Nature Conservation in the GDR—An Overview

1 Institut für Umweltgeschichte und Regionalentwicklung an der Hochschule Neubrandenburg Texte aus dem IUGR e. V. ISSN 1861-3020 Oktober 2019 Hermann Behrens & Jens Hoffmann (Translation: Patricia Newman) Nature Conservation in the GDR—an Overview Stages in the Development of Nature The historical development of nature conserva- Conservation in the GDR tion in the GDR can be divided into the following This paper traces the development of nature con- stages: servation in the German Democratic Republic 1945 to 1954—Nature conservation under the (GDR). It divides the period of East German mandate of the Reich Nature Protection Act statehood into five stages and describes the defi- (Reichsnaturschutzgesetz, RNG) of 1935, which ning developments within those stages. This divi- remained in effect until the Act for the Preserva- sion into stages (in the sense of periodization, see tion and Care of Nature in the Homeland – Nature Pot 1999, pp. 51–71) is an approach „that is used Protection Act (Gesetz zur Erhaltung und Pflege to understand and structure the flow of history” der heimatlichen Natur – Naturschutzgesetz) of (Wiese 1933, p. 137), and is intended to make it the GDR was enacted in 1954, easier to explore the history of nature conserva- 1954 to 1970—Nature conservation under the tion in the GDR. mandate of the Nature Protection Act of the GDR The years selected as demarcations for the sta- until the enactment of the Environment Act (Ge- ges are those in which influential laws or regula- setz über die planmäßige Gestaltung der sozialis- tions were enacted. Normative underpinnings tischen Landeskultur – Landeskulturgesetz, LKG) such as these (laws and regulations with princip- in 1970, les, objectives, requirements, and prohibitions) 1970 to 1982—Nature conservation under the provide a more or less tangible picture of nature mandate of the Environment Act until the issu- conservation in a given stage, because conserva- ance in 1982 of the Directive Regarding the Coll- tion law strives to codify the principles, objecti- ection, Processing and Safeguarding of Informa- ves, and practices of nature conservation for the tion about the Condition of the Natural Environ- time in which the law is in effect. Continuities and ment of the GDR (Anordnung zur Gewinnung o- changes in conservation law always informed the der Bearbeitung und zum Schutz von Informatio- actions of those engaged in nature conservation and reflected the prevailing ideas and sociopoliti- nen über den Zustand der natürlichen Umwelt in cal conditions of the respective stages. There are der DDR), no established concepts for stages or periods that 1982 to 1989—Nature conservation from the neatly express the entire culture of a time. It was issuance of the Directive Regarding the Collec- therefore necessary to focus on a single perspec- tion, Processing and Safeguarding of Information tive, which is the approach taken here (Pot 1999, about the Condition of the Natural Environment p. 67). of the GDR until the fall of the Berlin Wall, The enactment of a law should not be under- 1989 to 1990—Nature conservation from the stood as a distinct break or clear demarcation of a fall of the Berlin Wall until German environmen- stage. Between the stages there was always a tran- tal unification on July 1, 1990, and unification of sition that sometimes lasted several years. the two German states on October 3, 1990. 2 Nature Conservation from 1945 to 1954 (Landschaftsschutzgebiete, LSG). The new con- cept of Reich nature protection areas owed much Continuity and Change under the Continued to the old idea of state parks. These areas were Mandate of the Reich Nature Protection Act misused as hunting grounds, however (Frohn 2006), a prime example of this being the Reich Prewar nature conservation laws and regulations nature protection area of Schorfheide. remained in effect in the Soviet occupation zone Traditionally, the work of nature conservation following the end of the Second World War on had been done by unpaid, volunteer nature protec- May 8, 1945. These laws and regulations con- tion officers (Naturschutzbeauftragte) holding ho- sisted of the Reich Nature Protection Act norary positions in municipal, county, and state (Reichsnaturschutzgesetz, RNG) of 1935; regula- administrations. The Reich Nature Protection Act tions implementing the Act that were promulgated aimed to change this and stipulated that there on October 31, 1935; and the Nature Protection should be a hierarchical system of public authori- Regulation (Naturschutzverordnung) of March ties staffed with government employees respon- 18, 1936, concerning the protection of wild plants sible for nature conservation. By May 1945, how- and wild, non-game animals. The Reich Nature ever, there was still no such system