Opening of the National UNESCO World Heritage Day

On the first Sunday in June, UNESCO World Heritage Sites across Germany celebrate the diversity of cultural and natural heritage—this year under the nationwide motto “Together for peace and understanding”. In cooperation with the German Commission for UNESCO and the association UNESCO World Heritage Sites Germany e.V., the City of Regensburg will host the opening ceremony of the national day of action on 7 June and combine it with a special anniversary: 20 years of UNESCO World Heritage status for “Old Town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof.”

Regensburg’s Old Town is among the best-preserved large medieval cities in Europe. Its unique historic building fabric, its importance as a medieval trading metropolis, and its role as the seat of the Perpetual Diet of the Holy Roman Empire underpin the outstanding universal value that led to the award of World Heritage status in 2006. For two decades, the City of Regensburg has been dedicated to protecting, preserving, and sharing this heritage.

On 7 June, the celebrations begin at 11:00 a.m. with an official ceremony in the historic Imperial Hall (Reichssaal)—the very place where the UNESCO certificate was presented 20 years ago. A limited number of free citizen tickets will make the ceremony accessible to the local community. At the same time, the World Heritage Promenade along the Marc-Aurel-Ufer will offer a colorful, free program. Highlights include the interactive XR floor installation “Salt Collectors” at the World Heritage Visitor Center, impressive reenactment scenes, a presentation of the second World Heritage title “Danube Limes,” and a wide range of special guided tours, including dedicated anniversary tours. A dove-of-peace activity will be dedicated to partner city Odesa; the World Heritage city’s climate developments will be explored; and intangible cultural heritage—such as cathedral workshop traditions and timber rafting—can also be discovered. A panel discussion in cooperation with the German Commission for UNESCO will focus on: “20 Years of World Heritage in Regensburg: Together for dialogue and understanding.”

As early as Saturday, 6 June, the World Heritage Sites Market on Haidplatz will open, where numerous other cultural heritage sites from Germany and Bavaria will present themselves. This makes it possible to explore Germany’s World Heritage landscape right in the heart of Regensburg’s Old Town.

On both days, the program runs from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

In 2025, UNESCO World Heritage Day was celebrated under the motto
“Communicating, Connecting, Inspiring – 20 Years of UNESCO World Heritage Day.” On 1 June 2025, the then 54 German UNESCO World Heritage Sites took part in the celebrations at the invitation of the German Commission for UNESCO and UNESCO World Heritage Germany e.V. The official opening ceremony was hosted by the UNESCO World Heritage Site of St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Michael’s Church in Hildesheim.

Hildesheim Cathedral and the former Benedictine abbey church of St. Michael’s are outstanding testimonies to religious art in the Holy Roman Empire and to early Romanesque architecture. Their churches and art treasures offer a comprehensive insight into the design of Romanesque sacred spaces in medieval Europe. The site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

Visitors to UNESCO World Heritage Day enjoyed a diverse and vibrant programme. A highlight was the national opening ceremony in St. Michael’s Church, officially launched by Prof. Dr. Maria Böhmer, President of the German Commission for UNESCO, and Fritz S. Ahrberg, Chair of UNESCO World Heritage Sites Germany e.V. Further welcoming addresses were given by Dr. Doris Wendt, Mayor of Hildesheim, and Prof. Dr. Joachim Schachtner, State Secretary at the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture. The event was accompanied musically by the St. Michael’s Brass Ensemble.

A public panel discussion titled “40 Years of World Heritage in Hildesheim – Who Really Cares?” took place on the cathedral square. Representatives from the Federal Foreign Office, the German Commission for UNESCO, the Hildesheim Cathedral Museum and the University of Hildesheim discussed how the idea of World Heritage can be communicated more effectively – and how people can be inspired to engage with it.

We are delighted by the enthusiastic participation in UNESCO World Heritage Day across Germany and would like to thank all World Heritage Sites as well as the organisers of around 350 events nationwide for their outstanding commitment and passion.