1. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
NGOs in
conservation
England and Germany:
Opportunities and boundaries
of civic activities in the heritage sector
2. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Introduction
Introduction
England and Germany:
Different systems, different civic institutions
NGOs in conservation:
Activities and framework
Conclusion
3. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Achim Schröer
Urban planner with background in
administration and federal policy
Lecturer at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar,
PhD project on „Heritage Governance“
Initiator and spokesman of the
„Denkmalnetz Bayern“
6. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Leading Questions
What can NGOs do in conservation?
How are these activities determined by the
specific institutional framework they work in?
Can this framework be altered by the NGOs?
7. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
England and Germany
Different systems,
different civic institutions
8. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
England
Part of the UK
Centralised government
Long tradition of civic activity
9. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
England
„The strength and depth of voluntary
involvement in the historic environment in
England is envied throughout the world.
It is unique.“
Report „Power of place“, English Heritage 2000
10. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Heritage NGOs in England
Broad and well structured scene of NGOs:
• Local Civic Societies
• National Amenity Societies
• Building Preservation Trusts
• Network and Umbrella Organisations
11. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Civic Societies
Tradition of „Local Amenity Societies“
since 1840 until today
Continuity rather than single-issue-actions
Official consultation on local planning issues
Research and education in local history
13. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
National Amenity Societies
Founded as interest groups since 1877
(SPAB by William Morris)
Focus on special architectonical periods,
thus contribuiting to the heritage discurse
Official consultation on planning and
conservation issues
Research, education, lobby activities
15. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Building Preservation Trusts
Acquire, restore and maintain
heritage buildings
From „single building trusts“ to
regional or national trusts
Further educative and lobby activities
16. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
The National Trust
Founded 1895
UK‘s largest charity with 3,7 mill. members,
UK‘s largest landowner
4500 employees, 61.000 volunteers
Tailor-made legislation
18. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Umbrella organisations
• Civic Trust / Civic Voice
• Joint Committee of the National Amenity Soc.
• Association of Building Preservation Trusts
• Heritage Alliance
Advice, information, political activities
21. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Germany
Federation of 16 Bundesländer
Particular competencies
of the Bundesländer
in cultural policy
Long tradition of
public institutions
22. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Heritage NGOs in Germany
Bürgerinitiativen
(Local Civic Societies)
New Regional Network Organisations
Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz
(German Conservation Trust)
Public-civic institutions
23. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Bürgerinitiativen
Local or regional initiatives
Mostly on single issues / single buildings
Continuity in case of the Stadtforen
(City Forums)
„Verein“ as a rather flexible legal basis
26. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Network Organisations
New development since 2011
Loose networks of civic societies in
one or more Bundesländer
Exchange and mutual advice
Joint political activities
28. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Dt. Stiftung Denkmalschutz
Founded in 1975
Single national heritage NGO
Collects donations for single private projects
Activities in education and policy
30. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Public-civic institutions
Heimatpfleger („caretaker“) installed by the
Bavarian conservation law
„Civic activity with a public brief“
Umbrella organisation:
Bayerischer Landesverein für Heimatpflege
32. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
NGOs in conservation
Activities and framework
33. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Civic activities
in conservation
Involvement in local politics
Involvement in national politics
Education and awareness raising
Financial activities
34. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Local politics
„Core“ of civic activity in conservation
Participation in heritage-related issues
Local council and administration as
important partners / counterparts
35. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Local politics in Germany
Possibility to participate in planning issues
Civic activity often single-issue based rather
than continuous, and often rather isolated
Bürgerentscheid (local ballot) in some
Bundesländer; example of Munich
37. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Local politics in England
Opportunity to participate in planning
and building issues
Comprehensive information policy:
Formal consultation with the civic initiatives,
information on site
Continuity of civic activity
Advice and support by network organisations
39. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
National politics
National politics provide the framework for
policies directed to conservation and
civic activity
Parliaments and national administration as
important partners
40. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
National pol. in Germany
NGOs have no status in conservation policy
Hardly any involvement of (local) initiatives
Public-civic advising bodies (e.g. Deutsches
Nationalkommittee) allow a very selective and
top-down participation
New networks as potential new actors?
41. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
National pol. in England
NGOs as an integral part of the conservation
policy
Tailor-made legislation for national NGOs
Formal consultation with, and strong voice of,
the national and umbrella organisations
42. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Education and awareness
Important activity for securing a broad
support for conservation issues
National bodies can offer large education
programmes (DSD, NT)
National bodies have better access to
national media
43. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Financial activities
NGOs need financial resources for
• project work, like the acquisition of
buildings and conservation work
• continuous work, like political or
educative activities
44. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Project funding in Germany
Support for conservation projects
mainly through reliefs on income tax
(unsuitable for NGOs)
Limited support available from state authorities
of different levels, the Deutsche Stiftung
Denkmalschutz or some other funds
45. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Project funding in England
Special funds and tax reliefs for projects
available only for Building Preservation Trusts,
not for single private owners
Public funds often controlled by
independent boards, like the
Architectural Heritage Fund
47. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Continuous funding in
Germany
No support for the continuous work of
heritage NGOs
Private donations deductable from income tax
(advantage for wealthy donors)
48. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Continuous funding in
England
Support schemes for continuous work by
English Heritage
> Question of independence?
„Gift Aid“: Public addition to private donations
50. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Conclusion
51. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Conclusion
Forceful civic activity in conservation is based on
1.
a supporting legal framework,
concerning consultation and participation
as well as funding issues
52. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Conclusion
.. and on
2.
strong networking of the single initiatives,
and strong presence on the national level.
53. Chair of Urban Planning
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer
Thank you!
