EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

NOMINATION DOSSIER ANNEX 5.4
"ANCIENT BEECH FORESTS OF GERMANY"
PARLIAMENT OF THURINGIA Parliamentary Paper 4/4045
4th Legislative Period 23.4.2008
A p p l i c a t i o n
by the CDU Group
German beech forests as part of UNESCO World Natural Heritage
The Parliament supports the nomination campaign of the Federal Government
and the States of Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and
Thuringia to have German beech forests recognised as part of the UNESCO
World Natural Heritage.
Reasons:
If its forest stocks were in their natural state, Germany would be dominated by
beech forests today. 2000 years ago, the red beech was the dominant species
of tree in the primeval forests of this region. Today, because of the climatic
conditions, beech forests only exist in Europe. Their main area of distribution
would be in Germany. In addition, beech forests are an integral part of the
cultural development of Europe and not only provided an economic livelihood
for humans but were also part of their cultural identity. As the source of myths
and sagas, beech forests also stimulated people's imaginations.
Because of forest clearances and conversions, however, the beech lost its
dominant role long ago, so that natural beech forests have become a rarity
and are amongst the threatened habitats of Europe. Despite the dominance of
one species of tree in our latitudes, the various beech forest communities are
an important habitat for more than 7,000 species of animals, plants and fungi.
With the East German National Park programme, which the former German
Minister for the Environment, Professor Klaus Töpfer, described as the "family
silver of German unity", large areas of deciduous forest were placed under
protection for the first time. This programme was continued with the
designation of the Hainich and Kellerwald-Edersee National Parks.
Five German protected areas are now to be proposed as part of the UNESCO
World Natural Heritage.
These are
- the Jasmund National Park,
- the Müritz National Park,
- the Grumsiner Forest in the UNESCO Schorfheide Chorin biosphere
reservation,
- the Hainich National Park and
- the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.
Print: Thuringian Parliament, 29 April 2008
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