Press release from the Ministry of Regional Development and Housing

Together with the state capital Stuttgart, the Minister for Regional Development and Housing, Nicole Razavi MdL, inaugurated two WahreWunderBänke (TrueWonderBenches) on 10 October near the world-famous houses designed by Le Corbusier.

© LAD im RPS / I. Gaukel

The new information units draw attention to the entire World Heritage Site in Baden-Württemberg.

Minister Razavi said:

‘The WahreWunderBänke in the Weissenhofsiedlung invite visitors to experience Le Corbusier’s unique architecture. The benches are eye-catching, a place to rest and a source of information all in one.’

Dr Alexandra Sußmann, Mayor for Social Affairs, Health and Integration of the City of Stuttgart, said:

‘The city is grateful to the state for drawing additional attention to Stuttgart’s world cultural heritage, the Le Corbusier houses, with the two “WahreWunderBänke”. The state initiative draws attention to the formative architectural influence and high cultural value of the two houses and the Weissenhofsiedlung, which attract tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world every year.’

Prof. Dr Claus Wolf, President of the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments in the Stuttgart Regional Council, emphasised:

‘UNESCO World Heritage Sites are monuments that have universal significance for all of humanity. That is why the World Heritage title is both an honour and an obligation, which the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments is happy to accept. The new multifunctional benches are a great help in this regard, as they are ideal places for communicating the World Heritage concept.’

WahreWunderBänke

The information boards integrated into the WahreWunderBänke each contain a map with a rough spatial location of all seven World Heritage Sites in the state, an overview text on the World Heritage family in Baden-Württemberg, a text on the specific World Heritage Site and a link to the film “Die sieben Welterbewunder Baden-Württemberg” (The Seven World Heritage Wonders of Baden-Württemberg). Benches have already been inaugurated on the monastery island of Reichenau, near Maulbronn Monastery, at the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes in Osterburken, Buchen and Walldürn, in Baden-Baden and near the Pile Dwellings in Uhldingen.

State’s World Heritage Concept supports UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The WahreWunderBänke are part of the Baden-Württemberg World Heritage Concept. With this concept, the state government supports the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Baden-Württemberg. The aim is to preserve the cultural and architectural heritage together, to network it and to make it more accessible to the public. To this end, measures and products are being developed that can be implemented at all World Heritage Sites. These include an image film, an exhibition and a brochure.

WahreWunderBänke can be installed at all World Heritage Sites in Baden-Württemberg as a sign of solidarity between the sites and as an attractive recognition symbol. The neighbouring municipalities of a World Heritage Site can contact the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments in the Stuttgart Regional Council with a location proposal.

There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Baden-Württemberg: the Cistercian monastery in Maulbronn (since 1993), the monastery island of Reichenau (2000), the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes (2005), the Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps (2011), the two Le Corbusier houses in Stuttgart’s Weissenhofsiedlung (2016), the Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Alb in the Ach and Lone valleys (2017) and Baden-Baden, under the title “Great Spa Towns of Europe” (2021). All seven World Heritage Sites in the state are characterised by their exceptional universal value, authenticity and uniqueness and are part of the priceless and irreplaceable heritage of all humanity.

Further information

Further information on World Heritage sites in Baden-Württemberg and on the film and brochure “Die sieben Welterbewunder Baden-Württemberg” can be found at www.welterbe-bw.de.