Sarah Blacha

In many places, churches shape the character, history and cultural life of a region. When parishes have to give up buildings or seek new uses for them, the question arises: how can these special places be preserved whilst at the same time being developed in a way that ensures their future viability? The heritage networks in Germany, operating under the umbrella of the Bund Heimat und Umwelt in Deutschland (BHU), use selected examples to illustrate civic engagement in developing ideas and – in the best-case scenario – putting them into practice. The event provides insights into successful initiatives, new concepts for use and the challenges involved in preserving church buildings as architectural, cultural and commemorative sites.