Berlin Techno Receives UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Status

Following a campaign by Rave The Planet, Berlin techno is recognized by UNESCO as part of the area’s cultural heritage.

Any Berliner can attest that techno is important to the city. It served as the backdrop of Germany’s reunification after the fall of the Berlin wall, a period marked by increased prosperity and social liberty. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) now recognizes its importance as well, designating it the status of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

UNESCO gives this distinction to practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills, or other social phenomena that it deems to be part of an area’s cultural identity. Oddly enough, the French organization recognized techno as part of Zürich’s Intangible Cultural Heritage all the way back in 2017 — and many would argue that the Swiss capital’s techno scene pales in comparison to that of Berlin.

A campaign for Berlin techno to receive the same status has been active since 2011, first conceived of by German mathematician and musicologist Hans Cousto. Rave The Planet, the nonprofit launched in recent years by Love Parade cofounder Dr. Motte, submitted an application in 2021, going as far as to publish a short documentary in order to improve its chances.

“Congratulations to all the cultural creators who have shaped and contributed to Berlin’s techno culture,” reads a statement by Rave The Planet. “A big thank you to everyone involved who has been with us on this journey since Hans Cousto’s initial idea in 2011. Special thanks to the Expert Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage at the German UNESCO Commission!“

Rave The Planet also hosts an annual parade in the spirit of Love Parade, which itself inaugurated in the same year as the fall of the Berlin wall while clubs like Tresor and Ufo helped popularized techno among a new generation. Rave The Planet Parade‘s 2024 edition will take place on August 17.

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