Heritage Reinvents Europe

Does cultural heritage bind or separate; does it have the power to add value to the ‘Europe-feeling’? Will emphasising the commonalities in national histories speed up the process of European integration? Can shared cultural roots contribute to economic union? Furthermore, should cultural heritage serve as an instrument in the promotion of civil understanding of the ‘building of Europe’? Unity in Diversity, the motto of the European Union, has, since World War II, seldom been as relevant as it is today. In these difficult economic times Europe is more and more confronted with the phenomenon that citizens openly stand up for the defence of their national and regional interests. This has put enormous pressure on the process of European integration and the concept of a shared European identity based on the cultures of individual EU member states. Thus, understanding the diversity of European cultural heritage and its presentation to the broadest audience represents a challenge that can be answered by diversified group of scientists, including archaeologists, historians, culturologists, museologists etc.
By choosing “Heritage reinvents Europe” as the theme for the 12th EAC colloquium that was held between the 17th–19th March 2011, in the Provincial Heritage Centre in Ename, Belgium, the board of the Europae Archaeologiae Consilium made its contribution to the understanding of the key concept of a shared European identity.