Friedrich Lüth UNDERWATER CULTURAL HERITAGE – PRESENT SITUATION ALONG THE GERMAN EAST COAST IN THE STATE OF MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN Due to the political situation in the years before 1989 responsibility and federal framework legislation. neither private enjoyment nor scientific approaches Towards the Baltic, along the coast and within the led any interested parties into the Baltic Sea with German territorial waters the Minister for Education, technical diving-equipment and access was exclusively Science and Culture of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restricted to the inner circles of the security powers. has the legal responsibility for underwater cultural Any cultural heritage in the territorial waters and the heritage, with the State Agency for Archaeological exclusive economic zone of the German Democratic Heritage as administrator. Republic therefore was under total protection – rather The legislation on the protection of cultural heritage by accident than by purpose. in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Denkmalschutzgesetz The outcome of 50 years of total protection is [DSchG MV]) was invented in 1993. It has been slightly an almost complete preserved submerged landscape changed in 1999. Regarding the underwater cultural including sites and monuments representing almost heritage we can state that through the legislation all 10.000 years of (pre-) history. A rising water-table as sites and monuments under-water are scheduled as a global phenomenon combined with a specific geo- archaeological monuments, that are of any scientific logical situation in the bight of Mecklenburg have led or cultural value for the history of man or mankind. to a continuing process of sinking coasts during the This includes technological significance as well as Holocene. economical or other aspects. As long as one of these Furthermore the long German tradition in seafaring, significant aspects is detected a site can immediately with a particular increase during the Hanse, period become scheduled by law. The legislation does not has left thousands of shipwrecks, more or less well require any special formalities besides registering to preserved, along the shores and on the seabed within set protection into force. Finally we can report that the territorial waters off the German east coast. there is no age limit within the legislation. There is As part of the modern German federal system thus no difficulty to register even “modern” sites the responsibility for the management of cultural and monuments, as long as they meet the required heritage lies with the 16 states, without any federal significance referred to above. Exclusive Economic Zone Territorial Waters Territorial German waters and the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. 51 The basis for any kind of research is the finds regis- ter. The sites and monuments are kept in a register both in printed and electronic form that we call archaeo-GIS. This register now includes some 2000 sites and monu- ments, beginning with the Stone Age and extending to modern war equipment sunk prior to 1946. This regis- ter includes the location, a short description of the site itself, a description of the cultural and historical values of the site; it includes dates of detection, dates of con- trol by our staff or other authorized bodies; it further contains brief information of ongoing work. The elec- tronic version is based on a geographical information system (arcview) and the information can be accessed through the map. Darsser Cog from the Hanse period under examination. Access to the register is limited to public bodies for planning occasions. A copy also goes to the coast-guards so they are kept up to date and can protect sites. We have different ways to identify sites such as: aerial photogra- Any discovery of an archaeological monument phy and geophysical surveys using sonar and optical has to be immediately reported to the responsible equipment e.g. a video sledge to record the ground authorities. It must not be touched or moved or taken surface on special deep locations. We also cooperate with into anyone’s possession but must be held in situ. several organisations: the federal authorities in charge To keep the local authorities engaged we regularly of freeing waterways; the association of fishermen inform the coastguard of the locations of significant (net-hackers); research bodies on marine geology and sites and monuments, and they have to ensure their environment, and with the authorities, both federal and proper protection. Once a year there is a training course regional, who manage the environment. for the coastguards carried out by staff members from One of the most exciting ongoing scientific projects the Heritage Management agency. is concerned with the changes of water tables, climatic The Federal State is the owner of the seabed changes and the changes in the cultural sphere during and its contents. According to § 984 of the civil act the Holocene period. It is under research through a (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch [BGB]) the finder of a lost group of scientists, funded by the German Science item and the landowner share the value of the find by Foundation (Deutsche Forschungs-gemeinschaft). 