Prize Winner speech by Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger, Executive President of EUROPA NOSTRA

Your Excellency, Mister President of the Hellenic Republic,
Excellencies,
Distinguished members of the Empress Theophanu Foundation,
Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,

Καλησπέρα σας, καλησπέρα σε όλους.

It is a profound honour — and a deeply moving experience — to stand here, beneath the dome of this magnificent Rotunda in Thessaloniki, to accept the Empress Theophanu Prize 2025 on behalf of Europa Nostra, the European voice of civil society committed to protecting and celebrating our shared cultural heritage.

 

In this awe-inspiring place — where stone, mosaic, and light intertwine — we feel the presence of many Europes at once.

Built as a Roman imperial shrine, transformed into a Byzantine church, later a mosque, and now a monument open to all humanity, the Rotunda embodies the very essence of Europe: multi-layered, diverse, resilient.

Its walls have witnessed empires rise and fall, faiths change, people come and go — yet the Rotunda remains.
It teaches us that Europe is not a single story but a symphony of many voices.
It reminds us that what endures is not the power to conquer, but the power to connect.

How fitting that we gather here tonight, in a circle both literal and symbolic — the eternal shape of dialogue — to celebrate those who build bridges between cultures and generations.

 

The woman whose name graces this prize, Empress Theophanu, was herself a bridge between worlds.
Born in Constantinople, the jewel of Byzantium, she journeyed across seas and cultures to become Empress of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation – (she was married to Emperor Otto II).

She carried with her not only luxury and learning, but a new vision of Europe — one in which East and West could meet through mutual respect and exchange.

A thousand years later, her example still shines.
She reminds us that Europe’s unity has always depended on dialogue between its differences — between North and South, East and West, past and future.

To receive an award in her name is therefore not just a recognition; it is a calling — a reminder that we, too, must be bridge-builders in our time.

 

For over sixty years, Europa Nostra has been guided by this same conviction.
We are a movement of citizens, experts, and volunteers — from more than forty countries — working to safeguard Europe’s cultural and natural heritage in all its diversity.

We speak for those who believe that cultural heritage is not a luxury, but a necessity — a source of identity, creativity, and resilience.

From restoring historic buildings to reviving traditional crafts, from empowering local communities to shaping European policy, from adding scent to our historic perception, from teaching children about the importance of heritage we have worked to make heritage a living force for good.

Our work is grounded in partnership — with the European Union, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the European Investment Bank Institute, and countless local and regional initiatives.
But most of all, it is grounded in people: in the passion of those who refuse to let beauty and memory fade away.

 

Heritage is a living force, and heritage gives hope.
When a community in Ukraine protects its monuments under bombardment; when a derelict industrial site in Portugal becomes a hub for innovation; when young people in the Balkans rediscover their shared cultural roots — we witness the quiet power of heritage to heal and to unite.

Therefore, all these heritage professionals and volunteers are doing amazing things.

Heritage is not about nostalgia. It is about belonging.
It is about understanding that every stone, every melody, every story handed down to us carries a message of resilience — and a promise to future generations.

 

We also know, however, that Europe’s heritage is fragile.
It faces threats from war and neglect, from the climate crisis and mass tourism, from populist and extremist political movements and from short-term economic pressures that too often ignore the long-term value of culture.

In too many places, we see history erased in the name of progress, or beauty sacrificed to expedience.
But to lose our heritage is to lose our compass — the very map that tells us who we are and where we come from.

Europa Nostra exists to resist that loss — to be a guardian of memory, a promoter of excellence, and a voice for cultural democracy.

We believe that climate action and cultural heritage must walk hand in hand — that the green transition must also be a cultural transition.
We believe that social justice and cultural justice are inseparable — that access to culture is a human right, not a privilege.
And we believe that heritage and democracy depend on each other — because a people that forgets its history can too easily forget its freedom.

Our continent finds itself in a double challenge which needs to meet urgently

These challenges are not only external, they also come from the inside: faced with a much more fragile world and the uncertainties that go with it, a growing part of our European population is tempted by populist and extremist parties, that intend to destroy what we have built together. Europe must reinvent the means to recapture the interest and support of its citizens.

On the external side:
Europe must rethink its place and its role by defining a new vision, which encompasses and reinforces its security on all fronts.
In times of conflict and confrontation, culture and heritage are more important than ever.

And these inner and external challenges are closely interlinked.
And that’s where culture and heritage has a role to play!
Culture and heritage are what links Europeans together; they are the essence of our common values and our shared identity,

So tonight is a moment to celebrate, but also to reflect.

