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World Heritage in Germany

published by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

 

Events

Sat, 25.05.2013
Gemeinsam wandern - Deutschlands Vielfalt erleben !
Nationalpark Hainich

Sun, 26.05.2013
Entspanntes Auge - Enntspannter Mensch
Nationalpark Hainich

UNESCO World Natural Heritage Beech Forests

"Primeval Beech forests of the Carpathians and Ancient Beech Forests of Germany"

Grafik: Location of the World Heritage component parts; green areas: natural vegetation of beech forests in Europe
Location of the World Heritage component parts; green areas: natural vegetation of beech forests in Europe

On 25th June 2011 the UNESCO World HEritage Comittee at its 35th Session has inscribed the "Ancient Beech Forests of Germany" in the World Heriatge List as an extension of the "Primeval Beech Forest of the Carpathians".

With this the UNESCO has acknowleged the outstanding universal value of European beech forests, an ecosystem which has shaped the look of an entire continent in a globally exceptional manner.

 

three photos: National park Kellerwald-Edersee, National park Jasmund, Primeval beech forest in the Carpathians (photos: Ho, Weigelt, Biehl)
National park Kellerwald-Edersee, National park Jasmund, Primeval beech forests in the Carpathians (photos: Ho, Weigelt, Biehl)

The "Ancient Beech Forests of Germany" are composed of selcetd forest areas in five German protected areas:

  • National park Jasmund (Mecklenburg-West-Pommerania)

  • Serrahn in the Müritz national park (Mecklenburg-West-Pommerania)

  • Grumsin in the UNESCO biosphere reserve Schorfheide-Chorin (Brandenburg)

  • National park Hainich (Thuringia)

  • National park Kellerwald-Edersee (Hesse).

These component parts represent te most valuable relicts of large natural beech forests in Germany. The complement ideally the "Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians" in the Slovak Republic and the Ukraine which had been inscribed in the World Heritage List in 2007. Together these areas now form a joint World Heritage property.


World Heritage component parts in the Carpathians:

  • Chornohora, Carpathian Biosphere Reserve (Ukraine)
  • Maramarosh, Carpathian Biosphere Reserve (Ukraine)
  • Svydovets, Carpathian Biosphere Reserve (Ukraine)
  • Kuziy-Trybushany, Carpathian Biosphere Reserve (Ukraine)
  • Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh, Carpathian Biosphere Reserve (Ukraine)
  • Stuzhytsia-Uzhok, Uzhanskyi national nature park (Ukraine)
  • Stužica-Bukovské Vrchy, Poloniny national park (Slovak Republic)
  • Havešová, National nature reserve Havešová, Poloniny national park (Slovak Republic)
  • Rožok, Nationales Naturreservat Rožok, Poloniny national park (Slovak Republic)
  • Vihorlat, Vihorlat landscape protected area (Slovak Republic)

The enhanced protection of valuable beech forests is a high priority for the future: The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has linked the inscription of the German component parts with the obligation for a European process to guarantee the preservation of valuable beech forests in Europe in the framework of a joint World Heritage site.