Welcome to the website of the Austrian Committee of the Blue Shield! ​

The Blue Shield is a network of dedicated individuals across the world that is
 “committed to the protection of the world’s cultural property, and is concerned with the protection of cultural ​and natural heritage, tangible and intangible, in the event of armed conflict, natural- or human-made disaster.”  
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​(Article 2.1, Blue Shield Statutes 2016)

our organisation

Blue Shield Austria is a non-governmental organisation and one of the National Committees of the Blue Shield. The Blue Shield was formed in response to the growing recognition of the extent of heritage damage during armed conflict, and the changes in international law designed to prevent it. Today it works globally to protect cultural heritage in emergency situations.

SAVE THE DATE!
​3D Documentation as Cultural Property Protection on Heritage Day 2026

As part of "Tag des Denkmals 2026" on 27 September 2026, Blue Shield Austria and the "Dombauhütte St. Stephan" invite to explore how 3D documentation and digital technologies can support the protection of cultural heritage in times of crisis and armed conflict. The programme at St. Stephen’s Cathedral includes insights into documentation projects in Ukraine and expert discussions.

New HANDBOOK ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

ICOM Austria, the Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media, and Sport, the Federal Monuments Office, the Austrian Armed Forces, the Austrian UNESCO Commission, and Blue Shield Austria published a handbook to provide museums and other cultural heritage institutions with guidelines for emergency management.​

DCNA WORKING GROUP AND POLICY PAPER

Blue Shield Austria is part of a Working Group (WG) on Cultural Property Protection that was established within the Disaster Competence Network Austria (DCNA) with the goal to integrate cultural heritage into Austrian critical infrastructure mechanisms. Find out about the first Policy Paper.

FInd out MORE about our latest activities

Based in the firm belief that cultural heritage is a vital and inseparable part of communities, and not a luxury, we aim to be proactive in advocating for its protection. The Austrian Committee of the Blue Shield implements activities aligned with the Blue Shield approach, adapted to our national context.
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