The Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar: World Heritage Nomination

Description

Nomination of the Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar for Inscription on the World Heritage List by the Federal Republic of Germany, December 2000, prepared by the Hanseatic Cities of Stralsund and Wismar in association with the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. With this application for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the region of Mecklenburg- Vorpommern and the Hanseatic towns of Stralsund and Wismar are following the express wishes of their citizens' representatives. Quite a few years ago, as a result of public and official endeavours for the protection of monuments and historical buildings, both towns declared their firm will and intention to protect their traditional heritage, i.e. the old cities, as large-surface monuments, and preserve them for future generations. The inclusion of the two towns in the tentative list of the Federal Republic of Germany has encouraged them in their efforts to seek international protection and recognition. The Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar are rooted in the tradition of the Hanseatic League – the largest European trade organisation of its era. As pure maritime trading towns, they are perfect examples for fully developed Hanseatic towns from the heyday of the League of Towns in the 14th century. They are not being proposed for inclusion in the World Heritage List as a series, but they complement each other so harmoniously in many fields that it seemed best to make a joint application. Many experts, local governments and citizens have contributed to this joint application with which we hope to enrich the World Heritage List and further protect and promote these historical icons. Preface 5 1. Identification 6 1a. Country 6 1b. State 6 1c. Name 6 1d. Location 6 1e. Maps 6 1f. Proposed area of nomination and buffer zone 6 2. Justification for inscription 11 2a. Statement of significance 11 2b. Comparative analysis 17 2c. Authenticity 27 2d. Criteria under which inscription is proposed 28 3. Description 37 3a. Description of the property 37 3b. History and development 94 3c. Form and date of most recent records 116 3d. Present state of conservation 122 3e. Policies and programmes related to presentation and promotion 137 4. Management 151 4a,b. Ownership and legal status 151 4c. Protective measures and means of implementing them 151 4d. Agencies with management authority 153 4e. Level at which management is exercised and contact person 156 4f. Agreed plans related to property 156 4g. Sources and levels of finance 156 4h. Skills and training 157 4i. Visitor facilities and statistics 158 4j. Management plan 159 4k. Staffing levels 159 5. Factors affecting the property 160 5a. Development pressures 160 5b. Environmental pressures 161 5c. Natural disasters and preparedness 162 5d. Visitor/tourism pressures 162 5e. Number of inhabitants within property and buffer zone 163 5f. Other 163 6. Monitoring 165 6a. Key indicators for measuring the state of conservation 165 6b. Administrative arrangements for monitoring the property 165 6c. Results of previous reporting exercises 165 7. Appendices 169 7a. References 169 7b. Acknowledgements 175 7c. List of photos, maps and illustrations 176 8. Signature on behalf of the State Party 177 9. Supplementary documents Box of supporting reference material