UNESCO World Heritage sites do not only attest to the unique creativity and outstanding achievements of the past – they also help to build bridges, reveal common ground, and convey identity and stability.

Germany takes on international responsibility in this field. For example, it founded the Archaeological Heritage Network to pool German expertise on cultural preservation and to deploy this expertise worldwide in cooperation with organisations such as UNESCO. In the project, Stunde Null: A Future after the Crisis, Germany is supporting the documentation of Syria’s cultural heritage and its possible reconstruction. Germany’s cultural preservation programme supports the conservation of cultural heritage in over 140 countries. In Mali, for example, Germany has helped to save centuries‑old Islamic manuscripts from Timbuktu. Germany will remain committed to preserving world heritage, as this field concerns us all.