Maria Böhmer, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office and Special Representative of the Federal Foreign Office for UNESCO World Heritage, UNESCO Cultural Conventions and UNESCO Education and Science Programmes, issued the following statement today (17 July) on the inclusion of houses built by Le Corbusier in the Stuttgart Weissenhof Estate on the UNESCO World Heritage List:

“I am delighted that we can today celebrate Germany’s 41st World Heritage site. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee recognized two of the houses built by the Franco-Swiss architect and urban planner Le Corbusier in Stuttgart’s Weissenhof Estate as a UNESCO World Heritage site. They are part of the international site ”The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement“ which documents the development of the international style in Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Japan and Switzerland as masterpieces of 20th-century architecture.

This new World Heritage site epitomises UNESCO’s ability to bring peoples together. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is today more important than ever. Culture shapes identity and preserves our humanity. Cultural heritage is the foundation of peace and security. Education, science and culture make socio-political debates and therefore civilised interaction possible in the first place. Given the numerous crises and conflicts in the world, it is ever more urgent for the international community to protect and maintain the heritage of humanity and cultural diversity.”