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Cultural Heritage
On 4 December 1997, during XXI plenary session of World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in Naples, the Old Town of Toruń was entered into UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. Efforts aiming at entering Toruń into the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List began in 1989, when on initiative of Pax, a Social Committee that lobbied for entering the Old Town of Toruń into the list was created. The Committee was chaired by professor Sławomir Kalembka. On 1 March 1989, a session entitled: “’World Cultural and Natural Heritage Committee’ and principles of its actions concerning cultural and natural heritage classified to be entered into the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.” On the meeting organized by President of Toruń, Dr. Jerzy Wieczorek on 23 October 1991, representatives of artistic circles and delegates from the City Council of Toruń, decided that the action should be continued.
In the following years it was not the Committee but the President of Toruń, dr Jerzy Wieczorek, Prof. Marian Arszyński and the City Monuments Conservator, Mr. Zbigniew Nawrocki who mentioned this issue during their meetings with General Monuments Conservator and representatives of Ministry of Culture and Art. During the talks, it was agreed that the Board of the City of Toruń will make an official motion to Minister of Culture and Art asking that Polish Government undertake efforts aiming at entering Toruń into UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List, and will prepare materials necessary to prepare an annex to the motion. 15. 04.1996 was the date of signing a contract between Municipal Office in Toruń and the University of Nicolaus Copernicus for carrying out by the Institute of Monuments Studies and Conservation a scientific research entitled: "Descriptive and analytic, cartographic and photographic documentation to the motion for entering the City of Toruń into World Cultural and Natural Heritage List". The work was realized by the following team of experts:
In June 1996, the elaboration prepared by the Institute of Monuments Studies of University of Nicolaus Copernicus was handed over to the General Monuments Conservator, Prof. Dr. Andrzej Tomaszewski.
In December 1996, the motion for entering Toruń into World Cultural and Natural Heritage List filed by Polish Government to UNESCO resulted in the visit of a representative of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Committee, Prof. Dr. of architecture Jonas Glemźa to Toruń. Mr. Glemźa - the Vice-minister of Culture in Lithuania, Director of Department of Culture in the Ministry of Culture in Lithuania, and a member of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Committee - took part in a session of City Council. He was delegated by UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Committee to assess validity of information included in documents annexed to the motion. Toruń was entered into UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List during XXI plenary session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Naples, which lasted from 4th to 6th December 1997. On the 4th and 5th of June 1998 Toruń witnessed main ceremonies held on the occasion of entering the city of Copernicus into UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. The ceremonies were organised under the auspices of Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Jerzy Buzek. On 5 June 1998 during a session of City Council of Toruń held with ceremony in Townsmen Chamber of the Town Hall, Local Government of Toruń officially received a document certifying the entry of Toruń into UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. The certificate was handed over in the name of Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Dr. Bernd von Droste zu Hülshoff by a representative of the Centre, Mr. Peter Strasser.
A ceremony of handing over commemorative bronze medals and statuettes of Toruń Coat of Arms was held a day before the City Council session. The awards were presented to persons who contributed to the work aiming at entering Toruń into UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List, as well as to those who made scientific contribution to renovation of the Old Town of Toruń. Statuettes were handed over to:
Medals were handed over to:
Official ceremonies were accompanied by cultural events and picnics. The great final of the celebrations took place on the Philadelphia Boulevard where a fireworks show was organised. The unique, wholly preserved medieval layout of the old Town of Toruń lets all who visit it feel the living history snoozing in the ancient street layout, two marketplaces, dozens of apartment houses, the atmosphere of brick medieval buildings, cultivated traditions and events taking place in grand interiors of historical monuments.
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