Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg
Factors affecting the property in 2008*
- Ground transport infrastructure
- Housing
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
a) Urban development pressure, high-rise projects with alteration of the visual integrity of the property
b) Train station project outside the buffer zone with potential visual impacts on the property
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2008
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 2008**
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2008
At the time of the drafting of this document, the State Party had not transmitted a report on the state of conservation of the World Heritage property. A letter was sent on 31January 2008 by the Ministry of Education, Art and Culture that the requested documents were still not ready and that additional time was required. The State Party also submitted a draft Statement of outstanding universal value. This will be examined by the World Heritage Committee under Item 8 of the Agenda (Document WHC-08/32.COM/8B).
According to the report presented in 2007 by the Austrian authorities, several projects have been developed inside and outside the World Heritage property, but final decisions had not been taken. These projects are the following:
Core zone / Historic Centre:
Max Reinhardt Square: The process of redesigning the square should be followed by the rearrangement of the FurtwänglerGarden in 2007 or 2008. Furthermore, an underground garage project was foreseen for the Makart Square. The initial project has been scaled down to a one level garage but the implementation of the project remained uncertain in 2007. The World Heritage Centre was not informed on any further developments regarding these projects.
Alte Diakonie: A project of refurbishment was scheduled to be completed in 2007.
Museum of natural sciences: The old building of Museum Carolino was designed to become an extension of the neighbouring museum of natural sciences after an international design competition and the works should have started in autumn 2007.
Old Town Hall: the building was adapted for public function, the planned installation of an elevator and an additional emergency staircase required extensive preliminary archaeological and historical research. The work on the installation was supposed to start in autumn 2007, according to the 2007 State Party report.
Buffer zone:
The Campus Nonnta: an urban design competition for the area was organised to ensure the removal of the existing campus buildings. The building plans have been authorized and some works started in 2006. A design competition for the University buildings was completed and construction should have started by the end of 2007.
Railway Bridge: the existing bridge over the river was replaced. Construction began in late 2005, and additional funds were provided by the City of Salzburg, in order to secure a design in accordance with the significance of the Historic Centre of Salzburg. The new bridge shall be completed in 2008.
Railway station: the railway authorities decided to upgrade the rebuilding the main station of Salzburg. The existing historical steel and glass structure of the old hall will be preserved and integrated and work is supposed to start during 2010-2011.
Paradiesgarten in the Nonntal: the urban housing project for the so-called Paradiesgarten was supposed to start in 2006 and has been postponed, according to the 2007 State Party report.
Stern-brewery: an international design competition for a housing project on the area of the old Stern brewery in the Riedenburg-quarter was completed and construction was foreseen to start in 2007.
Beyond the buffer zone:
Square of the Train Station: the area to the north of the square was to be redeveloped in three sections: a building next to the station (five stories) was planned; apartment buildings and an office tower for an insurance company were proposed. Construction work stated in 2006 but no further information was provided. It is regrettable that that no further information was submitted by the Austrian authorities on the consultation process for this project, nor concerning potential visual impacts on the visual integrity of the property. Uzilinga project in Itzling is a project of eight apartment buildings (eight stories) 1 km from the historic centre. Plans were submitted to the authorities and building permits granted in 2006. Construction was postponed to the second half of 2007.
Management plan:
It was mentioned in the 2007 report that a management plan for the Historic Centre of Salzburg was under preparation. Modifications to the management plan should integrate discussions with experts responsible for other World Heritage Cities with historical centres having similar problems as Salzburg. This management plan should have been finalised in 2007, but has not been received by the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS for review.
No additional information has been provided to the World Heritage Centre concerning the implementation of specific legal protection of the historic urban fabric and structure.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2008
32 COM 7B.81
Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg (Austria) (C 784)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decisions 29 COM 7B.72 and 31 COM 7B.105, adopted at its 29th (Durban, 2005) and 31st (Christchurch, 2007) sessions respectively,
3. Regrets that the State Party did not provide any report on the state of conservation of the property, as requested by the World Heritage Committee;
4. Notes with concern the lack of information on major on-going development projects and reiterates the importance of completing a management plan to ensure the protection of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;
5. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre a detailed report on the urban development projects considered as soon as possible, at the latest by 31 October 2008;
6. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre three copies of the management plan and a report on the state of conservation of the property by 1 February 2009 for review by the World Heritage Committee at its 33d session in 2009;
7. Requests the State Party to invite a Reactive Monitoring mission to assess the potential impact on the Outstanding Universal Value that could result from the implementation of the urban development projects under discussion.
