Welcome Speech by Mr. Stavros Andreadis, Chairman of the Governing Council, Theophano Foundation

Your Excellency, the President of the Hellenic Republic,

Dear Ministers, Dear Mayor,

Distinguished guests of ours, representatives of so many different countries, members of a global society,

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends

I welcome you with great emotion and a sense of honor to this year’s, sixth, award of the “Empress Theophano” prize.

As I stand in this position, I cannot help but think of the history of this noble initiative, the important course of these first 5 years of the prize, but also its weighty importance and perspective for the future.

In my opinion, it was from the very first moment, a brilliant international initiative that was born in the heart of Europe, a thought of the visionary, the philhellene, the humanist and wise, a thought of our friend, Herman van Rompuy.

In a world of social and political challenges, in a world of contradictions that are considered irreconcilable and insurmountable, an idea was born. The idea of a prize aiming to highlight hope. A prize that highlights positive, common, European and universal values, as they are embodied through the action of individuals or organizations.

The symbol chosen was Theophano, an empress who, thousands of years ago, linked the Byzantine and Roman Empires, the East and the West of the 10th century, a historical act of reconciliation bridging cultural differences. The location chosen was, Greece, the city of Thessaloniki and this unique monument of multicultural references, the Rotunda, the ‘Pantheon of the East’.

From the very first moment, we have seen this idea bringing together leading personalities from every corner of Europe, leading representatives of politics, diplomacy, science, literature and culture, who today make up the Advisory and Governing Councils of the prize.

We thank them in particular for all these years, because as a “common voice of Europe” they’ve been highlighting humanism, solidarity, understanding, cohesion and reconciliation, bridging contrasts, through the awards.

In these turbulent times of global uncertainty, fanaticism, brutal violence and bloodshed, Europe must stand up. And this will not be done by its politicians, but by the European peoples themselves, by us who are here today in this hall.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As I mentioned before, the “Empress Theophano” prize has recorded in just five years of its existence a spectacular course of pan-European recognition. However, it can achieve much more. Our ambition is every year standing here at the most southeastern part of Europe to raise a common European voice, which will promote and reward moral principles, values and ideals.

On behalf of the six people who have supported it from the beginning, Vangelis Gerovassiliou, Kostas Gleoudis, Nikos Efthymiadis, Giorgos Mylonas, Vassos Konstantinidis and Doris Economou, I would like to invite you to stand by this effort.

This year’s award is for our Europe, Europa Nostra in Latin.

EUROPA NOSTRA, the “Voice of European Civil Society” for cultural heritage, has been highlighting the importance of preserving and promoting European cultural heritage as a fundamental pillar of unity, identity, cultural cohesion of European societies and sustainable development of Europe, for 60 years.

What could be the common point among: the restoration of the roof of the Church of Saint Maurice in Spitz an der Donau, Austria, the restoration of the historic Venetian house “Campones 1615” on Naxos, the “Amlalagues” a weaving art project in Coimbra, Portugal, and the preservation of the architectural heritage of Greenland? They are awarded by Europa Nostra projects in the fields of research, conservation, education, and public awareness, while at the same time they are points of reference of our European cultural identity and a source of social power for modern Europe.

And EUROPA NOSTRA achieved the miraculous: With a strong voice, it has managed to highlight issues, and – ultimately – the wealth and beauty of European Culture, through its network of members, a real synthesis of civil society: more than 300 organizations and bodies (including the Municipality of Thessaloniki), but also 1,500 individual members. With an indirect combined appeal to over 5 million people, from 46 different countries.

Awarding the prize to Europa Nostra goes beyond the individual, the local, the national and makes us realize that we are part of a broader whole, a European heritage that has to do with all of us.

Dear Dr. Hermann Parzinger,

Dear Ms. Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović,

Thank you so much for underscoring this inherent strength of cultural heritage for our identity, all these years.

With this prize, we highlight culture as our reference point for the past, present and future of our societies.

As you, Mr. Parzinger, have said, “Europe’s cultural heritage is a vast, multifaceted mosaic showing who we were, who we are and who we aspire to be. We are all responsible for this huge legacy, which is precious but also fragile.”

Welcome, therefore, to a city that is itself a mosaic of European identity, and a monument that embodies in its history the Roman, Byzantine, Orthodox, Ottoman and Greek influence, reflecting historically the multicultural influences of Europe.

We congratulate you once again for your excellent work and we wish you from the bottom of our hearts to continue with the same inspiration, the same sensitivity and the same passion.

Thank you.