UNESCO declares the craft of dry stone walling an intangible cultural heritage.
At its meeting in Mauritius on November 28, UNESCO declared the art of dry stone walling to be an intangible cultural heritage. In the explanatory statement, it says: “Dry stone walls prevent landslides, floods or avalanches and protect the soil from erosion or devastation. They also improve biodiversity and create a favorable microclimate for agriculture.” UNESCO also recognizes the construction of dry stone walls that are built “in perfect harmony with nature”. This is because this construction technique, which does not require mortar or similar binding agents, prefers to use stones from the immediate surroundings. If a wall needs to be restored, the original building material is reused.
Dry stone walls characterize the landscape in France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Cyprus in particular. The initiative to recognize the craft technique came from these countries. The Swiss Environmental Foundation, which supported the application, emphasizes the cultural-historical significance and calls the walls “landscape elements with high ecological potential”. But there are also historical and new dry stone walls in other European countries. In Germany, they are particularly widespread in wine-growing areas on slopes.
The oldest dry stone walls are over 5000 years old
5000 years ago, when the oldest dry stone walls known today were built, these walls offered people excellent protection for their fields and animals. A dry stone wall even saved the lives of farmers in Provence. In 1721, they erected a 25-kilometer-long wall as a protective barrier against the plague. Today, every gardening magazine gives tips on building dry stone walls. This is not only due to their visual appeal and relative ease of construction. They offer the best conditions for many plants and animals whose survival is threatened.
After the technique of dry stone walling was almost forgotten at the end of the 20th century, training courses are now offered in various countries. In Mallorca, for example, there has been a training course for dry masons since 1986, while in Germany landscape designers learn this special masonry technique.