The Czech Ministry of Culture has added beer culture to the list of intangible heritage of the republic, bringing it closer to the possibility of being included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, reports Tengri Life referencing ČTK.
The agency states that this was announced by the head of the ministry, Martin Baxa.
The national council for traditional folk culture recommended including beer culture on the list. The nomination was prepared by the Czech Brewers and Maltsters Union in collaboration with experts.
"The inclusion of beer culture in the national list is a clear example of how certain phenomena of intangible cultural heritage encompass a wide and diverse audience," noted Baxa.
It is explained that the country has more than 550 breweries, and this sector employs around 65,000 people, generating billion-dollar contributions to the state budget in the form of taxes.
"We take pride in the fact that beer-related culture is becoming part of the intangible cultural heritage of the Czech Republic. Inclusion in this list will help us further support, protect, and develop this unique culture," said Tomas Slunecko, the executive director of the Brewers and Maltsters Union.
Czechia has become the third European country, after Germany and Belgium, to officially recognize its beer culture as intangible cultural heritage.
Belgian beer culture was included in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2016.
"We do not hide the fact that in the future we would also like to apply for inclusion in the UNESCO list. We need to prove that we can take care of our beer culture and develop it, and then we will see," added Slunecko.
The inclusion of beer culture in the list of intangible values of traditional folk culture in Czechia is a prerequisite for possible inclusion in the UNESCO list. Beer culture will now be among other Czech intangible values, such as the "Slovak Verbunk" dance, traditional glassmaking, or puppet theaters. The city of Žatec, located in the northwest of the country, and the region of Žatec hop cultivation are also listed. In 2023, Žatec was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list as a center of hop cultivation.
According to a report on dependencies, in 2023, around 900,000 people in Czechia suffered from alcohol-related issues. Czechs consume 14 liters of pure alcohol per person annually, with approximately 7,000 deaths each year due to alcohol poisoning. This is ten times more than deaths from drugs.
Slunecko acknowledged that applying for inclusion of a culture associated with alcohol in the UNESCO list could be more complex and controversial.
The nomination of Czech beer culture primarily includes the history associated with Czech beer and brewing, recognizing the artisanal traditions of brewing and pouring beer, the cultivation of land through growing hops and barley, and, above all, the traditions of gatherings in pubs and restaurants.
According to the Brewers Union, about 30 percent of all beer is consumed in pubs and restaurants, while the remaining 70 percent is purchased in retail stores. Previously, about half of the beer was consumed in pubs and restaurants.
Let us remind you that earlier, the Chief Physician of the USA, Vivek Murthy, identified alcohol as one of the significant causes of cancer after tobacco and obesity. Read more details in the article.
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