Heritage Conservation

Particularly in times of significantly grown public awareness with regard to the protection of natural resources, preserving our common heritage of architectural and ground monuments has become more important than ever.  

The Bavarian Constitution provides for a high degree of protection and conservation of monuments and obliges each individual as well as the state to protect and conserve all natural and cultural treasures. On October 1st, 1973, the Bayerisches Denkmalschutzgesetz (Bavarian Law for the Protection and Preservation of Monuments) entered into force. It has exceptionally boosted cultural heritage preservation in our state.

Matters regarding cultural heritage preservation are no longer discussed exclusively among a small number of experts, but are now dealt with by citizens from all of Bavaria's regions and from diverse professional backgrounds. Cultural heritage preservation has become democratic. This fact is also proven to be true by the countless number of volunteers, who dedicate their free time by helping out in clubs, associations and citizens’ initiatives to preserve local heritage.

The term "cultural heritage preservation" itself has changed over the course of time and is no longer primarily confined to art-historically significant palaces or impressive churches. A simple private town-house or an ordinary farm house as well as architectural testimony relevant to the history of craft and technology can also be considered to be monuments. In this context, it is always essential that these buildings serve as examples to clarify or illustrate the past.

In Bavaria, there are approximately 120,000 architectural monuments and more than 45,000 registered ground monuments.

Das Bayerische Landesamt für Denkmalpflege - The Bavarian Office for the Conservation of Historical Monuments is the main authority dealing with monument conservation within the Free State.