Page 16 - UNESCO_Zatec_2021_A4

Every year many experts from all over the world gather at Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops is an outstanding
the site to participate in specialised events, conferences example of a continuous, never interrupted and, to
and workshops the organisation of which has a long date, traditional use of an agricultural landscape with
tradition. The celebration of the living intangible heritage traditional human settlements where the main focus is on
of hops in the nominated landscape is reflected in the growing of a crop with special requirements for climate,
public and social events associated with the annual cycle cultivation and processing. The nominated property is
of hop growing, seasonal festivities, local customs, rituals authentic evidence of continual interactions between
and festivals closely linked with hops and strengthening humans and their environment and a well-preserved
the identity of Žatec, its residents, and the surrounding example of the European cultural tradition in which hops,
hop growing landscape. as an attractive complementary crop in the local farming,
have been widely used in beer brewing since medieval
Criterion (iv) times. Hop cultivation on the site of the nominated
The Property is an outstanding example of a type of property also largely depends on the knowledge and
building, architectural or technological ensemble or experience of the hop growers related to the climate
landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in and natural conditions, breeding and cultivation and
human history. processing methods for centuries transferred and
Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops is an outstanding improved from generation to generation.
example of a monoculture landscape associated with The technical knowhow and skills were further developed
Executive Summary of hop drying, preservation, packaging, quality spread under the name of the hop growing centre – Saaz
hop growing and processing both in the rural and urban
and improved on the site of the property from where they
environment. Throughout the time various methods
(Žatec). This had also a crucial impact on the appearance
certification and breeding were developed in this specific
of the Saaz landscape which is well demonstrated by
hop growing regions, as well as outstanding examples
the hop fields with the fixed structure of the trellis,
of buildings, architectural and technological ensembles
usually made of wooden poles and wires and every
and productive landscape.
The visual quality of the rural landscape is particularly
wires providing support to the twining hop bines. On
the basis of the local empirical knowledge, this structure
defined by hop fields with their typical trellises consisting year complemented by hop strings, which are guiding
of poles and wires, rural settlements with preserved farm developed into a specific design of Saaz hop wire trellis
16 buildings and barns where hops were dried and stored, called "žatecká drátěnka" which is now used in many
a residence of the local landlord which is a dominant other hop growing regions around the world. Typical hop
landmark in the landscape as it rises above the preserved drying kilns and other hop processing facilities were built
historic hop fields which are still in use. The natural centre in the rural area and the processing of hops impacted
of this hop growing landscape is the town of Žatec which the overall appearance of Žatec where the architecture
developed in a close relationship with the hop growing of residential buildings as well as industrial facilities,
culture and is the only comprehensively preserved urban educational institutions and amenity centres designed
complex focused on activities related to processing, for different groups of local residents associated with the
certification of origin and quality of hops as well as hop processing business is unmistakable.
international trade which first started across Europe and
later spread overseas. c) Statement of Integrity
The nomination Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz
Concentration and authenticity of municipal warehouses, Hops is a very well preserved site which, within its
hop drying kilns, sulphurisation chambers, hop boundaries, documents the entire "hop cycle", as well
packaging and certification facilities, together with the as all significant attributes associated with its growing
town’s exceptional skyline, accentuated by the vertical and processing.
dominants of the hop drying kilns and sulphuring
chambers tall chimneys and, in the rural landscape, The productive character of the hop growing landscape
complemented by the hop fields trellises and buildings with specific climate conditions is still fully reflected in
related to hop growing, harvesting, processing and the preserved functional integrity of its composition as
storage, all this makes the nominated property unique as well as in its attributes the most distinctive of which are
it does not exist in the same quality elsewhere in the world. the following ones: hop fields situated near the river,
sets of functionally diverse buildings used for drying,
Criterion (v) sulphurisation, packaging, certification and storage
The Property is an outstanding example of of hops as well as the safeguarding of traditional
a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use knowledge of hop growing and processing developed
which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or over the centuries. The transport network based on
human interaction with the environment especially the historic roads also underlines the integrity of the
when it has become vulnerable under the impact of property as it has enabled access to the hop fields and
irreversible change. facilitated the export of hops.