Heirlooms. European Stories

Punk is more than just a guitar riff or a haircut. It’s a movement and an ideology. In 1976 Punk came to the popular consciousness, both in Britain, Europe and across the world. By 1977 it was everywhere.

Born out of a youth culture movement in the UK during the swinging sixties, the miniskirt turned the fashion world upside down and influenced not only London but the whole world. The British fashion world was in turn influenced by France and Italy.

The people of Lyon think that everything began with their Guignol, the French Kasper. But the tradition of puppets is ancient – and very lively. Shaped by the local folk theatre, the figure of Pulcinella emerged in Italy, and thereafter his cousins throughout Europe, including Punch in England and Kasper in Germany.

Even the ancient Romans placed their trust in the healing powers of water, and spas would latest establish a firm foothold throughout Europe. The well-heeled travelled to England, Germany, and the Czech Republic to “take the waters”. Spa in Belgium was also a popular resort town – and British tourists imported its name into English.

Pilsner beer comes, of course, from the Czech Republic. Yet it’s not so matter-of-course as that. The citizens of the city of Pilsen were once so dissatisfied with their beer that they even spilled it out in protest in front of the town hall. Then they had a brilliant idea.

Did you know that the first postcard in the world came from Vienna? It was not yet illustrated. That someday people would be able to send postcards with pictures of their vacation spots we owe to inventions from France and Germany.

What is cultural heritage exactly? How does it impact our culture, and why are we invested in preserving it? We answer the most important questions in brief.