentation of endangered cultural heritage
- films on cultural heritage
- recording of oral traditions in literature and music
- publications dealing with cultural heritage
- basic and further training for restorers, archivists and archaeologists
- exhibitions and colloquia on cultural heritage
- material donations (in exceptional cases)
Priority is currently being given to supporting projects concerned with the cultural dialogue between Europe and the Islamic world, especially Afghanistan.