The Power of Example/Le pouvoir de l'exemple/Het voorbeeld aan de macht [antikvár]

The 3rd revised edition of the book "The Power of Example" marks the 40th anniversary of Európa Nostra, the panEuropean federation fór heritage. The book is a true celebration of the exceptional richness and beauty of Europe's cultural heritage. It seeks to boost the feeling of pride and of shared responsibility among European citizens about this heritage which contributes, so fundamentally, to their quality of life, and which represents the tangible and visible part of their multi-layer identity: local, national and European. The book gives a comprehensive overview of Európa Nostra's achievements during the 40 years of its continuous action in support of Europe's cultural (both built and natural) heritage. A series of articles written by individuals who currently hold positions within the organisation or have done so in the past describe the main aspects of Európa Nostra's activity: the numerous public campaigns and interventions aiming to protect the heritage at risk; the Európa Nostra Awards and the Európa Nostra Restoration Fund aiming to recognise outstanding achievements in the field of heritage and raise "heritage awareness" among the public at large; the scientific activities carried on by the Scientific Council aiming to contribute to the study and conservation of Europe's endangered military architecture; and finally Európa Nostra's active involvement in the policy development and actions of the Council of Europe and the European Union. The readers of this book will alsó learn more about the remarkable personalities which have marked the life of the organisation throughout its history. An important part of the book is dedicated to the careful selection of more than 100 outstanding heritage projects from all over Europe, the exemplary value of which has been recognised by an Európa Nostra Award. The projects selected should be considered as a representative sample of the 850 Európa Nostra Award-winning projects, all of which are listed, in chronological order, at the end of the book. This selection gives an impressive illustration of the infinite variety of heritage projects, both large and small, which are being realised, every year, in Europe thanks to the dedication, determination, enthusiasm, and skills of a large number of heritage professionals and amateurs working together for the same cause. This book seeks to pay tribute to all those who are spreading "the power of example" and thus contributing to the safeguarding for present and future generations of this unique cultural heritage, which we have inherited from our ancestors. Finally, at a time when Europe is redefining its institutional, political and economic architecture for the 2ist century, this book should be regarded as a powerful element in Európa Nostra's current campaign advocating the need for European decision-makers to recognise the importance which cultural heritage plays in the on-going process of the building of Europe. On the eve of a new historic enlargement of the European Union, this process cannot be successfully done without a strong "cultural pillar". The special messages, published at the beginning of this book, which have been sent to Európa Nostra on the occasion of its 40th anniversary by Mr Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe and Mr Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission take on a particular significance in this context. This 3rd revised edition of the book "The Power of Example" could not have been possible without the support and involvement of a group of dedicated individuals, all of whom are acknowledged, with deep gratitude, at the end of this book. Here, I wish to pay a special tribute to three people who have made a particularly important contribution: The Marquis de Trazegnies, President of the Európa Nostra's Publications Committee, who has lent us once more his remarkable editorial talents and his erudition; Mrs Sneska Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic, Secretary General of Európa Nostra, who has been closely involved in the selection and final editing of the various articles and their illustrations; Mrs Marijnke de Jong, a former Európa Nostra Awards Officer, who was the co-editor of the first two editions of the book, and to whom we now owe the part of the book describing the awardwinning projects. Special thanks alsó go to Mr Nicholas Howard, Mr Yvon Fonteyne and Mr Freddy Hofmans for their invaluable help with ensuring the high standard of the English, French and Dutch texts and translations, and to Mr Mark Snethlage, staff member, who efficiently ensured the final co-ordination of the whole project.