Activating the cultural heritage for a better quality of life – strategy recommendations for towns in Saxony and Poland

In Saxony, the German-Polish project team took a close look at the towns of Bautzen, Görlitz, Reichenbach/O.L. and Zittau. The central question was: How can the architectural heritage of the municipalities with their historical centres contribute to the quality of life of local residents as well as to the sustainable development of the cross-border region? The strategy recommendations formulated by the project team are intended to help the towns activate this potential.

The project results leave no doubt that the historical urban landscapes in Saxony and Lower Silesia offer huge potential for opportunities that have been overlooked or little used up to now. According to project leader Prof. Dr Robert Knippschild of the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER): "The many activities that participating towns and cities developed in the course of the project from October 2018 to December 2020 – and this despite Covid-19 restrictions – give an idea of the rich fund from which they could actually draw." For example, each of the participating towns implemented a pilot measure to make historical buildings as well as cultural heritage such as craft traditions visible and tangible for local residents and visitors.

Five theses on the importance of cultural heritage

But how can this potential be strategically exploited over the long term? What can cultural heritage really contribute to the quality of urban life? These are the questions that the project’s three scientific partners investigated together with the partner towns. Their findings have been summarized by the IOER, the International Institute (IHI) Zittau of Technische Universität Dresden and the Polish Instytut Rozwoju Terytorialnego (IRT) in strategy recommendations for the region and each of the participating towns. Based on literature research and expert interviews, the scientific partners initially formulated five theses which describe the potential contribution of the architectural heritage to the quality of urban life. The scientists assumed, for example, that the historical buildings as well as craft traditions safeguard the identity of these settlements and strengthen the residents’ sense of belonging. The theses also claim that the architectural heritage has a positive impact on social cohesion, cultural and educational opportunities, the urban structure and public spaces as well as the local economy. Together with local actors, the scientists investigated to what extent these assumptions could be empirically confirmed in the participating towns. To this end, they made a tour of each settlement and held intensive discussions with focus groups. In this way, the theses were enriched with local information. Moreover, the individual requirements of each town could be pinpointed, conclusions drawn on their strengths and weaknesses as well as potentials and challenges, before, finally, strategy recommendations were formulated for further action. The project team also derived such recommendations for the region as a whole.

As Robert Knippschild explains: "During the project, it became clear that the towns are in part facing some very similar problems. Therefore, they can learn from one another and should join forces to find solutions. On the other hand, the highly specific framework conditions at the local level always determine how cultural heritage can be activated and thus contribute to a better quality of urban life." In addition to the condition of the historical centres and the financial resources of the municipalities, the success of this approach also depends on the varying degrees of interest and commitment of local residents as well as their social cohesion.