32 COM 8B.74
Revision of Statements of Signifiance and of Statements of Outstanding Universal Value - Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg (AUSTRIA)
The World Heritage Committee,
Decides that Decision 32 COM 8B.74 will be discussed at its 33rd session in 2009.
32 COM 8D
Clarifications of property boundaries and sizes by States Parties in response to the restrospective inventory
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/8D,
2. Recalling Decisions 30 COM 11A.2 and 31 COM 11A.2, adopted at its 30th (Vilnius, 2006) and 31st (Christchurch, 2007) sessions respectively,
3. Recalls that, as decided at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007) by Decision 31 COM 11A.2, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies will not be able to examine proposals for minor or significant modifications to boundaries of World Heritage properties whenever the delimitation of such properties as inscribed is unclear;
4. Congratulates States Parties in the European Region and the States Parties of Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia on the excellent work accomplished in the clarification of the delimitation of their World Heritage properties and thanks them for their efforts to improve the credibility of the World Heritage List,
5. Takes note of the clarifications of property boundaries and sizes provided by the following States Parties in the European and Arab Regions in response to the Retrospective Inventory, as presented in the Annex of Document WHC-08/32.COM/8D:
- Armenia: Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin;
- Austria: Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg; Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn; Hallstatt-Dachstein-Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape;
- Belgium: Flemish Béguinages;
- Bulgaria: Boyana Church; Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak; Rila Monastery; Ancient City of Nessebar;
- Croatia: Old City of Dubrovnik; Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian; Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Poreč;
- Czech Republic: Historic Centre of Telč; Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora; Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape; Gardens and Castle at Kroměříž;
- Denmark: Jelling Mounds, Runic Stones and Church; Roskilde Cathedral;
- Egypt: Memphis and its Necropolis - the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur; Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis; Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae; Historic Cairo; Abu Mena; Saint Catherine Area;
- Estonia: Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn;
- Germany: Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square; Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl; Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin; Town of Bamberg;
- Greece: Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae; Mount Athos; Medieval City of Rhodes; Archaeological Site of Mystras; Delos;
- Hungary: Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue; Old Village of Hollókö and its Surroundings; Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment; Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst (presented jointly with Slovakia);
- Ireland: Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne; Skellig Michael;
- Italy: Historic Centre of San Gimignano; City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto; Historic Centre of Siena; Ferrara, City of the Renaissance, and its Po Delta; The trulli of Alberobello; Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna; Historic Centre of the City of Pienza; Residences of the Royal House of Savoy; Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico), Padua; Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto); Costiera Amalfitana; Archaeological area of Agrigento; Su Nuraxi di Barumini; Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia;
- Latvia: Historic Centre of Riga;
- Luxembourg: City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications;
- Morocco: Medina of Marrakesh; Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou; Archaeological Site of Volubilis;
- Poland: Cracow's Historic Centre; Historic Centre of Warsaw; Old City of Zamość; Medieval Town of Torún; Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork;
- Portugal: Monastery of Batalha; Cultural Landscape of Sintra; Prehistoric Rock-Art Sites in the Côa Valley;
- Romania: Danube Delta;
- Slovakia: Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica and the Technical Monuments in its Vicinity; Spišský Hrad and its Associated Cultural Monuments; Vlkolínec; Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst (presented jointly with Hungary);
- Spain: Garajonay National Park;
- Tunisia: Ichkeul National Park;
- Ukraine: Kiev: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kiev-Pechersk Lavra;
- United Kingdom: Durham Castle and Cathedral; Ironbridge Gorge; Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites; Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd; Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church; Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church; Maritime Greenwich;
6. Requests the European and Arab States Parties which have not yet answered the questions raised in 2005, 2006 and 2007 within the framework of the Retrospective Inventory to provide all requested clarifications and documentation as soon as possible and by 1 December 2008 at the latest.
Draft Decision: 32 COM 7B.81
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decisions 29 COM 7B.72 and 31 COM 7B.105, adopted at its 29th (Durban, 2005) and 31st (Christchurch, 2007) sessions respectively,
3. Regrets that the State Party did not provide any report on the state of conservation of the property, as requested by the World Heritage Committee;
4. Notes with concern the lack of information on major on-going development projects and reiterates the importance of completing a management plan to ensure the protection of the outstanding universal value of the property;
5. Requests the State Party to keep the World Heritage Centre informed and to provide a detailed report on the urban development projects that may affect the outstanding universal value of the property and urges the State Party to submit three copies of the management plan by 1 February 2009 for review.
AustriaExports
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
