BLUE SHIELD AUSTRIA at THE GERMAN ONLINE “SPOTLIGHT” LECTURE SERIES

On 19 September 2024, Deputy Secretary General Anna Puhr was invited to contribute an online lecture on “The Role of Civil Society in the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Conflict and Crisis Situations.” The German Society for the Protection of Cultural Property and Blue Shield Germany are organising the monthly online lecture series “Spotlight KulturGutSchutz” where experts from Germany and abroad address different focal points of cultural property protection in their lectures.

​In her lecture, Anna Puhr emphasized the fact that effective cultural heritage protection relies on cooperation between various actors. 

While state institutions and international organizations like UNESCO play a key role, civil society—especially NGOs—offers crucial flexibility and rapid response in crises. Using Blue Shield International and its national committees as examples, the lecture highlighted the impact of civil society engagement in cultural property protection and underscored the importance of continuous dialogue for sustainable safeguarding efforts.