Rotterdam's Summer Carnival recognized as intangible heritage on UNESCO list

UNESCO has added the Rotterdam Summer Carnival to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. According to the UN organization, this multicultural celebration unites Netherlands residents from different backgrounds and reflects the diversity of the country. It also added the technique of grassland irrigation, in which water from a river or stream is diverted with channels through a meadow for irrigation, to its intangible heritage list.

The Rotterdam Summer Carnival was already on the Dutch list of intangible heritage. Its addition to UNESCO’s international list is another recognition for the Rotterdam celebration.

The carnival consists of a street parade, a brass band competition, and a festival market. The practice of building floats and costumes together and the various workshops related to the carnival encourage people to share knowledge and skills and bring them closer together, UNESCO said.

“The Rotterdam Summer Carnival is tied to people’s cultural roots and their emancipation, bolstering individuality, expression, and self-worth,” UNESCO said. “By uniting groups of different backgrounds, it also fosters acceptance of and respect for diverse cultural traditions, promoting dialogue and social cohesion.”

The traditional irrigation technique of flooding grasslands, nominated by the Netherlands and six other countries, also has a new spot on the intangible heritage list. UNESCO described the technique as ingenious, saying it promotes biodiversity and more fertile soil.