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Voters in Neuschwanstein Area Back World Heritage Status Bid for Bavarian Palaces

Neuschwanstein Castle is seen in Schwangau, Germany, Thursday, June 15, 2023. (AP)
Neuschwanstein Castle is seen in Schwangau, Germany, Thursday, June 15, 2023. (AP)
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Voters in Neuschwanstein Area Back World Heritage Status Bid for Bavarian Palaces

Neuschwanstein Castle is seen in Schwangau, Germany, Thursday, June 15, 2023. (AP)
Neuschwanstein Castle is seen in Schwangau, Germany, Thursday, June 15, 2023. (AP)

Voters in the municipality where Neuschwanstein Castle is located have voted to approve a bid for UNESCO World Heritage status for the 19th century palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, some of which are among Germany’s most popular tourist attractions.

In a referendum on Sunday, some 56% of voters who turned out in the Schwangau municipality gave their approval to the bid, German news agency dpa reported. Officials plan to submit the bid officially to UNESCO early next year, with the UN body’s World Heritage Committee expected to make a decision in mid-2025.

German officials hope to win World Heritage status for four of Ludwig’s creations dotted across southern Bavaria. They are Linderhof Palace; Herrenchiemsee Palace, modeled on France’s Versailles and located on an island in a lake; Neuschwanstein Castle, a monument to medieval culture with inspiration from Richard Wagner; and the King’s House on Schachen, by far the least-known of the quartet.

Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee weren’t completed by the time Ludwig, who had accumulated massive debts, died in 1886.

The local council in Schwangau opted to hold a referendum amid concern locally that World Heritage status could attract even more visitors to Neuschwanstein, already a tourist magnet, and lead to new restrictions on building in the area.

Mayor Stefan Rinke voiced satisfaction with the outcome. “With this, we have a clear remit from the population to actively support the state’s initiative,” he said.

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Islamic Grand Muftis and Scholars Adopt ‘Encyclopedia of Islamic Intellectual Consensus’

The second edition of the international conference Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects was held in Makkah. SPA
The second edition of the international conference Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects was held in Makkah. SPA
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Islamic Grand Muftis and Scholars Adopt ‘Encyclopedia of Islamic Intellectual Consensus’

The second edition of the international conference Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects was held in Makkah. SPA
The second edition of the international conference Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects was held in Makkah. SPA

Islamic Grand Muftis, scholars, and intellectuals from across the Muslim world have adopted the Encyclopedia of Islamic Intellectual Consensus and approved the strategic and executive plan for the Document on Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects at the conclusion of the second edition of the international conference Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects, held in Makkah.
Held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the conference gathered representatives of Islamic schools and sects from over 90 countries under the theme Towards an Effective Islamic Coalition on March 6-7.
Participants also witnessed the launch of the Encyclopedia of Islamic Intellectual Consensus, overseen by the Center for Safeguarding Intellect of the Saudi Ministry of Defense and prepared by sixty scholars. The encyclopedia was reviewed by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars in Saudi Arabia, along with members of the Islamic Fiqh Academy and the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League, to serve as a guiding framework for inter-sectarian relations based on shared Islamic values.
The conference lauded the MWL’s efforts in redefining sectarian relations through the Document on Building Bridges, ensuring that the initiative is not merely symbolic but reinforced with practical programs and strategic partnerships aimed at fostering unity and cohesion within the Islamic world.