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Walk through history as we guide you to things to learn, places to discover, and events that help connect us to our rich heritage.
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is pleased to open up our historic sites and experiences 7 days a week. Plan your visit today!
2024: On July 26, Moravian Church Settlements was inscribed on the prestigious World Heritage List at the World Heritage Committee meeting in New Delhi, India.
2023: In February, the U.S. Department of Interior submitted the multi-country nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List of historic “Moravian Church Settlements” in Bethlehem, U.S.; Gracehill, Northern Ireland/UK and Herrnhut, Germany. An international panel began a complete review and evaluation of the nomination Dossier.
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Transnational Working Group meetings were held in Northern Ireland in March and Denmark in July.
What is World Heritage and what does inclusion on the UNESCO list mean for the Lehigh Valley and the City of Bethlehem? Here are the Top 10 things you need to know:
Learn MoreLearn more about the unique and storied history of Historic Moravian Bethlehem. Our city, located in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, changed the course of our nation and its culture. We invite you to experience more about Bethlehem's rich and fascinating history.
Learn MoreWant to learn more about UNESCO, World Heritage, and sites in the United States and around the world? Find all you want to know right here!
Learn MoreWorld Heritage represents places on Earth having outstanding universal value for humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. As of July 2023, the World Heritage List contains 1223 cultural, natural and mixed properties.
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations which contributes to the building of peace, the reduction of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through the implementation of programmes in the field of education, natural and social sciences, culture, communication and information.
Once a country joins the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and has sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, the resulting prestige often helps to raise awareness among the general public and the state authorities of heritage preservation. Greater awareness leads to a general rise in the level of the protection and conservation given to heritage properties. A country may also receive financial assistance from the World Heritage Fund and expert advice from the World Heritage Committee to support activities for the preservation of its sites.
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