- European Heritage Days
European Heritage Days (EHD) is a joint action of the
Council of Europe and theEuropean Commission involving all 49 signatory states of theEuropean Cultural Convention under the motto, "Europe: a common heritage". The annual programme offers opportunities to visit buildings, monuments and sites, many of which are not normally accessible to the public. It aims to widen access and foster care for architectural and environmental heritage. These events are also known as Doors Open Days and Open Doors Days in English-speaking countries.The event began in
France in1984 , with "La Journée Portes Ouvertes", sponsored by the Ministry of Culture. In1985 , inGranada , at the 2nd European Conference of Ministers responsible for Architectural Heritage, the French Minister of Culture proposed that the project be internationalised under the Council of Europe. TheNetherlands held their first "Open Monumentendag" in 1987.Sweden and theRepublic of Ireland joined in 1989, andBelgium andScotland in 1990.In 1991 these events were united as European Heritage Days at the initiative of the Council of Europe, supported by the EU. By 1996, 40 countries in Eastern and Western Europe were involved, including the rest of the
United Kingdom , and in 1997 the largest state in Europe,Russia , joined. In 2000, for the first time, all 47 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention took part in European Heritage Days, with the arrival ofAzerbaijan . In 2003, the number of signatories and participants rose to 49 with the inclusion ofSerbia andMontenegro .The Directorate General IV – Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport of the
Council of Europe , in close cooperation with the Directorate General for Education and Culture of theEuropean Commission , ensures the general orientation, definition and execution of the tasks to be achieved within the framework of the EHD. The Secretariat of the EHD is carried out by the Directorate of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage, under the responsibility of theCouncil of Europe ’s Steering Committee for Cultural Heritage.The idea has been taken up outside Europe, too, with similar schemes in
Canada , theUSA ,Australia , and other lands, at different times of year.See also
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European Heritage Open Days External links
* [http://www.ehd.coe.int European Heritage Days] — includes links to the national sites of all participants
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