Two Polish sites shortlisted for European Heritage Label
Two Polish heritage projects have been shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 European Heritage Label, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage has announced.
Lusławice, southern PolandPhoto: Henryk Bielamowicz, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
The first is a proposed Constitution for Europe of 1831 by Wojciech Jastrzębowski, and the second is composer Krzysztof Penderecki’s Garden – the cultural heritage of the manor-park complex in Lusławice, southern Poland.
The European Heritage Label is awarded to institutions, buildings and objects that, as significant cultural assets, have played a major role in shaping European history, culture, and the values that underpin European integration, such as democracy, freedom and human rights.
The final results will be announced on March 1, 2026.
To date, seven Polish sites have received the European Heritage Label. The distinction highlights cultural landmarks that not only tell a part of Europe’s shared story but also reflect the continent’s ongoing project of integration.
According to the ministry, the shortlist of 21 nominees from across the continent offers „a fascinating journey through Europe’s diverse heritage.”
It includes both cultural landmarks and places of remembrance, from prehistoric burial sites and sacred spaces to theatres, war memorials and symbols of the struggle for freedom of speech.
The 1831 Polish Constitution for Europe is a handwritten manuscript by scientist and social thinker Wojciech Jastrzębowski.
The document outlines a visionary proposal for a peaceful and unified Europe, emphasising the supremacy of European law over national law and championing values such as individual liberty and human dignity.
Though largely forgotten today, the text was ahead of its time in imagining a framework for European cooperation more than a century before the European Union came into being, and some 170 years before a treaty establishing a constitution for Europe would be discussed and then, ultimately, abandoned.
Image: Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
The second Polish nominee, Krzysztof Penderecki’s Garden, is part of a historic estate in Lusławice, some 90 km east of the southern city of Kraków.
The site, dating back to the 12th century, was revitalized by the late composer and now serves as a hub for cultural and artistic activities.
It has become a place for intergenerational and intercultural dialogue, open to all regardless of origin, faith or worldview, united by the idea of working toward the common good.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP, gov.pl
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