Welterbe in Gefahr (English version World Heritage in Danger forthcoming) by Bernhard Freiherr Droste zu Hülshoff, Olms Presse 2026.
This book - written by an insider - tells of beauty and loss, of diplomatic negotiations behind closed doors, and of the consequences of armed conflicts, trafficking, climate change, mass tourism, and economic interests for cultural and natural heritage. It shows how an idea of international responsibility became a political battleground—and why the World Heritage program nevertheless remains one of the great civilizational projects of our time.
Authentic, insightful, and written from personal experience—and with many examples from World Heritage sites—this publication is at once a memoir, an analysis, and a passionate appeal: to the responsibility of nations, to the power of multilateralism, and to the question of what is truly worth preserving in a world full of challenges.
Bernhard Freiherr Droste zu Hülshoff became the founding director of the UNESCO World Heritage Center in Paris in 1992. Under his leadership, World Heritage became a global reference point for the protection of natural and cultural heritage. He was particularly committed to linking natural and cultural heritage, to cultural landscapes, and to sustainability in World Heritage conservation.
Interviews conducted in 2007 and 2008 with Von Droste are available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/oralarchives/bernd-von-droste
Published by
Olms Presse (September 2026)
Author
Bernhard Freiherr Droste zu Hülshoff
Language
German (original) – English (forthcoming)
Format
256 pages
ISBN
978-3-7582-0834-8