 

The Empress Theophanu Prize celebrates not only what Europe has inherited, but what it can still become.
It reminds us that Europe is more than a political or economic project — it is a cultural and moral one.

Thessaloniki, this radiant city by the sea, has always been a meeting point of civilizations — Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Jewish, Balkan, and Mediterranean.
Its streets, its architecture, its spirit remind us that Europe’s richness lies in its plurality.

The Rotunda stands at the heart of this city as a silent witness to that truth.
And tonight, beneath its dome, we too bear witness — to the power of culture to transcend time, to the duty of remembrance, and to the joy of shared humanity.

 

Thousands of people all over Europe in every community, in every town and city engage in heritage.
People are working tirelessly, often without pay, to save and preserve our heritage.

What is it that moves thousands of people to do this? The answer is obvious: Heritage matters!

Heritage matters for communities.
It carries value from one generation to the next.
It builds bridges and connects us across borders.
84% of the Europeans say, cultural heritage gives them a sense of belonging.

Heritage also matters for our economy.
Everything we produce in Europe is deeply rooted in our heritage and traditions.
Everything that people from outside Europe want to buy, consume or visit, is linked, in one way or another, to our heritage.

Heritage matters for democracy.
In our struggle against nationalism and populism, heritage reminds us that our past was never simple.
It was never one story or one voice. It is complex, layered, diverse, just like Europe itself.
But beneath our differences lie shared values: the rule of law, empathy, lessons learned through struggle and sacrifice.

Heritage matters! Matters for Europe and the Europeans!
This is why we applaud and support so much the European Commission‘s project of a European Cultural Compass.
And that is why we Europa Nostra are proud to play our part as the leading force of the European Heritage Hub.

Europa Nostra will continue to defend this vision — of a Europe that listens, learns, and leads through culture; a Europe that builds its future not on fear, but on knowledge, creativity, and empathy.

 

Mister President,
allow me to express our deepest admiration for Greece, the host of this remarkable ceremony.
To speak of Europe without speaking of Greece is to speak without a beginning.

Here, in this land, democracy was born.
Here, philosophy taught us to question, poetry taught us to feel, and architecture taught us to aspire.
Here, the word Europe itself first took shape.

For Europa Nostra, Greece has always been more than a partner — it has been a compass.
Organisations like Elleniki Etairiea, or heritage heroes like Costa Carras.

So tonight, as we celebrate in the Rotunda, we also pay tribute to the Hellenic spirit that continues to inspire the best of Europe.

 

This prize, though given to Europa Nostra, truly belongs to all who care for Europe’s cultural soul.

To the artisans who restore broken mosaics, the conservators who work in silence and patience, the volunteers who protect their village monuments, the teachers who make history come alive, and the young people who bring new meaning to old places.

To them — and to all who believe that beauty, truth, and memory still matter — is this award dedicated, too.

 

As I look around this sacred space, I am reminded that the Rotunda’s dome once symbolized the heavens.
Under it, generations of Europeans have prayed, dreamed, and created.

Today, we gather under the same dome — not divided by creed or empire, but united in gratitude for the heritage we share.

Let us, too, be a Rotunda for our time — open to all, strong in our foundations, circular in our embrace.

Let us remember that what truly unites Europe is not the uniformity of our markets, but the diversity of our memories.
Not the might of our armies, but the imagination of our artists.
Not the force of our wealth, but the force of our values.

Mister President,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of Europa Nostra, I accept the Empress Theophanu Prize 2025 with deep humility and heartfelt gratitude.

May it inspire us to continue our mission — to protect, to cherish, and to transmit the treasures of Europe’s cultural heritage.
May it remind us that heritage is not about the past — it is about the future we wish to build together.

And may the spirit of Empress Theophanu — the visionary woman who united East and West through culture and wisdom — continue to guide us in creating a Europe that is proud of its history, confident in its diversity, and united in its humanity.

From this eternal city of Thessaloniki, under this dome that has seen seventeen centuries of change, let us send a message of hope: that Europe’s greatest monuments are not built of marble, but of memory and solidarity.

ευχαριστώ πολύ.

And in the words of the great Greek poet Giorgos Seferis, who knew both the pain and the promise of Europe, let me quote him:

Όπου και να ταξιδέψω η Ελλάδα με πληγώνει..

This simple yet haunting line expresses the poet’s deep love for his homeland — a love so profound that it becomes a kind of gentle pain.

It reminds us that to truly love a place, a culture, or a continent is to feel both its beauty and its burden — and to carry them with responsibility and care.

May we, too, carry Europe in that spirit — not as a possession, but as a promise.
Not as a wound to lament, but as a gift to protect.

Thank you.