After the Abbey of Cluny and the house of Robert Schuman in Scy-Chazelles in 2014, the labelling of Strasbourg and its European district highlights the European construction that has marked its history. It rewards the quality of the communication and mediation actions developed by the city of Strasbourg to make known to the inhabitants and tourists the European dimension and history of the city.
The European Heritage Label is a scheme initiated in 2007 by France with several European countries, then integrated in 2011 within the framework of the European Union. It aims to highlight the European dimension of monuments, natural or urban sites, places of memory, witnesses of the history and culture of Europe or of the construction of the European Union. Its aim is to strengthen the feeling of acceptance of European citizens, especially young people, for a common European identity and to foster their sense of belonging to a common cultural space.
A European jury, chaired by Bénédicte Selfflagh and composed of 13 European experts in the field of heritage (4 members nominated by the European Commission, 4 by the European Parliament, 4 by the European Council and the last by the Committee of the Regions) examined 18 applications from 11 countries and proposed to award the label to 9 applications, including one submitted by France, at the request of the city of Strasbourg.
Among the applications submitted by other European countries are: the Imperial Palace of Vienna (Austria) and the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest (Hungary).
The Label will be officially awarded at a ceremony in Brussels in April 2016.