Wilderness in Germany

FZS and its partners in the Wilderness in Germany initiative are committed to protecting (new) conservation areas and in some cases are even funding wilderness areas themselves – e.g. the Brandenburg Wilderness Foundation in Lieberose or “Deutsche Wildtierstiftung” in the Aschhorn Bog. Comparing notes on a regular basis as well as the joint development on positions on wilderness in Germany allows us to learn from each other. We support each other with technical knowledge regarding questions on (potential) wilderness areas and advise policymakers.

We advise and assist in the purchase and sale of land for potential wilderness areas. The German Government makes 20 million euros available annually through its Wilderness Fund program for the acquisition of areas (or their rights of use).

We support initiatives that work to protect wilderness – by establishing national parks, for example. We offer technical and strategic advice, but also provide materials (e.g. for campaign planning).

To anyone planning an event, our set of material might be useful. It includes the “Wir für Wildnis” brochure, stickers and postcards, among others. Our colleagues at the Wilderness Office in Berlin will assist you in case you are interested.

For those seeking facts and figures or pictures and diagrams or even films on the topic of wilderness, www.wildnis-in-Deutschland.de offers a full overview, aimed especially at interested experts, at political decision makers and the press. And the newsletter is always there to keep you up to date.

We are co-founders of the Wilderness Foundation Brandenburg, which was established in 2000 by public and private donors. The foundation seized a historic opportunity to secure former military areas in Brandenburg for long-term wilderness protection through land acquisition. The areas managed by the foundation span four former military training grounds (Tangersdorf north of Berlin, as well as Jüterbog, Heidehof, and Lieberose in the southern part of Brandenburg), covering more than 15,150 hectares. Their vast size, lack of fragmentation, and natural development make these areas true treasures within a heavily utilized cultural landscape.

Since 2009, we have also supported the Naturstiftung David in preserving the unique near-natural forest stands of the Hohe Schrecke in northern Thuringia. The forest area of Hohe Schrecke covers approximately 8,000 hectares and is largely unfragmented.

Together with our partners in the Wilderness in Germany Initiative and the Wilderness Office in Berlin, we publish position papers, carry out press work and organize events related to wilderness. This gives us a common voice that is also listened to by decision-makers. In December 2020, for example, we released the Agenda for Wilderness. This was a call to policy makers for collective action aimed at achieving the two percent wilderness goal.

We are also active at the state level, developing wilderness concepts with state partners and advising policymakers on how to create more wilderness.

We collaborate with experts from partner organizations in order to draw up position papers on wilderness, organize conferences and workshops, and provide information. In this way, we have been able to give teeth to the wilderness debate, and answer key questions such as: When can an area actually be defined as wilderness in Germany? Furthermore, colleagues from the Wilderness Office in Berlin, togethe with the Brandenburg Wilderness Foundation, organize the annual ‘Wilderness in Dialogue‘ conference with experts from politics and nature conservation.