NIKE – NATIONAL INFORMATION CENTER FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE
The preservation of our cultural heritage – from archaeological finds to digital data carriers – is only possible with well-trained, networked experts and an informed and committed public.
The National Information Point on Cultural Heritage (NIKE), a member of the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences and Europa Nostra, raises public interest in Switzerland’s cultural heritage and represents the concerns of cultural heritage conservation in the political arena.
Cultural heritage forms an important basis for us to reassure ourselves and to develop with self-confidence, because: Our memories are linked to archaeological sites, architectural monuments, historic townscapes and intact cultural landscapes. Furthermore, these places of remembrance create a sense of community and togetherness. They also allow us to reinterpret them again and again and thus critically engage with our history. The National Heritage Information Point is therefore convinced that it is worthwhile to maintain and preserve cultural heritage in Switzerland. This requires an informed and committed public as well as well-trained, networked experts.
More than 40 professional associations and organizations in the field of cultural heritage conservation, with more than 92,000 members, make up the NIKE association. As a service center in the field of cultural heritage conservation, the National Information Centre for Cultural Heritage addresses a broad public through events and publications. The European Heritage Days and the NIKE Bulletin, for example, invite people to learn about the various aspects of cultural heritage and its preservation. The National Heritage Information Point also networks experts and organizes specialist training courses. It familiarizes political authorities, the media and the general public with the social significance and diverse concerns of cultural heritage conservation. As one of the four partner organizations of Alliance Patrimoine, it campaigns for cultural heritage at a political level.
