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CATEGORY OF PROPERTY The effects of the cultivation and processing of hops in
For the Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops nomination the landscape of the nominated property are clearly
the category of a cultural landscape was chosen in line recognizable and visible in both the rural and urban
with the Operating Guidelines for the Implementation of component parts. The component part 01 – Saaz
the World Heritage Convention, 2019 (the OGs), Section 47, Hop Landscape documents the changes in the hop
based on the definition in Article 6 of Annex 3 "Guidelines field landscape over a year, in authentic historically
on the Inscription of Specific Types of Properties on the documented locations of production areas, linking
World Heritage List": Cultural landscapes are cultural hop fields to specific hop growing rural buildings, to
properties and represent "the combined works of nature the stability of historic routes that were used in the
and man" (Article 1 of the Convention). "They are illustrative landscape and in travel to Žatec. The component part
of the evolution of human society and settlement over 02 - Žatec covers the layout of the site of hop processing
time, under the influence of the physical constraints and/or facilities, the panorama of the chimneys of hop kilns and
opportunities presented by their natural environment and sulphuring chambers, including the remains of evidence
of successive social, economic and cultural forces, both of hop drying in historic roof spaces.
external and internal."
The use and significance of Žatec hops are worldwide,
Art. 7 of the OGs Annex 3 selects cultural landscapes "on even though its cultivation is territorially limited. It is
the basis both of their Outstanding Universal Value and therefore interesting how throughout the world this crop
of their representativity in terms of a clearly defined geo- still represents a region that has been a major supplier
cultural region and also for their capacity to illustrate the to other countries since the Middle Ages. In this respect,
essential and distinct cultural elements of such regions." hops have much in common with other crops that are
popular worldwide, but where the natural conditions
Art. 10 of the OGs Annex 3 further states that "Cultural for growing them in the natural environment are limited
landscapes fall into three main categories...". From their (generally tropical and subtropical fruits, such as tobacco,
characteristics it is clear that Žatec and the Landscape of coffee, rice).
Saaz Hops is an example of Category (ii) an organically
evolved landscape. In view of the cultivation and Hops as a monoculture, whose appearance is the
processing of hops still carried out, maintained and same every year during the plant’s productive life, are
developed here, this is a living, continuing landscape, characteristic:
which from the Middle Ages bears the influence of 165
a monoculture/hops on the agroeconomic system, by the nature of the plant that produces the hop cones
including evidence of technological development in and the demands it makes on climatic and soil conditions;
the cultivation and breeding of hops and subsequent
processing and trade. The whole system at the same by the plant as such;
time had a socio-economic impact on the rural and urban
parts of the nominated property from the Middle Ages to in the form of the fields where they are grown;
the present. Žatec is an important example of an urban
medieval hop growing centre, which remains of great by the nature of the cone harvest and the need for
importance to this day. For these reasons, the nominated rapid processing;
property is being presented as a living continuing
landscape. by its minimum share of the weight of the final product
(usually beer);
Art. 11 also is very important for this nomination and
its scope; it comments inter alia on how the extent of in its use of specific buildings where hops are combed,
the cultural landscape should be selected during the dried and stored.
nomination, stating: "The extent of a cultural landscape
for inscription on the World Heritage List is relative to its INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
functionality and intelligibility. In any case, the sample COMPARISON
selected must be substantial enough to adequately "There exists a great variety of landscapes that are
represent the totality of the cultural landscape that it representative of the different regions of the world.
illustrates." Combined works of nature and humankind, they express
a long and intimate relationship between peoples and
TYPE OF PROPERTY their natural environment."
Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops is also a nomination
for a serial property composed of two component parts. We have borrowed this quotation from the general
Within the meaning of Art. 137 a of the Operational motto of the World Heritage Centre website, which gives
Guidelines, the two component parts "should reflect specific and consolidated information about cultural
cultural, social or functional links over time that provide. landscapes, in order to explain the concept of this part of
landscape. connectivity." the comparative analysis.