Brief synthesis

The W-Arly-Pendjari Complex is a transnational property shared between the Republic of Niger, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Benin in West Africa. Located in the transition zone between the savannas of the Sudanese region and the forested Guinean region, the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex lies at the heart of the most extensive protected area block in the West African Woodlands/Savanna Biogeographical Province and includes the largest and most important continuum of terrestrial, semi-aquatic and aquatic ecosystems in the West African savanna belt. The property encompasses 1,714,831 ha and is a contiguous mosaic of nine protected areas. It includes the trinational complex of W Regional Park (shared between Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger), Arly National Park (Burkina Faso), Pendjari National Park (Benin) and the hunting zones of Koakrana and Kourtiagou (Burkina Faso) and Konkombri and Mékrou (Benin).

Criterion (ix): Stretching across three countries, W-Arly-Pendjari Complex is the largest and most important continuum of terrestrial, semi-aquatic and aquatic ecosystems in the West African savanna belt. Situated within the Volta River basin it comprises a dynamic system, where the ebb and flow of water with alternating wet and dry seasons creates a rich variety of plant communities and associated fauna. The Complex is a major expanse of intact Sudano-Sahelian savanna, with numerous and diverse types of vegetation such as grassland, shrub, wooded savannah, open forests and extensive gallery and riparian forests as well as the rare semi-deciduous forest of Bondjagou within Pendjari National Park. The long-term effects of fire linked to human occupation, perhaps dating back some 50,000 years, have shaped the vegetation of the property, and the continued traditional use of fire maintains the diversity of vegetation types, which in turn provide habitat for the property’s characteristic wildlife.

Criterion (x): The property and the broader landscape are a refuge for species of fauna that have disappeared or are highly threatened in most of the rest of West Africa. The W-Arly-Pendjari Complex is particularly crucial to the conservation of the last healthy populations of mammals belonging to the Sahelian and Sudanian domains. The Complex includes the largest and most ecologically secure elephant population in West Africa, representing 85% of the region's savanna elephants. It also protects almost the complete assemblage of characteristic flora and fauna, providing crucial habitat for most of the large mammal species typical of West Africa, such as African Manatee, Cheetah, Lion, Leopard, African Wild Dog and Topi Antelope. It harbours the only viable population of lion in the area and probably the only population of cheetah in West Africa. The site exhibits particularly high levels of endemism among fish species and is home to seven of the nine endemic fish species reported in the Volta Basin.

Integrity

The W-Arly-Pendjari Complex is of sufficient size to permit unimpeded ecological function and the overall integrity of the system is good amongst protected areas in West Africa, many of which have suffered significant degradation from anthropogenic pressures. Covering a comparatively large area of 1,714,831 ha, the trinational property contains a representative suite of Sudano-Sahelian ecosystems that are in good condition. It includes a large variety of habitats indispensable for the survival of characteristic species and is large enough to support the healthy populations of large mammal species such as elephant and lion which range over wide territories.

The W National Park and the Arly-Pendjari Regional Park complexes are connected through the four hunting reserves, allowing for connectivity across the property and free movements of animals in the complex. Hunting within the hunting reserves has, to date, been sustainably managed and these reserves include natural systems and habitat that are regarded as being of a similar quality to that within the national parks, thereby enhancing resilience. The hunting reserves would be considered equivalent to IUCN Category VI and the activity, at the time of inscription, does not appear to be negatively impacting on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value as a whole.

The buffer zone of W-Arly-Pendjari Complex consists of areas of different protection status (hunting reserves, wildlife reserves, and special legally designated buffer zones) all established by national laws and covers a total area of 1,101,221 ha. The buffer zones are designed to strengthen integrity and are managed as to mitigate impacts from surrounding human activities.

Protection and management requirements

The property benefits from long-term legal protection through national laws and receives financial and technical support from the States and some development partners. Five of the protected areas making up the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex are protected as national parks (managed as IUCN Category II). The four hunting reserves within Benin and Burkina Faso are also managed under the same regime as national parks, noting that sustainable hunting is permitted. The hunting in these reserves is regulated through annual quotas, closely monitored and aimed at generating benefits for local communities and conservation of nature.

Although the boundaries of the property are clearly defined, known by the surrounding population and regulated, there are threats such as poaching, illegal grazing and encroachment of agricultural land which persist. Adequate measures must be undertaken to address these threats including working closely with agricultural development sectors to regulate, incentivize and raise awareness among communities surrounding the property. Monitoring of the scale of transhumance activities, which are a long-standing use, is important to ensure so that it remains sustainable in relation to the property’s Outstanding Universal Value.

