The 10th ENCOUNTER Conference, "A Sense of Place: Interpreting Manorial Culture in Modern Tourism,"

The 10th ENCOUNTER Conference, "A Sense of Place: Interpreting Manorial Culture in Modern Tourism," was held on 25–26 June in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.

Jointly organised by the ENCOUNTER network and the Interreg project Baltic Manors Route, the conference brought together researchers and practitioners from across Europe to discuss the role of manor houses as cultural heritage sites and tourism destinations.

The conference explored topics such as the early modern origins of manor tourism, 20th-century transformations, heritage narratives, and site-specific approaches to interpreting manorial culture. A key theme was how to address difficult histories—particularly the darker chapters of the 20th-century history of manors in parts of Europe—and how these legacies can be interpreted and communicated alongside contemporary heritage tourism.

The Baltic Manors Route project also had the opportunity to present its vision and future plans, receiving valuable feedback from colleagues across Europe.

The conference concluded with a fascinating study tour of manors in East Brandenburg, where participants experienced first-hand how historic estates are being transformed into vibrant cultural and tourism destinations. 

The Europa-Universität Viadrina hosted a well-organised, welcoming, and inspiring conference that fostered the exchange of knowledge and encouraged further collaboration on the shared European legacy of manorial culture.