"Role honored"

Rein Abbey and Zwettl Abbey now bear the EU Heritage Label

Rein Abbey near Graz and Zwettl Abbey in Lower Austria now officially bear the European Heritage Label. This is in recognition of their key role in European history and culture, the EU Commission announced on Thursday.

The district of Bamberg in Germany had submitted a total of 17 Cistercian monastic landscapes in Central Europe for the label. These include Altenberg Abbey north-east of Cologne, Bronnbach Abbey in Baden-Württemberg and Waldsassen Abbey in Bavaria. From Austria, the cultural landscapes include Rein Abbey near Graz and Zwettl Abbey in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria.

Contributions to culture and technology
According to the EU Commission, the Cistercian order originated from the Benedictines and was founded in Citeaux in France in 1098. It spread throughout Europe, particularly in Central Europe. The order made important contributions to culture and technology and financed abbeys in many European countries, it said.

The seal was awarded to monastic landscapes in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia. In principle, it can be awarded to natural and urban monuments, cultural assets and intangible cultural heritage. One of the aims of the seal is to encourage cultural heritage sites to use digital technologies. The awards will be presented on April 17 in Antwerp (Belgium).