Today, J. William Reynolds, Mayor of the City of Bethlehem, and Chair of the Bethlehem World Heritage Commission - speaking on behalf of all four historic Moravian communities - announced that Moravian Church Settlements has been inscribed on the prestigious World Heritage List at the World Heritage Committee meeting in New Delhi, India, July 21-31, 2024.
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Moravian Church Settlements Delegation at the World Heritage Committee meeting. Pictured here (from left) are Jean Manes, U.S. Deputy Representative to UNESCO; Moravian University President Bryon L. Grigsby; Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds; Johnathan Putnam, Acting Chief, Office of International Affairs National Park Service; Rt. Rev. Chris Giesler; Mr. Clemens, Saxon State Minister of the Chancellery
The historic Moravian Church Settlements of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania/USA; Gracehill, Northern Ireland/UK; and Herrnhut, Germany now join Christiansfeld, Denmark (already inscribed in 2015) as a single World Heritage site that represents the outstanding universal value of these historic settlements and the worldwide influence of the Moravian Church.
"We would like to express our appreciation to our respective governments of the United States, Denmark, Germany, and Northern Ireland/UK for their efforts on behalf of Moravian Church Settlements," said Mayor Reynolds.