When Mihaela Šumić walks through the Partisan Memorial Cemetery in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, she sees more than weathered stone. She sees a story waiting to be told.
Šumić is one of four authors featured in "Bound by Heritage," a new documentary series launched by the European Union Prize for Literature and Europa Nostra. The project pairs writers with endangered cultural heritage sites across Europe, asking a simple but powerful question: what happens when literature meets the places that need saving?
The timing matters. In 2026, something remarkable happened in European politics: for the first time ever, the European Commission, Parliament, and Council joined together in a shared commitment to culture through the "Europe for Culture – Culture for Europe" declaration. That landmark agreement called for protecting and promoting Europe's natural and cultural heritage — and "Bound by Heritage" is a direct response to that call.
The series visits four countries over three weeks, from July 15 to August 5. Each episode introduces a different author exploring a different endangered site. In Bosnia, Šumić reflects at the Partisan Memorial Cemetery. In Italy, Nicoletta Verna walks through the Synagogue of Siena. In Montenegro, Vladimir Vujović considers the cultural landscape of Sveti Stefan in Paštrovići. And in Germany, Deniz Utlu visits the Sisters' House Ensemble in Kleinwelka.
These aren't random locations. All four sites appear on Europa Nostra's 7 Most Endangered Programme — a list that identifies Europe's heritage in danger and mobilizes support to save it. The Partisan Memorial Cemetery, for example, commemorates fighters from World War II but has suffered years of neglect. The Synagogue of Siena stands as one of Italy's most important Jewish heritage sites yet faces uncertain future.
What makes "Bound by Heritage" unusual is its format. Rather than a straightforward documentary about preservation, each episode uses literature as a lens. Many of the featured authors have written historical novels that bring their countries' hidden stories to life — stories woven into the very stones of these endangered places. The series argues that storytelling isn't separate from heritage protection; it might actually be essential to it.
"Literature can help shed light on the importance of preserving cultural heritage," the creators note. By showing how writers connect to these sites, the series suggests that protecting Europe's past might depend on people who can make that past feel alive.
The documentaries will be available on the European Union Prize for Literature's YouTube channel and Europa Nostra's Vimeo page, as well as across both organizations' social media platforms. Both initiatives are co-funded by the European Union's Creative Europe Programme, with the 7 Most Endangered Programme also supported by the European Investment Bank Institute.
For the authors and organizations involved, this project represents something they've long believed: that saving heritage isn't just about bricks and mortar. Sometimes it's about finding the right words to make people care.