The foundation Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHwB) was founded in 1995 in the spirit of the 1954 Hague Convention. The aim of CHwB is to safeguard different kinds of cultural environments in the event of armed conflicts, natural disasters, neglect, poverty, or political and social conflicts.
After the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, urgent support was vital due to extensive and systematic destruction of cultural heritage. Many actors quickly realized the need for financial aid for both protection and development efforts. In Sweden, a group of people interested in safeguarding cultural environments gathered to initiate concrete measures and proposals for emergency aid within the mandate of the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency, Sida. The founders decided that the goal was to “promote safeguarding of cultural property in areas ravaged by armed conflict, disasters or otherwise threatened, as well as to encourage appropriate research”. Thanks to the commitment, professional experience and networks of the 22 founders, the foundation achieved close relations with the Swedish public administration and cultural life from its inception in 1995.
In 2016/2017 CHwB was converted from one foundation based in Sweden to four independent foundations – one in Sweden and three in the Balkans.