For those who are interested in dark tourism, I recommend the book "Atlas of Dark Destinations".

An article in French about the places of memory of the First World War:

Grande Guerre : les lieux de mémoire au patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco ?

Here's an excellent distillation of the problem: https://www.dw.com/en/belgium-scraps-waterloo-euro-coins-amid-french-protests/a-18313110

This article from Feb 2023 suggests that the WWI Memorial nomination WILL be discussed at Riyadh -
"il faut encore attendre quelques mois pour faire un pas de plus vers ce classement. Une réunion de l'Unesco est prévue en septembre prochain à Riyad, en Arabie Saoudite. Le comité du patrimoine examinera à cette occasion, les dossiers complets qui ont déjà été déposés."

It isn't on our list for new sites to be discussed - though Els did post on the Meeting topic forum in January - "There are a number of sites that were adjourned during previous meetings (Gdansk, Rwanda Genocide Memorials, WWI Memorials). I see nothing on the provisional agenda that suggests that they will be discussed. They can't be left in limbo forever... (especially since the "study on sites associated with recent conflicts and other negative and divisive memories" has been published in 2021)."

A quick search has identified that this site also expects it to be discussed at the 45th Session - and you would think that they would know!!!!

I've captured these sites (especially the 2023 ones) in a new Category of sites: Human activity - Sites of Memory.
Still exploring a bit which ones we should include, I am thinking now the ones only inscribed on criterion vi?

We also have Structure - Memorials and Monuments. This is a bit similar, though the focus is here on the built structure (so something additional to criterion vi).

Ideas how to proceed?

Looking at these a fair number don't really seem to be primarily Memorials ... and a "Monument" has no particular purpose other than to be that ..... and many of these do or did
Australian Convict site - should be Civic and Public Works more than "Memorial"
Belem - is more Religious than memorial (the Monastery!) ... though the tower could be "Military and Fortif"

Clean that Category up and see what is left?? They might fit the "Sites of Memory" rather better?
Regarding Crit vi ...... certainly if that is the only one used then the Memory aspect would seem to be emphasised ... .but a surprising number of genuine Sites of Memory also have other criteria so can't use "solely vi" as the only definition

We really need a ready made definition of "Sites of memory" - I suspect that it could encompass any site which is inscribed PRIMARILY as a memorial (rather than as a functional building etc etc - that would/could help with sites which have additional criteria to vI hadn'ti?)
I hadn't realised that the phrase was coined originally in France as "Lieux de mémoires" - https://www.pritikachowdhry.com/post/sites-of-memory-lieux-de-memoires (there are other articles, and even a Wiki entry, to cement the provenance and definition of the phrase - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieu_de_m%C3%A9moire

Note that the article quite clearly places Auschwitz as such a place

Coming back to this discussion after some time. Added thoughts with recent developments, new designations in the US and Canada. Perhaps new Tentative Lists for both countries in the coming years.


We see this nomination scheduled for 2027, a likely inscription, and as previously discussed a far larger nomination than 2008. The fact that 2 of the components will be directly related to the assassination of prominent Civil Rights leaders, demonstrate how this nomination evolved over the years.



The USS Arizona is part of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and I just don't think the US will ever be interested in pursuing this and its potential OUV might be a challenge. The Trinity Site is a National Historic Landmark and is visitable only twice a year in an 'open house' program in the Spring and Fall, the location is not far from White Sands National Park (perhaps the boundaries could expand in the future). If a nomination did ever develop, it would more likely include the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which is focused on 3 clusters in: Oak Ridge TN, Los Alamos NM, and Hanford WA. I visited Oak Ridge somewhat recently, interesting but the historical sites are large and in slow decay, so more funding will certainly be needed. The film Oppenheimer led to an increase in visitation to some of these sites by 60%. I only visited 'Ground Zero' in the Spring of 2023 and while the memorials are well-done and the museum is powerful, the same issue that arises with Pearl Harbor comes to mind, the location of an attack on the country and how the dead are memorialized remain far removed from how I view OUV and it seems deeply national, despite the global ramifications.


Perhaps, a joint Canada/US nomination would make more sense to nominate 'Indian Boarding Schools' or 'Indian Residential Schools' respectively. Following the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and recent designations in the US and Canada protecting historic sites related to the 'Indian Residential Schools', I feel that a potential nomination could be pursued.

In the United States the primary site that would be considered for inclusion would be Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument (Pennsylvania), which was designated as a national monument in December 2024 (though access is still restricted for the time being - active military base). In Canada, there are multiple Residential Schools that have been recently protected by Parks Canada that could contribute to this 'site of memory'.

Lastly, the Internment of Japanese-Americans in incarceration camps and associated sites (1942-1946). My experience visiting 3 Japanese-American Internment Camps: Manzanar, Poston, Tule Lake lead me to believe there is potential here. Currently, four Internment camps are designated as national park units: Tule Lake National Monument, Amache National Historic Site, Manzanar National Historic Site, and Minidoka National Historic Site. Most of the other associated sites are National Historic Landmarks. There is significant associated site in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles that I take my students to. One nearly forgotten site that is now considered a smaller internment camp, about 20 minutes from Pearl Harbor is Honouliui National Historic Site which is currently not open to the public. This internment camp held a smaller number of people compared to the other 10 Internment Camps on the mainland (hence why its not often counted), it also functioned as a prisoner of war camp, but mostly held Japanese-Americans like the others.

So I think for the US and Canada, the best candidates (my humble opinion) for 'Sites of Memory' would the 'Indian Residential Schools' and 'Japanese-Internment Camps' because there is plenty of remains that are designated at the national level, they are both introspective in how the stories are told, and survivors and their families play a central role in disseminating the History of each site. There has been a great deal of introspection and reflection on how both legacies betrayed the ideals of the country and in the case of the US blatantly violated the Constitution. The reparations paid to Japanese-Americans and their families is often used as the precedent for other calls for reparations in the country related to historical injustices from long ago or in living memory.