The property is managed in Benin by the Centre National de Gestion des Réserves de Faune (CENAGREF); in Burkina Faso, Arly National Park is managed by the Office National des Aires Protégées (OFINAP) and W National Park, Burkina Faso is managed by the Direction Générale des Eaux et Forêts (DGEF). The W National Park, Niger is managed by the Direction Générale des Eaux et Forêts (DGEF) / Ministère de l'Environnement et du Développement Durable (MEDD). The multi-agency responsibilities across the three States Parties require considerable and sustained effort to ensure effective coordination and harmonization of protected area policies and practice. All national parks in the Complex have a 10-year management plan all following a joint “Schéma Directeur d’Aménagement du complexe” to foster coordination. A workable system of transboundary governance is in place under a tripartite management agreement (now quadripartite with the integration of the State Party of Togo). However, ongoing efforts are needed to improve the levels of transnational cooperation for the property.

Ongoing attention is needed to ensure that the traditional application of fire continues to support fire regimes which maintain Outstanding Universal Value, particularly under the influence of climate change. Similarly the three States Parties should work cooperatively with UEMOA (Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine) to plan, monitor and act such that transhumance movements taking place in the property and its buffer zones do not adversely impact on the Outstanding Universal Value.

There is also a need to sustain long-term adequate funding for the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex. The States Parties should ensure that adequate government funding is provided to manage the Complex and the necessary coordination. The West African Savannah Foundation (FSOA) created in 2012 is an endowment fund which requires further investment to ensure sustainability. It is critical that the FSOA becomes a source of funding for the entire Complex and continues to be supported and grow. Furthermore, it is important that all protected areas within the Complex are eligible to access this endowment fund.

1. Continue to strengthen and coordinate measures to control the threat of wildlife poaching and other illegal activities including through the provision of adequate equipment and training of rangers and patrols,
2. Monitor the impacts of climate change on the ecosystems of the property, in particular to understand and anticipate any changes to the ecological outcomes resulting from the traditional application of fire and to ensure that the use of fire is based on robust ecologically-based conservation objectives,
3. Improve institutional coordination between the agencies in charge of the management of the property and the administrations responsible for agricultural development, in order to avoid potential negative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property,
4. Develop a long-term strategy for the sustainable financing of the property including strengthening the viability of the Fondation des savanes ouest-africaines (FSOA) and ensuring that all the protected areas within the property are eligible to access the funding of the FSOA,
5. Work closely with UEMOA (Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine) to plan, monitor and implement activities as described in the property’s management plan concerning transhumance taking place within the property and its buffer zones, in order to support these activities at sustainable levels and to ensure that they are not negatively impacting the property’s Outstanding Universal Value;

Brief synthesis

The “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and other Regions of Europe” are a serial property comprising 77 component parts in total. They represent an outstanding example of anthropogenically undisturbed, complex temperate forests and exhibit the most complete and comprehensive ecological patterns and processes of pure and mixed stands of European beech across a variety of environmental conditions. They contain an invaluable genetic reservoir of beech and many species associated and dependent on these forest habitats.

Criterion (ix): The “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and other Regions of Europe” are indispensable to understand the history and evolution of the genus Fagus which, given its wide distribution in the Northern Hemisphere and its ecological importance, is globally significant. These undisturbed, complex temperate forests exhibit the most complete and comprehensive ecological patterns and processes of pure and mixed stands of European beech across a variety of environmental conditions, such as climatic and geological conditions, throughout all relevant European Beech Forest Regions. They comprise all altitudinal zones from the coast up to the forest line in the mountains and, furthermore, include the best remaining examples of the outer boundaries of the European beech forest range. Beech is one of the most important elements of forests in the Temperate Broadleaf Forest Biome and represents an outstanding example of the re-colonization and development of terrestrial ecosystems and communities since the last Ice Age. The continuing northern and westward expansion of beech from its original glacial refuge areas in the eastern and southern parts of Europe can be tracked along natural corridors and stepping stones spanning the continent. More recent changes in the distribution pattern of this species relate to direct influences of human disturbance and the more complex effects of anthropogenically induced climate change. Both historic and present serial patterns of distribution represent natural evolutionary strategies for adapting and surviving environmental change. The dominance of beech across extensive areas of Europe is a living testimony of the tree’s genetic adaptability.

