THE CHRISTIANSFELD DOCUMENT:

We, the participants of the Christiansfeld initiative conference, members of the Moravian Brethren of Christiansfeld, Christiansfeld community, Christiansfeld partnership, national government authorities, UNESCO and the World Heritage Bureau, ICCROM and the Centre for Urban Development Studies of Harvard University,

sharing the attitude, that:

Moravian settlements are outstanding examples of the unity of spiritual, individual and community values and their relationship to the environment;

Cultural heritage of Christiansfeld is to be seen as an inseparable part of identity of a living town, contributing to its quality of life;

Spiritual values, expressed in buildings, and their spatial organisation in landscape indivisibly and dynamically link people to their heritage;

and serving the objectives:

To define strategic approaches enabling all stakeholders in Christiansfeld to maintain the Moravian heritage values, environment and relationships in the living town;

To exchange the emerging experience with the other communities that may face similar issues elsewhere,

have during the conference mutually elaborated the proposals for consideration:

Institutional framework:

The evolution of the Moravian Church and the importance of its built heritage in Christiansfeld call for the creation of an adapted structure to protect and manage this heritage.

Built within the larger Christiansfeld town, it is part of the urban environment and economy with which it interacts.

The structure proposed will represent this reality and provide tools for planning, co-ordination,

implementation and fund-raising. It will include the Church, the Municipality, the State and the private sector.

The institutional framework proposed for the organisation and financing of the renovation and preservation of the Moravian heritage of Christiansfeld consists of two main entities which ensure the participation of the different stakeholders recognising their appropriate roles in the use and safeguarding of this heritage and the values of the Moravian Brethren.

The Brethren should consider setting up a non profit Moravian Heritage Foundation controlled by the congregation. This approach would institutionalise the current practices of the congregation while enabling interested outside parties to contribute funds for renovation and management of the heritage through donations, grants, gifts, …etc.

The Foundation would receive funds from the Brethren, the Municipality, the State, private donors and international organisations concerned with conservation of cultural heritage.

The Christiansfeld Municipality should set up a partnership including the Moravian Brethren, the State, national and local agencies involved in renovation. Such partnership has already been established as The Christiansfeld partnership, including representatives of Christiansfeld Municipality, the Moravian Brethren, the Development Board, Christiansfeld Local history society and Byfornyelse Danmark.

The partnership will focus on planning and implementation of renovation works in the town at large, promotion of Christiansfeld and its Moravian heritage, and actively seeking funds to undertake the necessary works. As owners and managers of their own heritage, the congregation is expected to take a key role in renovation and planning through the Foundation and its representation on the partnership and the participation of its members in these activities.

Close co-ordination among the two entities will be ensured through interlinked Boards.

Information and building protection:

Information pamphlets concerning the heritage values and Advise pamphlets for maintenance and preservation of different building components (windows, doors, roof etc.) of Christiansfeld. It is important that the information is given to all inhabitants of the town and that it comes regularly as a part of a process.

Heritage days of Christiansfeld: an event every spring where professionals, inhabitants and politicians can discuss selected items (windows, doors, gardens/squares) for raising the interest and knowledge. The excellent architecture of Christiansfeld is a unique object for that kind of discussion.

Architecture in the school: To select a week every year in the school (e.g. 7 class) to focus at the physical surroundings during the beauties of Christiansfeld with an Architect as guest teacher, maybe co-ordinated with the heritage days and a publication of the yearly Information or advise pamphlets.

An action plan for maintenance of the buildings, the complex of buildings is that large that it is needed to develop a manual for maintenance including an annual systematic inspection (control plan) for management and prioritisation.

The professional staff of craftsman can train apprentices to craftsmen in co-operation with Rådvad Centret.

The municipality can establish a prize for good architecture and restoring for prising owners who has done a good job.

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