Historic preservation information

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Historic preservation information tells you whether a building, parts of a building or the ground of the plot are listed as protected monuments. Any protection of the surrounding area under monument law is also shown.

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What is the purpose of historic preservation?

Historic preservation — governed by the monument protection acts of the individual federal states — is an important instrument for protecting objects or parts of objects, such as buildings, from decay and the resulting loss to memory. Historic preservation aims to preserve historical, urban-planning, artistic and academic value in its original form.

The term covers architectural monuments and archaeological monuments in particular, as well as their surroundings. In addition, a connected group of structures — known as an ensemble — also falls within the scope of historic preservation, irrespective of whether the entire ensemble or only part of it is listed.

How and where can I apply for historic preservation information?

Applying requires proof of a legitimate interest.

Online via DocEstate

Applications are created immediately upon receipt of your order and forwarded to the responsible offices to avoid delays in processing. We handle any queries and issues on your behalf. The historic preservation information you ordered is then made available to you online as a PDF in your personal area.

Directly from the responsible office

Alternatively, you can apply for historic preservation information from the offices responsible in each case. Please note that more than one authority is often responsible for the different subject areas. An informal written application is usually sufficient. The information you order is sent to you by post.

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Building, ground and surrounding-area protection – we check all relevant aspects for you.

To the application

What is a monument list?

The monument list — also known as the monument register or monument cadastre — is a directory listing the majority of a municipality’s listed buildings and cultural monuments. Protection of the surrounding area and archaeological ground monuments are not included in the monument list.

Because municipalities’ monument lists are not published on a daily basis, and because protected status can exist beyond an entry in the monument list, consulting the list serves informational purposes only. Whether a property or part of a property is added to the monument list usually depends on the legislation of the respective federal state. Inclusion requires an assessment under the monument protection act and a formal resolution.

What is historic preservation information used for?

Historic preservation information tells you whether a building, parts of a building or the ground of the plot are listed as protected monuments. If a building is subject to protection of the surrounding area under monument law, this is also shown.

Historic preservation information should be obtained before purchasing or building on a plot. This allows costly conversion and maintenance obligations, or excavation work in an area suspected of containing ground monuments, to be factored into the price.

Scope of the information

Type of monument

What the information shows

Building monument protection

Whether a building or parts of it are listed

Ground monument protection

Whether the ground of the plot is protected or suspected of being so

Surrounding-area monument protection

Whether protection of the surrounding area applies under monument law

Sample of a building monument record

Listed properties can bring advantages in the form of tax relief, but also disadvantages due to strict preservation and conversion requirements. Purchasing a listed property should be carefully considered and never done without expert advice.

Historic preservation does not always apply to an entire building. Not infrequently, only a few components of a building are listed, which means the associated obligations are often underestimated or even overlooked at the time of purchase. The building monument record gives you access to the official monument index held by the responsible monument authority.

Sample of a ground monument record

Historic preservation applies not only to buildings but also to land. Archaeological monument information relates purely to the plot and provides details of any suspected findings and special requirements in connection with construction.

Typical requirements in an area suspected of containing ground monuments include the use of special equipment allowing the soil to be removed in a protective manner. To prevent the destruction of ground monuments, a preliminary investigation is often carried out by the responsible archaeological office before excavation work is approved. Should the suspicion be confirmed, further measures must be initiated, which can lead to considerable delays in construction.

FAQs

Is consulting the monument list sufficient?

Consulting the monument list is sufficient if you wish to check protected status for purely informational purposes. If, however, you are purchasing a property or a plot of land, it is advisable to apply for up-to-date historic preservation information in order to find out whether the object is subject to building, ground or other surrounding-area protection and therefore to special and costly requirements.

How long does it take to receive historic preservation information?

Depending on the municipality, provision takes 1 to 6 weeks. Timings may vary, as they depend on the current workload of the office handling the request.

What does historic preservation information cost?

Fees for historic preservation information range from 0 to 50 euros and depend on the fee schedule of the responsible authority. Charges are mostly applied per plot or property. Some offices charge per parcel or house number, which means costs for large plots can exceed 50 euros. In many cases, however, the information is provided free of charge.