EUTROPIAN

Research & Action

HeritageCircle

 

How can Europe turn dissonant heritage into an opportunity for dialogue and inclusion?

This is the question at the heart of HeritageCircle (Collaborative Innovation for Responsible, Critical and Localised Engagement with Europe’s Dissonant Heritage). Europe’s heritage is shaped by contested histories, including colonialism, violence, oppression and political manipulation, while minority narratives and difficult pasts are often marginalised or silenced.

HeritageCircle explores constructive and ethical approaches to discussing, interpreting, presenting and reusing Europe’s dissonant and contentious heritage. The project brings together a cross-sectoral Community of Practice and develops shared methodologies, tools and recommendations, supported by the Space for Productive Heritage Engagement (SPHERE), a digital hub for collaboration, capacity building and dissemination.

Drawing on 20 peer-learning case studies, six incubators and three pilots in Malta, Germany and Ukraine, CIRCLE tests approaches to participatory governance, sustainable tourism, and plural and inclusive education. The project will also co-create a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda to guide future research, innovation and policy on heritage-related work in Europe.

CIRCLE is funded by the Horizon Europe programme of the European Union.

Why does dissonant heritage matter?

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Some of Europe’s most visited and most overlooked places carry histories that people remember very differently. In Vienna, former Nazi bunkers have become an art and social space. In Potsdam, a Baroque church destroyed in the Second World War is being rebuilt by citizens, amid debate over what that church symbolises. In Tirana, the former residence of Enver Hoxha now hosts cultural programming. In Kiruna, Sámi ancestral territories are threatened by mining for the raw materials Europe needs for its green transition.

These are not only questions about the past. Heritage like this can be sanitised, sensationalised, neglected or used for political ends, and it can be turned into a tourist product or reshaped by misinformation online. At the same time, it can bring people together to talk about what societies value, whose stories are told and how communities live alongside each other.

HeritageCircle starts from the idea that dissonance cannot and should not be erased. It is part of what heritage is, and handling it carefully can make it a resource for dialogue rather than division.

Project goals

  • Establish a Community of Practice to enable cross-sectoral collaboration and knowledge exchange, and to introduce new perspectives on dissonant and contested heritage into European heritage discourses.
  • Develop and maintain SPHERE, a sustainable online platform that curates relevant resources and enables long-term knowledge exchange, experimentation and dissemination.
  • Map the dissonant heritage ecosystem by identifying needs and gaps in research, policy and practice to inform innovation pathways.
  • Identify, assess, test and share methodologies, tools and recommendations for preserving, revitalising, managing, interpreting, presenting and reusing dissonant and contentious heritage.
  • Build local capacity and offer tools for the ethical, sensitive and sustainable management of dissonant and contentious heritage.
  • Provide evidence-based policy recommendations for local, national and EU stakeholders, supporting the ethical and inclusive management of dissonant and contentious heritage.
  • Co-create a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda with the Community of Practice, drawing on systematic learning from the project activities.

Methods and Approaches

 

  • Community of Practice (CoP) and Community of Interest (CoI)
  • Careful Dialogues
  • Constructive reflexivity
  • Honest participation
  • Careful ethics
  • Relational knowledge circulation
  • Systematic knowledge mapping
  • Co-creation
  • Validation through pilots and incubators

Eutropian's role in HeritageCircle

Eutropian leads the review of 20 peer-learning case studies from across Europe. The review analyses each site’s core dissonances, memory dynamics, actors, tools, methods and governance models, along with community engagement and the links between heritage, sustainable tourism and education.

As task leader for creative digital dissemination, Eutropian oversees three thematic documentary videos based on the peer-learning cases, as well as six quote videos and six digital video stories developed with local actors.

Eutropian also contributes to:

  • the review of EU-funded projects and the Database of Tools & Solutions
  • sectoral dialogues with local stakeholders
  • capacity-building materials for local governments and organisations managing dissonant heritage
  • the testing of tools in six incubator cases
  • the Guide to Dealing with Heritage Dissonance
  • the project’s podcast series

PARTNERS

HeritageCircle is delivered by a consortium of 13 organisations across 10 countries, each bringing a distinct piece of expertise to the table:

  • Metropolitan Research Institute (MRI), Hungary: coordinates the project, bringing extensive experience managing European research initiatives.
  • KEA European Affairs, Belgium: leads the development of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda.
  • Trans Europe Halles (TEH), Sweden: connects HeritageCIRCLE to its network of 180+ independent cultural centres across 40+ countries and hosts SPHERE’s digital infrastructure.
  • Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, Malta: anchors the project’s heritage trail pilot on the ground.
  • ICLEI European Secretariat, Germany: leads the growth of the Community of Practice, drawing on its network of local authorities in over 125 countries.
  • Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, Malta: leads work on the Guide to Dealing with Heritage Dissonance, grounded in national heritage governance.
  • Technische Universität Wien, Austria: leads the production of a multimedia exhibition sharing HeritageCIRCLE’s findings with wider audiences.
  • Ro3kvit Urban Coalition for Ukraine, Ukraine: leads pilot action planning, including a model for integrating dissonant heritage into post-conflict recovery.
  • University of Newcastle, UK: leads the project’s policy recommendations and brings global expertise in ethical heritage interpretation.
  • Zentralwerk e.V., Germany: hosts a pilot developing educational tools for engaging with dissonant heritage in schools.
  • Internationales Kulturcentrum UFA-Fabrik, Germany: partners on educational pilot activities from a grassroots cultural perspective.
  • Eutropian, Italy: contributes to peer-learning research and the project’s wider stakeholder engagement.
  • Zalet, Serbia: contributes research expertise to shaping the SRIA’s methodology.
 

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