THE SITE

Herrnhut is located in Saxony, Germany, close to the borders with Czechia and Poland. Founded in 1722, the settlement emerged as the place of refuge for members of the Moravian Church who had fled religious persecution in Moravia under the protection of Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. The community belonged to the Unitas Fratrum (Unity of the Brethren), a Protestant tradition originating in the Bohemian Reformation, which in its renewed form in Herrnhut later became known as the Moravian Church. Herrnhut developed into the spiritual and administrative centre of the Moravian Church and became the point of reference for a global network of Moravian settlements established across Europe, North America, Africa and the Caribbean.

The urban structure of Herrnhut reflects the Moravian understanding of communal life and religious practice. Its layout is characterised by a clear spatial order centred on the congregation building, communal houses and carefully designed open spaces. Architecture and town planning were deliberately used to express collective values, social equality and spiritual cohesion. This settlement model informed the planning of other Moravian communities worldwide, positioning Herrnhut as a central reference for the church’s architectural and cultural traditions.

A defining element of Herrnhut is God’s Acre, the Moravian cemetery established in 1730. It became the prototype for Moravian burial grounds internationally and embodies the principle of equality before God. All individuals are commemorated using the same type of gravestone, laid out in a strict grid pattern that conveys order, simplicity and communal identity. The cemetery is organised along tree-lined avenues that traditionally separate burial areas according to gender, marital status, and age, reflecting the social structure of the Moravian community. God’s Acre remains an active burial ground and contains more than 6,300 graves, documenting over three centuries of continuous use.

In 2024, Herrnhut was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the transnational property “Moravian Church Settlements”, an extension of the previously inscribed site of Christiansfeld in Denmark. The inscription recognises the outstanding universal value of Herrnhut’s town planning, religious heritage and communal traditions, as well as its influence on the global spread of Moravian settlement patterns. God’s Acre forms an integral component of this World Heritage property, representing the close interconnection between religious belief, social organisation, and the cultural landscape of the Moravian Church.

THE PROJECT

The European Heritage Volunteers Project in Herrnhut in 2026 will continue the long-term engagement with the documentation, maintenance, and careful conservation of God’s Acre, the historic cemetery of the Moravian Church Settlement of Herrnhut. Building upon the work carried out since 2023, the project addresses the particular conservation requirements of this still-active burial ground, which forms an integral component of the UNESCO World Heritage property “Moravian Church Settlements”.

The practical work will focus on two complementary activities that support the long-term conservation and responsible management of God’s Acre: the systematic documentation of historic graves and spatial elements of the cemetery, and the ongoing maintenance of selected features within the historic burial ground. Previous editions of the project have already made substantial progress in these areas. The maintenance and documentation of the oldest gravestone sections on both the brothers’ and sisters’ sides of the cemetery, designated as B1 and S1, were successfully carried out during earlier projects. These efforts resulted in the photographic documentation of more than 600 gravestones, each accompanied by corresponding measurements, while participants also verified the correspondence between the engraved inscriptions and the information recorded in the existing archival documentation. In addition, numerous gravestones on both sides of the cemetery were carefully levelled and stabilised, improving their structural stability and ensuring the continued legibility of the inscriptions.

The documentation work in 2026 will continue the recording of historic grave plates, inscriptions, and spatial layout elements within the cemetery, supporting the responsible management of the cemetery and contributing to long-term conservation planning. Participants will record selected grave plates and layout features through photography, written documentation and basic mapping, complementing existing archival records. This documentation work is closely linked to the understanding of the cemetery’s design principles and its use over time.

Maintenance activities will continue to address the condition of gravestones, paths and landscape elements that are affected by material ageing, biological growth and environmental exposure. Tasks will include gentle cleaning of selected gravestones using appropriate, non-invasive methods, the careful removal of invasive vegetation, and basic maintenance of pathways and green areas. All activities will be carried out under the guidance of site managers and community representatives, ensuring that the work respects the religious function, dignity and daily use of the cemetery.

Community engagement forms a central component of the project. The Moravian Church congregation in Herrnhut and the Association of the Sponsors of God’s Acre are actively involved in defining the scope of works and accompanying the activities. Participants will work in close exchange with members of the local community, gaining insight into Moravian burial traditions, commemoration practices and the theological principles embedded in the design and use of God’s Acre. This collaboration supports respectful heritage work and reinforces local ownership of the site.

The educational programme will complement the hands-on activities with guided interpretation, thematic walks and discussions. Introductory sessions will address the history of Herrnhut, the role of God’s Acre within the Moravian Church Settlements World Heritage site, and the implications of World Heritage status for a living religious site. Further elements will explore the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage, with particular attention to burial customs, remembrance practices and concepts of equality and community.

An integral element of the educational programme will be the participants’ presentations. Each participant is required to prepare and deliver a presentation related to the thematic focus of the activities on site, introducing a case study from their country of origin. This component connects the practical work undertaken during the programme with comparable heritage practices in different cultural and institutional contexts. Through this structured exchange, participants reflect on conservation approaches, management frameworks, and current challenges, contributing to a broader comparative understanding of heritage preservation. The presentations are intended to encourage critical dialogue, intercultural exchange, and the articulation of informed professional perspectives within an international group of emerging heritage practitioners.

The project will take place from August 16th to August 29th, 2026, and is organised by European Heritage Volunteers in collaboration with the Moravian Church Congregation Herrnhut, the Association of the Sponsors of God’s Acre Herrnhut, and the Municipality of Herrnhut.

The project forms part of the World Heritage Volunteers Campaign 2026, implemented within the framework of the World Heritage Education Programme of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.