**Österreichische UNESCO Kommission**
Lea Scharl

Austrian Commission for UNESCO

Vienna

The Austrian Commission for UNESCO (ÖUK) is the national coordination and liaison office for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). It was established in 1949 after Austria joined UNESCO and reconstituted in 2001 as an independent association. Its mandate is to advise the federal government and the provinces on all matters arising from UNESCO membership, to participate in the implementation of UNESCO programmes, and to connect institutions, specialist organizations, and experts.

The ÖUK represents UNESCO in Austria and promotes its goals in the fields of education, science, culture, communication, and information. Since 2009, the ÖUK has maintained the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which documents living heritage from across Austria. Decisions regarding inscriptions are made by an independent advisory board established specifically for this purpose.

To the digitised objects in Kulturpool

**Burgenländischer Indigo-Handblaudruck**
Joseph Kóo

Introducing

What is considered Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO?

What do the dialect of Montafon, avalanche risk management, scythe forging, and the songs of the Lovara have in common? They are all forms of intangible cultural heritage as defined by UNESCO. Unlike buildings or collections of objects, intangible cultural heritage does not consist of material items but of knowledge, skills, and cultural practices that are passed down from one generation to the next.