Integrity

The selected beech forest sites not only represent the full serial diversity found across Europe, they are also of sufficient size to maintain natural processes necessary for the long-term ecological viability of the wider ecosystem. Buffer zones including surrounding protected areas (nature parks, biosphere reserves) are managed sympathetically to ensure the long-term conservation of the particular character of the designated beech forests together with its inherent attributes. Next to criteria such as the extent of the forest area and the presence of an effective buffer zone, key characteristics, which were also used in the site selecting process included the average age of the forest stand and the period since it was last managed or actively disturbed. The evaluation criteria used in the selection process helped to describe the degree of naturalness of a forest, but also provide some indication of the inherent functional capacity of the ecosystem. Finally, where appropriate, special emphasis was given to connectivity between beech forests and the surrounding complementary habitats as a perceived prerequisite for ecosystem functioning and adaptation to environmental change.

Protection and management requirements

Long-term protection and management is ensured through national legal protection as national parks, core areas of a biosphere reserve or other types of protected areas. Effective implementation of an integrated management plan and a multilateral integrated management system is required to guide the planning and management of this serial property. Key management issues include forest fire control and conservation of monumental old trees, conservation and management of mountain meadows, river corridors and freshwater ecosystems, tourism management, research and monitoring. Cooperative management agreements with local groups and tourism agencies can enhance the achievement of management goals and ensure local community engagement in the component parts.

Brief synthesis

The Grande-Île and the Neustadt form an urban ensemble that is characteristic of Rhineland Europe, with a structure that centres on the cathedral, a major masterpiece of Gothic art. Its distinctive silhouette dominates the ancient riverbed of the Rhine and its man-made waterways. Perspectives created around the cathedral give rise to a unified urban space and shape a distinctive landscape organized around the rivers and canals.

The French and Germanic influences have enabled the composition of a specific urban space combining constructions reflecting major significant periods of European history: Roman Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Rhineland Renaissance, French 18th century classicism, and then the 19th and early 20th centuries which saw the emergence of a modern city, the capital and symbol of the new German state.

Criterion (ii): French and Germanic influences have shaped the Grande-Île and Neustadt. They have enabled the emergence of a unique expression coming from the two cultures, which is especially conveyed in the fields of architecture and urbanism. The cathedral, influenced by the Romanesque art of the East and the Gothic art of the kingdom of France, is also inspired by Prague, particularly for the construction of the spire. It is a model that acted as a vector of Gothic art to the east. The Neustadt, a modern city forged by Haussmannian influences, and a model of urbanism, also embodies the theories of Camillo Sitte.

Criterion (iv): The Grande-Île and the Neustadt in Strasbourg constitute a characteristic example of a European Rhineland city. Integrated into a Medieval urban fabric in a way which respects the ancient original fabric, the Renaissance-style private residences built between the 15th century and the late 17th century form a unique ensemble of domestic Rhineland architecture, which is indissociable from the outstanding Gothic cathedral. In the 18th century, French classical architecture became dominant, as exemplified by the Palais Rohan, built by the king’s architect, Robert de Cotte. From 1871 onwards, the face of the town was profoundly modified by the construction of an ambitious urbanistic project, leading to the emergence of a modern, functional city, emblematic of the technical advances and hygienistic policies that were emerging at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The private and public buildings of the urban ensemble bear witness to political, social and cultural change, with the town’s status changing from a free city of the Holy Roman Empire to a free city of the Kingdom of France, before it became a regional capital.

Integrity

The distinctive landscape of Strasbourg, dominated by the silhouette of the cathedral, has been preserved up to the present day. The cathedral is well preserved and integrated in an intact Medieval parcel system. It continues to dominate the urban landscape just as it did when it was first built. Down the centuries, the renewal of the built structure in Grande-Île has respected the early land parcel system, while inserting public and private buildings that represent a synthesis of French and Germanic influences, bearing witness to the evolution of architecture from the 15th century to the present day.

The siege in 1870 and the bombardments of 1944 gave rise to occasional reconstructions, which were however carried out while respecting the urban fabric and existing volumes. Only the Grande Percée, linking the new station to the Port d’Austerlitz in the first half of the 20th century, involved a deliberate restructuring of the urban fabric. The modernisation and sanitation of the historic centre were carried out in a spirit of continuity and respect for the urban qualities of the site. The Neustadt was designed in a spirit of functional complementarity and landscape continuity with the historic centre. The property as a whole has preserved all the attributes of the various chronological stages that contribute to its Outstanding Universal Value.

