HERITAGE OF HUMANITY
UNESCO
On December 16, 2021, during the sixteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, UNESCO inscribed the stilt jousting of Namur on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
HISTORY OF THE INSCRIPTION
The stilt jousting of Namur is both a very ancient heritage and a living part of the contemporary identity of Namur. It is the gift that the people of Namur have always offered to distinguished visitors. It is also and above all a highlight of the Namur festivities, especially the Wallonia Festivals.
This Namur heritage must be passed on, protected, and highlighted.
In 2016, the association of jousters, supported by citizens and many Namur associations, initiated the process to have the stilt jousting of Namur inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This process has had many significant moments, such as the more than 27,700 signatures collected through the support petition and the organization of roundtable discussions. It was also an opportunity for in-depth reflection on the practice of jousting as heritage, the risks it faces, and the initiatives that could be taken.
Supported by the people of Namur, the stilt jousting of Namur was inscribed by UNESCO in December 2021.
©Skuds – Simon Fusillier
THANKS
Fraternity among stilts walkers: with the friends of the Kagbema Association (Togo) and Hong Yang (Malaysia) in 2011 in Namur.