For many Hessians it has long been an indispensable cultural asset, now it is to be recognized as such according to an application by the Apfelwein-Centrum Hessen e.V.: the apple wine. Currently, four Hessian traditions are in the race to be included in the Federal Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Federal Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage shows exemplarily which living cultural traditions and forms of expression are practiced and passed on in Germany. Hessian cider culture should not be missing from this list. It remains to be seen whether the Expert Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage at the German UNESCO Commission also sees it that way. Currently, this and other applications are still being discussed.
The application for the inclusion of the Hessian cider culture was submitted by the association Apfelwein Centrum Hessen (ACH!), which wants to open the first Hessian cider museum in Hanau's city center at Heumarkt this year. In the application, cider is presented as a central part of Hessian way of life, which is kept alive by many events and professional know-how. For example, in addition to the numerous cider inns, there is an apple wine and fruit route, the cider festival in Frankfurt and the "Golden Apple", an award that honours commitment to the preservation of meadow orchards.
For inclusion in the Federal Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the federal states make a preliminary selection. Then the Secretariat of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs examines the applications and sends them to the Expert Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage, which is convened by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office of the German UNESCO Commission. Cider has already successfully cleared this first hurdle. In the next step, the recommendation of the expert committee would have to be confirmed by the Conference of Ministers of Culture in consultation with the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. A final decision is expected next spring. "We are confident that with the opening of the cider museum in Hanau, the application will get another boost", noted Jörg Stier, chairman of the ACH! and curator of the "Geripptes Museum". We keep our fingers crossed!
Further information can also be found at: www.apfelwein-centrum-hessen.de