Authenticity

The urban ensemble of the Grande-Île and the Neustadt has been well preserved, in a material condition that is close to its original state, and its urban landscape has largely conserved its characteristics. The facades of the Place du Château have retained their original appearance, and the Place de la République and the imperial axis their monumental character. The major public buildings of the Neustadt have retained their original size, their physical quality and their materials.

The great majority of the modern buildings have been introduced while respecting the ancient urban fabric. Close to the Vauban dam, the 20th century structures, such as the Conseil Général building and the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum, have little impact on the urban landscape. Meanwhile, the recent urban development projects inside the boundaries of the property have enabled its preservation and valorisation, while facilitating its adaptation to new use values. The uses of the buildings in the property have been well conserved, particularly as regards amenities, shops and housing. In the Neustadt, the restructuring and rehabilitation work on major amenities (National and university library, Palais de Justice, and Palais des Fêtes) comply with current building standards, while respecting the heritage value of the edifices. The urbanism documents, established with remarkable continuity since the 19th century, have facilitated the conservation of the buildings inside the property’s boundaries, and led to outstanding continuity in the urban landscape.

Protection and management requirements

The cathedral has been protected by historic monument status since 1862, and its upkeep is covered by an agreement between the French state and the Fondation de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame. In the property area, 170 other edifices or parts of edifices are protected by historic monument status, and thus benefit from the control of the French state’s heritage services.

The safeguarded sector created in 1974 has been undergoing a revision-extension procedure since 2011. It now covers the whole of the extended property, and is focused on the preservation of the built structure, the urban landscape, and the landscape quality of the river and riverbanks. The protection of the property is largely dependent on the safeguarding and valorisation plan for the safeguarded sector.

The property has a management system whose main partners are the State, the City of Strasbourg and the Eurometropolis. This system, whose funding is shared, is based on French legislation, and particularly the Heritage, Urbanism and Environment Codes.

The management plan for the Grande-Île approved by the Municipal Council in 2013 covers all aspects of urban management: knowledge, conservation, valorisation and transmission. The local housing plan is intended to maintain social diversity and limit the vacancy rate of non-occupied housing inside the property. The urban transport plan enables to reduce the importance accorded to cars, by encouraging pedestrians and cyclists. Since 1989, the introduction of a tramway network has been carried out in conjunction with the restructuring of public space and the introduction of pedestrian streets. The terraces charter, the regulations on occupation of public areas, and the local advertising regulations, reflect efforts to achieve harmonious use of public space.

Finally, in accordance with the action plan for Grande-Île and the Neustadt, various actions have been started up to improve the appropriation of the Outstanding Universal Value by everyone, by developing mediation tools, particularly as part of the “Ville d’art et d’histoire” label scheme, and by improving accessibility for everyone.

1. Continue the actions put in place to reinforce the training of the municipal construction police service to ensure better control of interior alterations in all restoration projects,
2. Finalise the revision of the safeguarding and enhancement plan (PSMV),
3. Finalise the setting up of a distant perspective zone,
4. Set up as soon as possible the fire risk protection plan for the blocks of the historic centre,
5. Set up the Committee of Experts as announced.

Brief synthesis

Between 1919 and 1933, the Bauhaus School, based first in Weimar and then in Dessau, revolutionized architectural and aesthetic concepts and practices. The buildings created and decorated by the School’s professors (Henry van de Velde, Walter Gropius, Hannes Meyer, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and Wassily Kandinsky) launched the Modern Movement, which shaped much of the architecture of the 20th century and beyond. Component parts of the property are the Former Art School, the Applied Art School and the Haus am Horn in Weimar, the Bauhaus Building, the group of seven Masters’ Houses and the Houses with Balcony Access in Dessau, and the ADGB Trade Union School in Bernau. The Bauhaus represents the desire to develop a modern architecture using the new materials of the time (reinforced concrete, glass, steel) and construction methods (skeleton construction, glass facades). Based on the principle of function, the form of the buildings rejects the traditional, historical symbols of representation. In a severely abstract process, the architectural forms – both the subdivided building structure and the individual structural elements – are reduced to their primary, basic forms; they derive their expression, characteristic of Modernist architecture, from a composition of interconnecting cubes in suggestive spatial transparency.

