1998 |
Schwetzingen has officially been on the German selection list for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1998. With this preliminary selection an unmistakable trend was set on a national level for the outstanding importance of the former summer residential palace of Elector Carl Theodor. |
2005 |
The Baden-Württemberg State Office of Property and Construction, the town of Schwetzingen and the State Office of Monument Preservation have joined forces for the Schwetzingen application. From the beginning of 2005 until January 2007, a joint office for coordination of the application preparations was maintained in Schwetzingen Palace. Dr. Rob de Jong, President of the International Organization for Historic Gardens of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS-Ifla) was gained as a consultant for the process of submitting the application. In the summer of 2005 the Minister of Finance of Baden-Württemberg, Mr. Gerhard Stratthaus and the Lord Mayor of the town of Schwetzingen, Mr. Bernd Kappenstein, announced that the application was not only to focus (as originally intended) on the palace and gardens, but also on the Baroque town complex with its visual axes. In September 2005 the official title of the application was specified by the steering committee, i.e. "Schwetzingen – 18th Century Electoral Summer Residential Palace". |
2006 |
In February 2006 the management plan was completed. It is another milestone on the road to inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. All other documents for the application were completed by the end of 2006. In November the festive signing of the application by the Minister of Finance of Baden-Württemberg, Gerhard Stratthaus, and the Lord Mayor of Schwetzingen, Bernd Kappenstein, took place. |
2007 |
In January the application was submitted on schedule to the UNESCO in Paris. |
2008 |
Schwetzingen is now in the evaluation phase, i.e. the application is being checked by the World Heritage Committee. In the process, the UNESCO is supported by expertises from the ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites). As part of the word heritage application, a large number of events take place, e.g. the "viewing“ and talks, which provide the insights into the measures specified in the management plan, the application process and the daily, complex care of the electoral summer residential palace in Schwetzingen. |
2009 |
Because of an unfavourable votum of ICOMOS the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg and the town of Schwetzingen decided to withdraw the nomination in June 2009. |
2010 |
Official submission of the new nomination “Schwetzingen – A Prince Elector’s Summer to UNESCO in January. The decision as to whether Schwetzingen will be added to the World Heritage List is not expected before the meeting of the World Heritage Committee in 2012. |