UNESCO - 18 New Inscriptions in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage
November 19, 2025: National Ceremony for Intangible Cultural Heritage 2025 at Saarbrücken Castle - Analog Photography Leads the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage...
The Ministry of Education and Culture of Saarland and the German Commission for UNESCO honor 18 new inscriptions in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage (Deutsch, English, Français)
Saarland honors the diversity of living traditions: At the ceremony in Saarbrücken Castle today, the bearers of the cultural forms newly inscribed in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2025 were officially honored. A total of 18 cultural forms were recognized, including, for the first time, three explicitly Saarland traditions: Saarland Carnival, the St. Nicholas Post Office, and the Wadrill Farmstead Association. With these inscriptions, the register has grown to 168 entries. We list the new inscriptions below! The St. Nicholas post office is located in St. Nikolaus (Nikloos in the local dialect), a district of the municipality of Großrosseln near Saarbrücken – from here, St. Nicholas answers children's letters from all over the world. We are also delighted about the recent inclusion of analog photography in the list of intangible cultural heritage!
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| Perchten, St. Nicholas, and his angel from Bad Reichenhall, photo: Helga Waess (press archive) |
Saarland's Minister of Culture, Christine Streichert-Clivot:
"Intangible cultural heritage thrives on communities passing it on, cultivating it, and adapting it. Each of the 18 newly added cultural forms is a living expression of this dynamic – and a building block for cultural diversity and cohesion in Germany. The recognition of our Saarland cultural forms as part of the Federal Intangible Cultural Heritage is a great honor. It shows that our historical, regional customs are not only valued locally, but also hold a place in the national cultural memory. This recognition is not only a sign of the importance of cultural heritage in Saarland, but also acknowledges the tireless work and commitment of the three institutions, their partners, and their members. Their achievements are now being recognized in a national context, and that makes me very proud."
Christoph Wulf, Vice President of the German UNESCO Commission:
“The initiatives honored today demonstrate the diversity and creativity of cultural life in Germany. Emerging cultural forms stand on equal footing with traditional crafts, urban traditions alongside rural customs – community is emerging everywhere. Those who share their knowledge and skills build bridges between people and generations. I thank the many dedicated individuals who are so committed to fostering cohesion throughout the country!”
New additions to the Federal Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2025
- Analog Photography
- Construction and Playing of the Waldzither in Thuringia and the Harz Mountains (listed in the Register of Good Practices for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage)
- Playing Board Games – German Board Game Culture
- "Chinese Carnival Dietfurt" – Regional Carnival with Intercultural Exchange
- The Gold Beating Craft as Exemplified by the City of Schwabach
- The Goat Tradition between the Cities of Lambrecht and Deidesheim
- Carnival on the Saar: Tradition, Diversity, Community Spirit
- Working Dogs – Relationships between Humans and Dogs with Social Responsibility
- Wadrill Farmstead
- Glass Culture Campus in Frauenau (listed in the Register of Good Practices for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage)
- Bell casting and bell music
- Goldsmithing and silversmithing
- Craft firing techniques
- Immersive presentation of nature and the universe in planetariums
- St. Nicholas Post Office – St. Nicholas answers children's letters from all over the world
- "Rotwelsch dialects" (a German-based cant)
- Pottery and ceramics in Germany
- Networking and further development of crafts in the Ore Mountains (listed in the register of good practices for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage)
For more than 20 years, UNESCO has supported the preservation and transmission of living traditions through its Intangible Cultural Heritage program
This includes dance, theater, music, natural sciences, craft techniques, and oral traditions. International, national, and regional inventories now exist.
In spring 2022, the Saarland State Register was launched on the initiative of the Minister-President and Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Germany for Franco-German Cultural Relations, Anke Rehlinger, and the Minister of Education and Culture, Christine Streichert-Clivot.
A research advisory service at the Saar-Lor-Lux-Alsace Literary Archive supports applicants in the application and documentation of their cultural forms.