The Bauhaus was a centre for new ideas and consequently attracted progressive architects and artists. The Bauhaus School has become the symbol of modern architecture, both for its educational theory and its buildings, throughout the world, and is inseparable from the name of Walter Gropius. Hannes Meyer, his successor as director of the Bauhaus, realized the idea of collective work on a building project within the framework of training in the Bauhaus’s building department. These buildings stand for an architectural quality that derives from the scientifically-based design methodology and the functional-economic design with social objectives. The Bauhaus itself and the other buildings designed by the masters of the Bauhaus are fundamental representatives of Classical Modernism and as such are essential components, which represent the 20th century. Their consistent artistic grandeur is a reminder of the still-uncompleted project for “modernity with a human face“, which sought to use the technical and intellectual resources at its disposal not in a destructive way but to create a living environment worthy of human aspirations.

For this reason, they are important monuments not only for art and culture, but also for the historic ideas of the 20th century. Even though the Bauhaus philosophy of social reform turned out to be little more than wishful thinking, its utopian ideal became reality through the form of its architecture. Its direct accessibility still has the power to fascinate and belongs to the people of all nations as their cultural heritage.

Criterion (ii): The Bauhaus buildings in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau are central works of European modern art, embodying an avant-garde conception directed towards a radical renewal of architecture and design in a unique and widely influential way. They testify to the cultural blossoming of Modernism, which began here, and has had an effect worldwide.

Criterion (iv): The Bauhaus itself and the other buildings designed by the masters of the Bauhaus are fundamental representatives of Classical Modernism and as such are essential components which represent the 20th century. The Houses with Balcony Access in Dessau and the ADGB Trade Union School are unique products of the Bauhaus’s goal of unity of practice and teaching.

Criterion (vi): The Bauhaus architectural school was the foundation of the Modern Movement which was to revolutionize artistic and architectural thinking and practice in the 20th century.

Integrity

The Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau includes all elements necessary to express the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, reflecting the development of Modernism, which was to have worldwide influence in the visual arts, applied art, architecture, and urban planning. The seven component parts are of adequate size to ensure protection of the features and processes which convey the significance of the property.

Authenticity

Although the three buildings in Weimar have undergone several alterations and partial reconstructions, their authenticity is attested (apart from the reconstructed murals in the two Schools). Similarly, despite the level of reconstruction, the Bauhaus Building in Dessau preserves its original appearance and atmosphere, largely thanks to the major restoration work carried out in 1976. As for the Masters’ Houses, the restoration work carried out was based on thorough research and may be considered as meeting the conditions of authenticity. The Houses with Balcony Access and the ADGB Trade Union School largely preserve their original state in terms of form, design, material and substance and thereby provide authentic evidence of the sole architectural legacies of the Bauhaus building department.

Protection and management requirements

The two former Art Schools, the Applied Art School and the Haus am Horn in Weimar are protected by listing in the Register of Historical Monuments of the Free State of Thuringia as unique historical monuments under the provisions of the Thuringian Protection of Historic Monuments Act of 7 January 1992. The Bauhaus, the Masters’ Houses and the Houses with Balcony Access are listed in the equivalent Register of the State of Saxony-Anhalt (Protection of Historical Monuments Act of 21 October 1991). The ADGB Trade Union School is registered on the monuments list of the Federal State of Brandenburg and is therefore protected by its law for the protection and conservation of historical monuments of 22 July 1991.The Bauhaus Building and the Masters’ Houses are used by the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, a public foundation. In Weimar, Dessau and Bernau the status of registered historic monuments guarantees that the requirements for monument protection will be taken into account in any regional development plans. There is also a buffer zone, reflecting a monument zone, for the protection of the World Heritage property.

Overall responsibility for protection of the Weimar monuments is with the State Chancellery of the Free State of Thuringia, for those in Dessau with the Ministry of Culture of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, and in Bernau with the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture of the State of Brandenburg, in all cases operating through their respective State Offices for the Preservation of Historical Monuments.

Direct management is assigned to the appropriate State and municipal authorities, operating under their respective protection regulations. In Dessau, the site of the Bauhaus itself and the Masters’ Houses are managed by the Foundation Bauhaus Dessau (Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau). The respective monument protection acts of the Federal States ensure the conservation and maintenance of the objects and clarify areas and means of action. The largely identical aims, regulations and principles of these acts establish a uniform legislative basis for the management of the components at the different sites. A steering group with representatives of the owners and the authorities involved acts as a communication platform and coordinates overarching activities concerning compliance with the World Heritage Convention or the research into and the presentation of World Heritage.

1. Considering the restoration of the glazing of the staircases on four of the Houses with Balcony Access,
2. Giving special attention to the ADGB Trade Union School’s surrounding landscape,
3. Detailing the monitoring indicators.