At its 43rd session held recently in Baku, Azerbaijan, the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, granted the Augsburg Application of the ‘Augsburg Water Management System’ with the exclusive UNESCO World Heritage title. At this meeting, 36 proposals were identified from around the world — three of them with German participation. The city’s delight is huge and a major water festival was launched in the city center. Mayor Dr. Kurt Gribl said, “With the recognition of the Augsburg Water Management System as a World Heritage Site, UNESCO honours an incomparable treasure that the city has retained since its founding. The location of Augsburg at the confluence of ‘Lech’ and ‘Wertach’ is no coincidence, but strategically well considered.” Thomas Weitzel, Cultural Officer in Baku/Azerbaijan, said,”The system of the Augsburg water management is located like a connecting bracket around the city, which is rich in cultural monuments, from the oldest water towers in Europe and the art-historically important fountains to outstanding monuments of industrial culture or the canoe route in the former Olympic site.” Ulrich Müllegger, World Heritage Coordinator in Baku/Azerbaijan, shared, “I’m sure many people of Augsburg are happy with the World Heritage title and are proud of it. Water is the genetic code of our city, which formed the life between ‘Lech’ and ‘Wertach’ for more than two millennia.” Götz Beck, CEO, Regional Tourism, stated, “UNESCO World Heritage Sites are tourist heavyweights. The Augsburg Water Management System Award is a great opportunity to provide exciting incentives for the development of tourism in Augsburg and the region at the national and international levels.”
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