in place. In Protection Act was not considered to be politically essence, nature conservation continued to be prac- compromised. It remained in effect as a law of the ticed on a largely volunteer basis, as it had been states (Länder) after the founding of the GDR on prior to 1935. As the Prussian model of administ- October 7, 1949, and, following the administra- ration was adopted throughout Germany and its tive reform of 1952, remained formally in effect occupied territories, however, nature protection until 1954. In reality, however, the Act, signed by offices (staffed by volunteers) were created at all „Führer and Reich Chancellor” Adolf Hitler and administrative levels. The Reich Office of Nature „Reich Forestry Chief” Hermann Göring, was ra- Protection (Reichsstelle für Naturschutz) was the rely enforced. central administrative body, and functioned as a The Reich Nature Protection Act regulated na- scientific institution with advisory authority. ture conservation in areas „free” of human settle- This system of organizing nature conservation ment. It addressed „general landscape protection” was not retained in the Soviet occupation zone. 1 and extended protection to natural monuments, There was no central government agency for na- nature protection areas (Naturschutzgebiete, ture conservation at the occupation zone level. NSG), including the newly designated Reich na- The five states in the zone did not take a unified ture protection areas (Reichsnaturschutzgebiete), approach to regulating authority for nature conser- „other landscape areas in free nature,” and endan- vation, which was sometimes handled by the fo- gered species (Reich Nature Protection Act, Sec- restry division of the Ministry of Agriculture and tions 5, 19, and 20). Objects and areas were Forestry and sometimes by the Ministry of Pe- judged to be worthy of protection on the basis of ople’s Education. Unpaid, volunteer nature pro- rarity, beauty, decorative value, distinctiveness, tection officers gradually took up their positions and scientific, ethnological, or historical significa- again in many of the municipal, county and state nce (Reich Nature Protection Act, Sections 1–5). administrations. Nature protection offices no lon- Most of the nature reserves selected in accordance ger existed, however, despite the fact that the with the principles of the Act were considered to Reich Nature Protection Act was still in effect and hold fairly little economic promise, and at the called for these offices to be staffed with an same time to be close to nature, representative of average of eight to ten unpaid expert advisors. a certain native environment or habitat, unique, After the founding of the GDR in 1949, a num- rare, or beautiful. Many of the „landscape areas” ber of new conservation regulations were promul- (Landschaftsteile) protected under the Act were gated, including several concerning the protection later designated as landscape protection areas of bees in 1951. 1 The German term „Naturdenkmal”, meaning „natural monument,” refers to an individual feature of a landscape, such as a tree, waterfall, or rock formation. Later, the term „Flächennaturdenkmal”, or „large natural monument” was created to refer to comparatively small protected areas.—Trans. 3 The administrative reform of 1952 resulted in The districts and counties were instructed to the dissolution of the five states and their respec- „appoint within the district and county nature pro- tive administrations (including nature protection tection officers, who shall support and provide ex- offices), and the introduction of fifteen administ- pert advice to the nature conservation authorities rative districts called „Bezirke”. This reform was in cooperation with the democratic parties and mandated by the Act Concerning the Further De- mass organizations, in particular the Cultural Al- mocratization of the Structure and Functioning of liance for the Democratic Renewal of Germany State Organs in the States in the GDR (Gesetz (Kulturbund zur demokratischen Erneuerung über die weitere Demokratisierung des Aufbaus Deutschlands). The officers selected are to be pro- und der Arbeitsweise der staatlichen Organe in gressive in outlook and possess knowledge of the den Ländern der DDR), enacted on July 23, 1952. country’s geography, history, and natural his- The number of counties (Kreise, smaller administ- tory.”2 rative districts, subordinate to the districts) increa- The Decree on the Preservation and Care of Na- sed substantially, with the result that individual tional Cultural Monuments (Verordnung zur Er- counties represented smaller administrative areas. haltung und Pflege der nationalen Kulturdenk- Throughout 1951, nature conservation records male), issued on June 26, 1952, resolved

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