Historic cultural landscapes are the work of both nature and man, preserving tangible and intangible traces of the past. The combination of the royal palace, urban area and surrounding nature makes the Schwerin cultural landscape a unique example of 19th-century European court culture. Nestled amongst parklands and lakes, Schwerin Palace, with its buildings and gardens, represents an exceptional piece of “romantic historicism” in Europe – a unique architectural and urban fusion of functional and intellectual-historical 19th-century residence design. It was this exceptional prominence that saw the “Residence Ensemble Schwerin – A cultural landscape of romantic historicism” included on the tentative list of national World Heritage Site nominees.
Based on the Residence Ensemble Schwerin, the conference will focus on the historic cultural landscape in a context of World Heritage, and the interrelations between residence complexes as historic cultural landscapes in particular. Doubling as the 3rd Schwerin World Heritage Conference, the conference will also include the World Heritage nomination of the “Residence Ensemble Schwerin – A cultural landscape of romantic historicism”. The comparison with other residences/residence landscapes from Germany and neighbouring countries will serve to further define the location and rank of the “Residence Ensemble Schwerin”, and enhance its outstanding universal value.