New7Wonders History and Structure :: July 2007

History

In 1999, Bernard Weber had the vision of reviving the concept of the 7 Wonders of the World. To do so, he founded the non-profit New7Wonders Foundation, which organized this ambitious global campaign to elect the New 7 Wonders of the World. This modern campaign is based on the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, the list compiled by Philon of Byzantium in 200 B.C.

The ancient list, compiled by one man, was made up of man-made monuments. They were: the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the Pyramids of Egypt. Today, only the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt remain. Philon’s selection of wonders was essentially a travel guide for fellow Athenians, and its stunning sites were all located around the Mediterranean basin, the then-known world.

The New7Wonders campaign not only recognizes that our modern world is much larger and more diverse than that known to the Greeks 2,200 years ago. This time, the New 7 Wonders of the World will not have been chosen by one man, but rather by millions of people across the globe—from every single country in the world. The New 7 Wonders are the people’s choices, and they will be drawn from a list of finalists that includes structures from the earliest time that humankind walked upon the earth through the 20^th century.

The New7Wonders campaign is not only the first-ever global vote, but also the only election in which children can take part—a unique exercise in worldwide democracy!

Structure

The New7Wonders Foundation, established in 2001, is committed to investing 50% of excess revenue in global good causes related to monument documentation and preservation (the remaining 50% goes to maintaining the Foundation and to future projects). The status as a Swiss-registered foundation guarantees independence and a stated philanthropic aim. New7Wonders has officially contributed to “Presence Switzerland” Swiss government image presentations, such as during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and as part of the Swiss Pavilion at the 2005 World Expo in Aichi, Japan.

Two subordinate entities, the NewOpenWorld Foundation and the NewOpenWorld Corporation, support the New7Wonders Foundation in its work. The NewOpenWorld Foundation is responsible for running the New7Wonders campaigns, while the NewOpenWorld Corporation is the commercial licensing arm, enabling New7Wonders to financially support itself to continue its work bringing the people of the world together to celebrate our common heritage.

New7Wonders has hubs in Zurich, Munich, London and Brussels and approximately 20 people working on the campaign.