Hedley Malloch Posted 8 January , 2003 Share Posted 8 January , 2003 According to a report in today's La Voix du Nord the French Government is to nominate Arras to UNESCO for inclusion in its list of World Heritage Sites. If UNESCO endorse the nomination the decision will take effect in 2005 and Arras will be included in the Town category. The reasons for its nomination have not been finally established, and will not be until a team of UNESCO experts visits the town in 2005, but its military history, especially its status as a 'ville martyre de 1914--1918" is bound to figure in the bid, along with its architecture. The article says that while the status is an honorary one, its award does indicate a definite undertaking to protect the heritage of the town. What this means in practice I am not sure. The historic buildings with which we are familiar are no doubt protected by other laws. But if Arras' heritage extends to under under its streets, then the cellars, tunnels and underground refuges used by Tommy could well be protected. A number of French towns are being proposed for UNESCO World Heritage Site status but Paris considers Arras to be the favourite. Good news for all those who have been arguing for some form of UNESCO recognition for the WF. Source: 'Arras au patrimoine mondiale de l'UNESCO?'; La Voix du Nord, 8 January 2003, page3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 8 January , 2003 Share Posted 8 January , 2003 This is surely good news for the likes of Alain Jacques and his team, who have been trying to establish an Arras based 'war museum' for some time - will probably help in opening up the tunnels not yet available to the public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 8 January , 2003 Share Posted 8 January , 2003 The sooner someone nominates Verdun and the battlefield to be a World Heritage site the better. I've been talking about it for years .... Christina Holstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 9 January , 2003 Share Posted 9 January , 2003 Well Christina with the foresters at work it's a bit late but I sure hope it happens. Wonder if the city fathers could be persuaded to try? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 9 January , 2003 Share Posted 9 January , 2003 The city fathers aren't interested in the battlefield. That's the big problem with Verdun. The foresters, however, are slowly being persuaded to have a change of heart. There is now a whole section of the central battlefield, opposite the Memorial, that cannnot be reforested and that has been declared a nature reserve. The new generation of foresters is beginning to see that a unique battlefield can and should be preserved. Christina Holstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 8 September , 2003 Author Share Posted 8 September , 2003 Today’s edition of La Voix du Nord has a very interesting update on this story. The French bid is being enlarged to include not only Arras, but also 15 towns with Flemish belfries in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments. The bodies organising the bid think its cultural credentials would be strengthened if were to be thematic and regional rather than specific to a particular town. Flemish belfries symbolise the region. The organisers are encouraged by the success of a similar bid organised by the Belgians in 1999 for 30 of their belfry towns. Now take a look at the other towns now in the frame: Aire-sur-Lys, Armentières, Bailleul, Bergues, Boulogne, Calais, Cambrai, Comines, Douai, Dunkirk, Gravelines, Lille and Loos. There are some major WF centres here. If this bid is successul then some important parts of the Front will receive UNESCO World Heritage status albeit under a Flemish belfry umbrella. Bids will be considered in 2004, the year when Lille is European City of Culture. The big loser, of course, is the Somme – which does not have any Flemish belfries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Coulson Posted 8 September , 2003 Share Posted 8 September , 2003 Arras certainly deserves this recognition, for too long it has been "forgotten". Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 9 September , 2003 Share Posted 9 September , 2003 I was surprised to see a pal post in the Ypres or Somme thread that he did not like Arras. I find it interesting and attractive with fine restaurants and nice folks. Glad to hear it will achieve this status, has to be good for Great War perservation as an additional benefit. WFA USA will be at the Somme for nine days in 2005 and we will stay there. We will spend a few days more based in Chateau Thierry visiting sites near Soissons and St Quentin, last day on 1st Marne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 9 September , 2003 Author Share Posted 9 September , 2003 I can't work out whether or not this is a good or bad development. I liked the orignal proposal for Arras as a UNESCO WHS; it's nice and tight. But this refocusing on belfries seems to blur things a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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