Cultural heritage

Knowing the past helps us to understand the culture of today. Learning about our cultural heritage helps us to establish our own cultural identity, which in its turn offers support and security to our life in a multicultural world. When children and young people learn to recognise and appreciate their own cultural heritage, they also learn how to approach other cultures with respect.

Cultural differences are valuable. By getting acquainted with other cultures and by comparing them with one’s own culture, one also learns to appreciate our collective world heritage and to understand one’s significance in this chain.
The concept of cultural heritage comprises a broad range of material and nonmaterial heritage from the past. The nonmaterial cultural heritage refers to e.g. oral traditions and expressions, including the language, performing art, social customs, rituals and festivities, knowledge and skills related to nature and traditional handicraft skills. The material cultural heritage includes concrete monuments of culture that exist in a concrete physical environment, e.g. places, buildings, things and goods.

The generation living today is obliged to handle the cultural monuments with respect for those who lived before us and showing consideration for those who are coming after us.