Monument Network Thuringia: Networking for the preservation of our culture!

Monument Network Thuringia: Networking for the preservation of our culture!

The new network “Monument Network” in Thuringia will be presented on September 13, 2025 on the Open Monument Day in Gera. This network has set itself the goal of promoting mediation between owners, authorities and those interested in monument protection. Katja Fischer, board member of the Thuringia Baukultur Foundation, emphasizes the urgency of a platform for knowledge exchange and networking. Many private individuals often only deal with monuments once in their lives, which makes the exchange of experiences and information particularly important. She also points out that the authorities often do not have the necessary resources to comprehensively support monument protection.

Over 90 people and institutions, such as the Thuringia Building Culture Foundation and the Thuringia Local History Association, have already joined forces as part of the monument network. The network will not only deal with protected heritage, but also with building heritage and conversion culture. The basis for this is a first meeting in April 2025, which gave the starting signal for the joint efforts. The concept is based on the existing monument network in Saxony, which is financially supported in order to lay a solid foundation for monument protection in Thuringia.

Importance of monument protection

Monument protection protects cultural monuments and culturally and historically significant overall facilities in order to ensure their long-term preservation and protection from falsification, damage or destruction. The legal framework for monument protection is set out in monument law and ensures that these valuable witnesses to our history are preserved. In Thuringia, monuments do not only acquire their distinction when they are entered in a monument book, which is important for many owners when making purchases or building projects. Accordingly, close coordination with the monument protection authorities is necessary, as monument preservation issues are closely linked to urban and village developments.

Commitment to monument protection also plays a role in climate protection, as preserving existing buildings is often more sustainable than using new materials. Around a million properties in Germany are under monument protection and therefore not only contribute to the quality of life in cities and communities, but also represent part of the cultural heritage that needs to be protected.

International context and challenges

International regulations such as the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972 and the Hague Convention show that monument protection is a global responsibility. However, laws and regulations vary greatly between countries. In Germany, monument protection is regulated by a variety of laws, while in Austria and Switzerland there are different responsibilities.

Monument owners often face financial burdens resulting from preservation obligations. These aspects can sometimes come into conflict with economic interests. Nevertheless, monument protection remains an indispensable part of cultural awareness and quality of life in our cities. It is therefore important to find innovative ways to meet both cultural and economic needs while preserving the time-tested legacy of our history.

All of these aspects are supported and promoted by the new “Monument Network” network in Thuringia, with the aim of making monument protection sustainable and future-oriented. The need for such a network is clear and the challenges are great, but the first steps have been taken to secure cultural heritage for future generations.