Bernard von Droste-Hülshoff (b. 1938), a great-nephew of the poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff was fascinated from an early age by foreign lands and cultures. While working in forestry in the 1960s ecological issues also became increasingly important to him, at a time when these themes did not yet have a role in social debates. Droste-Hülshoff’s move in 1973 to UNESCO’s Environmental Department, of which he later became Director, was therefore a consistent step. The preservation of the world’s natural and cultural treasures has always been central to his ideas and activities. As founding Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre he initiated numerous projects in the areas of education, science and culture and later served as an expert adviser to the EU Commission and the World Bank. This biography traces his impressive life and career.