Famous thefts

-Auschwitz Birkenau : Arbeit macht frei (2009)
-Paris, Banks of the Seine : Mona Lisa (1911)
- ....???

the link has expired! could you post it again?

Recently damaged by vandals:
Incense Route in the Negev - Ovdat, Chan Chan, ???

here you go: http://download.yousendit.com/TzY0bGtONmNEbUozZUE9PQ

Re "Famous thefts".
Potential problems include
a. defining "famous"
b. how far back we go - only "since inscription" as per the fires connection or into the mists of time?
c. whether "war looting" is counted. Many sites will have suffered this.
d. does it have to have been returned to its original site and/or now be in another WHS? If not then, of course there are many artifacts "stolen" from a site which is now inscribed which reside in museums. But were the Elgin Marbles "stolen"??

There was a theft of the Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey in 1950. But UK gave it back to the Scots anyway in 1996 (except that they want it back for their coronations!!)

Re "Recently Damaged by Vandals"
Again - how "significant" does the damage have to be? We already have a connection for "Historical Graffiti" but Graffiti are common form of vandalism at WHS. The Japanese (possibly unfairly) are often highlighted as being involved - possibly because of a cultural practice of so recording a visit to many locations. There was a recent (2008?) "cause celebre" after some Japanese students did so in Firenze!
http://www.japantoday.com/category/shukan-post/view/italians-amazed-at-fallout-in-jap an-over-graffiti

Representations of the Buddhist "Pure Land" - I want to make a connection that highlights unique representations of the "Buddhist Pure Land", not just Buddhist Temples that are a part of the Pure Land Buddhism sect. There are many Chinese sites related to the Pure Land Buddhism sect, but it is unclear of any representations per say. Chinese AB documents on WHS linked to Buddhism are vague and almost never mention the "Buddhist Pure Land".

*Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple

"The realization of Buddha Land in the mundance world was a long-cherished dream in Silla, and the people of Silla believed that their kingdom was this very land. Even the name, Bulguksa, indicates the great meaning it had to the people of Silla. It literally means Temple of Buddha Land. In other words, Bulguksa is a terrestrial paradise of the land of Buddha. They represent the terrestrial and the two celestial abodes: The Pure Land of Buddhism, that is, the terrestrial of Vairocana Buddha; the paradise of Amitabha Buddha; and the World of Endurance of Sakyamuni."

- AB Document

*Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land

"Hiraizumi - Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land comprises five sites, including the sacred Mount Kinkeisan. The realm was based on the cosmology of Pure Land Buddhism, which spread to Japan in the 8th century. It represented the pure land of Buddha that people aspire to after death, as well as peace of mind in this life."

- AB Document

Perhaps one of the Buddhist sites in India or Indonesia may be added to this connection. Part of the difficulty of this connection is, in Pure Land Buddhism every temple is supposed to be in a sense a manifestation of the "Buddhist pure land". However, there are truly unique and famous examples of this (Bulguksa & Hiraizumi) and then there is your average Buddhist temple.

This is the Chinese site most linked to Pure Land Buddhism, but I do not see any link to the "Buddhist Pure Land" represented here.

*Lushan National Park

"The Donglin Temple (East Grove Temple), built by eminent monks in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, was the birthplace of the Jintu (Pure Earth) Sect of Buddhism."

- AB document

I think these 3 are already good enough examples to make a connection.
Do you have a suggestion how to separate the "unique representations" (as you call it) from the ordinary ones?

Regarding Lushan, wiki also has it as " Mount Lu, where the Chinese Pure Land tradition was founded"

P.S.: existence of it may be ignored by communist rulers in China and Vietnam, and so will not have shown up in the nomination files in the past (f.e. " It was not until 2007 that Pure Land Buddhism, the most widespread type of Buddhism practiced in Vietnam, was officially recognized as a religion by the government" (wiki))

Some Buddhist temples when you look them up might be part of the Pure Land Buddhism sect, but that is far as the connection goes. If any WHS site goes beyond that in which the location of the WHS or aspects of the temple exhibit representations of the "Buddhist Pure Land" then I would consider this to fit the connection.

Other potential sites:
Mount Wutai
Mount Emei

It might be easier to make a Pure Land Buddhism sect connection, but I find this far less interesting. Primarily, because the site is no longer exceptional. I find the idea of a "pure land" fascinating, and that ancient people in East Asia sought to create this.

Sorry, I am still having trouble developing a clear-cut requirement.

Perhaps, a basic requirement such as:

Included sites must be significant in the development of the "Buddhist Pure Land" philisophy of creating a pure land on Earth. Sites that are only assoiciated with the Pure Land Buddhism sect are not sufficient.

I wanted to start a connection Music - "Sites which are explicitly inscribed because of their relation to music." I have Vienna and Salzburg. I have thought about Jongmyo Shrine too, however their tradition of court music is only hinted at in the criteria why it was inscribed.

Does someone know a third one?

Classical Weimar. In its AB evaluation some of its famous residents are mentioned including the composers Bach and Liszt. The historical association of Weimar and the prosperity of German culture is one of the main reasons for its inscription.

Classical Weimar
"Criterion vi: Enlightened ducal patronage attracted many of the leading writers and thinkers in Germany, such as Goethe, Schiller, and Herder to Weimar in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, making it the cultural centre of the Europe of the day."
No particular mention of Music?

What about Prague?

"Criterion (vi): The role of Prague in the medieval development of Christianity in central Europe was an outstanding one, as was its formative influence in the evolution of towns. By virtue of its political significance in the later Middle Ages and after, it attracted architects and artists from all over Europe, who contributed to its wealth of architectural and artistic treasures. The 15th century foundation of Charles University made Prague a renowned seat of learning, a reputation that it has preserved up to the present day. Since the reign of Charles IV, Prague has also been the intellectual and cultural centre of central Europe, and is indelibly associated with such world-famous names as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Kafka."

Another, more far-fetched one: Centennial Hall in Wroclaw?

"Criterion (iv): As part of the exhibition grounds of Wrocł aw, the Centennial Hall is an outstanding example of modern recreational architecture that served a variety of purposes, ranging from conferences and exhibitions to concerts, theatre and opera."

I do not find it strong enough, I might look at a different angle

Fortified churches - Transylvenia, Mompox, ?

What is "fortified" about the churches of Mompox? I have re-read the AB and other sources but can't find anything relevant (E.g AB - "The spatial organization of the Mompox churches is simple, with outer walls in brick and the interior divided into three aisles by wooden cotumns or stanchions, in a New world adaptation of the traditional spanish construction technique based on brick arches supported by stone cotumns or buttresses, to be found in Andalucia or etsewhere in New Granada. The wooden ceilings are in the style known in Spain as "Moorish art", with small modifications.")