50% each. When it comes to cultural heritage finds More than 25 scientists from different parts of the of significant scientific value, ownership is legally scientific world are working under the umbrella of drawn to the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (§ 12 SINCOS, the acronym for Sinking Coasts (information DSchG MV). under www.sincos.org). During the past two years The Minister of Education, Science and Culture we have discovered more than 25 submerged Stone obtains all necessary permission on activities directed Age sites from the later phases of the west Baltic at underwater cultural heritage. If there are other Mesolithic to the early Neolithic period. All these than scientific activities that are directed at or might sites have revealed extraordinary finds, especially of conflict with the in situ preservation of archaeological organic material due to exceptional preservation and monuments and sites; the responsible authority shall conservation conditions in an unaerobic milieu. only give permission eg. for construction work or Looking through the activities of the past ten the exploitation of natural resources from the seabed years we recognize that there is a lot of progress in such as gravel, sand or stones unanimously with the the scientific approach towards underwater cultural Minister of Education, Science and Culture. heritage. Although work is carried out under very When it comes to an environmental assessment of limited financial possibilities the scientific outcome is an area this has to include surveying and analysing of enormous. Future work has to join forces along these the archaeological sites and monuments. Any costs for lines. One of the greatest threats seems to be erosion, archaeological surveys or rescue excavation have to be originating in different sources both natural and borne by the polluter. human. This is a major threat, and there is no polluter While the Heritage Protection Act as such only who could pay for future rescue work. Nevertheless applies to territorial waters, all the federal acts like many very important sites and monuments might the Building Act (Baugesetzbuch), Environmental vanish if work is not carried out consistently and assess-ment or Act for permitting the exploitation of regularly. Due to the costs of such work, any future natural resources (Bundesberggesetz) are also enforced undertaking will have to go through joint and cross- within the exclusive economic zone. Protection then border cooperation. The underwater cultural heritage again undergoes a more difficult procedure with a on and in the seabed under German legislation is part regulator to determine removal rather than in situ of the common maritime culture of the Baltic Sea preservation. States and has to be treated internationally. 52 LIST OF ACTIVITIES BETWEEN 1994 AND 2003 Year Survey Trial excavation Excavation and research 1994 Shipwrecks Shipwrecks • Peenemündung 1; • Wismar bight 1; 2(Hafen) • Jasmund 7, 12, • Hiddensee 4; • Wittow 11, 17, 26, 27, 28 • Darss 19 1995 Shipwrecks Shipwrecks Shipwrecks • Wittow 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 36, • Rostock –Ost 18 (Pagenwerder) • Rostock – Ost 18 38, 40, 42, 47, 49, 50, • Wismar bight (construction work) • Putbus-West 1, 2; • Jasmund 6, 10, 19, 48, • Neubukow 3; • Wismar bight5, • Rostock-Ost 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 1996 Shipwrecks Shipwrecks Shipwrecks • Wittow 23, 24; • Stralsund 4 (Ostansteuerung) • Wismar bight 1, 2, 3, 5 • Hiddensee 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, • Peenemündung (construction work) • Putbus West 3, 4, • Jasmund 40, • Mönchgut 2, 6, 7, 15, 19, • Rostock – West 8, 13; • Peenemündung 2 1997 Shipwrecks Shipwrecks • Wittow 64, • Hiddensee 12 (Gellen) • Hiddensee 19; • Jasmund 30; • Kühlungsborn 5; • Fischland 35, 1998 Shipwrecks Shipwrecks Shipwrecks • Wittow 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, • Wismar bight 6 (Wendorf-Wrack) • Wismar bight 6 (Wendorf-Wrack) • Putbus –West 5; • Glowe 58 (Hafen) • Jasmund 8, 49, • Bergen - Ralswiek2 • Fischland 36,39, (Wasserwanderrastplatz) • Peenemündung 8, 9 • Barther Bodden 1999 Shipwrecks Shipwrecks Prehistoric sites • Wittow 67, 72, • Wismar bight 6 (Wendorf-Anglerhafen) • Poel 11 (Poeler Kogge) • Putbus-West 6, 7, • Poel 12 (Timmendorf-Nordmole) • Jasmund 85 Shipwrecks • Poel 11, 17, 20, 21, 22 • Poeler Kogge • Boltenhagen 1, 3, • Wismar bight10, 11, 13, • Barther Bodden • Peenemündung 2 Prehistoric sites