GOV4PeaCE

In 2024, the Interreg project GOV4PeaCE was launched to develop the war heritage in Central Europe. The focus is not only on tourist accessibility, but also on the socio-economic development of the various regions. In Flanders Fields Museum is a project partner.

When you think of the Westhoek, you think of the First World War. This international interest creates a constant dynamic in the region - and by extension along the entire Western Front - especially in the tourism sector. While the development of tourism along the Western Front is flourishing, the development of tourism along other parts of the Southern and Eastern Fronts is still in its early stages.

These regions in central Europe face a number of challenges. One of these is that the legacy of war is highly fragmented. Unlike the trench warfare of the Western Front, the front lines in Central Europe were constantly moving. As a result, the war heritage is scattered over a large area and across several national borders, making it difficult to access. To date, there is no overarching structure to facilitate cooperation and the valorisation of the heritage at regional, national or international level. The region also faces demographic decline, brain drain and an ageing population.

GOV4PeaCE aims to develop a common governance model - with an emphasis on international cooperation and overcoming complex territorial and sectoral barriers - for the valorisation of the First World War heritage. The aim is to promote socio-economic growth in remote and inaccessible regions of Central Europe.

The project will draw on the expertise of the In Flanders Fields Museum, which has experience in opening up the heritage of the First World War. The museum will play a leading role in the second phase of the project - testing the governance model developed in three different regions - and in a supporting role, sharing its accumulated expertise with the various partners in Central Europe.

Partners

This European project involves partners from Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Belgium, with associated partners from France, Germany, Austria, Romania and Ukraine.

The projectwebsite