On 6th September, a ceremony was held in Cieszyn to honour the Serfenta Association with the prestigious European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award for their creation of an innovative Heritage Revitalisation Model. The medal, part of the award, was embedded in the wall of Serfenta’s headquarters, located in a historic tenement house at No.1 Srebrna Street in the heart of Cieszyn’s old town. The ceremonial unveiling was attended by Professor Jacek Purchla, Vice President of Europa Nostra, along with local officials.
“This initiative focuses on building awareness and understanding of the value of intangible heritage in a world overwhelmed with the mass production of goods produced far away and with low-quality materials. With a strong basis in research, it offers a replicable strategy for other crafts in other contexts at European scale” – Professor Jacek Purchla recalled the Jury’s words in his speech.
The event was preceded by a gala at the Cieszyn City Hall, attended by local authorities including the Mayor of Cieszyn, Gabriela Staszkiewicz, the Plenipotentiary of the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship for the Southern Subregion, Aneta Legierska, Joanna Bojczuk, a member of the Board of the Silesian Voivodeship, and the team of Mirosława Nykiel, Member of the European Parliament.
The award given to Serfenta not only recognises the exceptional efforts of the association’s leaders – Paulina Adamska and Łucja Cieślar – in preserving intangible heritage, but also strengthens the position of Cieszyn and the entire Cieszyn Silesia region on the European cultural heritage map. The award, often referred to as the “European Oscar” in the field of cultural heritage and as a voice of civil society, represents a major achievement. It proves that Serfenta’s 16-year commitment to promoting the craft of basket weaving, combining tradition with a modern business approach, has significance not only in Poland but also internationally.
It is worth noting that this year, three European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards laureates are from Poland: the Historic Ignacy Mine in Rybnik (Conservation and Adaptation category), Serfenta’s Craft Revitalisation Model in Cieszyn (Education, Training, and Skills category), and Dr Piotr Gerber from Wrocław (Heritage Champions category). More information on the awardees can be found here. We also encourage you to vote for the laureates in the Public Choice Award. Voting is open until 22nd September!