Dieter Mennekes Umweltstiftung (DiMUS) becomes the 22nd member of the Initiative.
Wilderness accounts for just 0.6 percent of German territory. This is extremely low, especially by international standards. The German Government’s target is to reach two percent by 2030.
In 2015, under the leadership of FZS, a group of nature conservation organizations came together for the first time in Berlin as the “Wilderness Editorial Group.” By 2017, 16 nature conservation organizations had joined forces to form the Wilderness in Germany initiative. The unique alliance of currently 22 nature conservation organizations is working to create more wilderness in Germany by conducting area projects and public relations work, and by providing policy advice.
A milestone was passed in 2019 with the creation of the “Wildnisfond” (Wilderness Fund), which the Wilderness in Germany Initiative had called upon the Federal Government to set up. Since then, state funding has been used to purchase large contiguous tracts of land for wilderness development.
The Wilderness Office Germany was founded in 2023 as a permanent contact point in Berlin, based on the Wilderness in Germany initiative and supported by FZS, the “Naturstiftung David”, and the “NABU-Stiftung Nationales Naturerbe”. Among other things, the Wilderness Office Germany is the headquarters of the coordination team for the Wilderness in Germany initiative and of the “KlimaWildnisZentrale”.
- Program: Wilderness in Germany Initiative
- Founded : 2016
- Partners: 22 conservation organizations
- Communications: Claudia Weigel
- Wilderness Fund: Stephan Schwill
- Wilderness in Germany
- We are supporting wilderness development in Germany
- Partners
- Milestones
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We are supporting wilderness development 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.
Video
video production: köbri films
Partners
Wildnis in Deutschland is an initiative consisting of 22 environmental foundations and associations. Numerous experts as well as the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation support the initiative.
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Milestones
2025
2025
The Wilderness in Germany Initiative celebrates its 10-year-anniversary: 10 years of working towards a more comprehensive approach to wilderness. 10 years of working towards more wilderness in Germany.
2024
The federal government remains committed to the 2% wilderness target: This goal is included in the National Biodiversity Strategy 2030, which was adopted in December 2024.
2024
First nationwide wilderness assessment: Currently, large-scale wilderness areas cover 0.62 percent of the country’s area. The study shows that there is potential for wilderness areas to cover 1.67 percent of the total area. This brings the 2-percent wilderness target within reach. The study was conducted by Naturstiftung David, Heinz Sielmann Foundation, and FZS.
2024
16,605 hectares of natural forest have been designated within the Brandenburg State Forest. This brings the total number of natural forest development areas in the Brandenburg State Forest to 26,197 hectares. Together with privately owned land belonging to members of the Wilderness in Germany Initiative, parts of these natural forest designations contribute to the expansion of wilderness areas.
2023
Ten percent of Saxony’s forest area have been designated as natural forest: five percent were designated in 2020, and the designation was expanded to a total of ten percent of the state’s forest area in 2023.
2023
The Königsbrücker Heide has received international recognition as an IUCN Category Ib wilderness area, making it the first German wilderness area to receive this designation.
2023
Study on Wilderness Potential in Lower Saxony published: The study was commissioned by the Heinz Sielmann Foundation and Naturstiftung David, and supported by the Regina Bauer Foundation, Greenpeace, and FZS.
2023
Opening of the KlimaWildnisZentrale (Climate Wilderness Center): It serves as Germany’s central advisory body on wilderness in the context of natural climate protection and is headquartered at the German Wilderness Office.
2023
Inauguration of the German Wilderness Office in Berlin: Supported by Naturstiftung David, FZS and the NABU Foundation for National Natural Heritage, the German Wildneress Office will be a permanent point of contact. Among other things, it serves as the headquarters for the coordination team of the Wilderness in Germany Initiative.
2022
Bavaria has designated additional areas as natural forests: There are now a total of 83,000 hectares protected as natural forests in Bavaria.
2022
The Wilderness in Germany Initiative grows: Loki Schmidt Foundation becomes the 21rst member.
2022
Study on Wilderness Potential for North Rhine-Westphalia published: Launched by the Wilderness in Germany Initiative, the state associations have published the first study on wilderness potential for North Rhine-Westphalia.
2021
The Wilderness Area Westlicher Vogelsberg – Laubacher Wald is inaugurated: A forest spanning approximately 225 hectares that, together with existing areas, forms the Western Vogelsberg Wilderness Area.
2021
Designation of the Solling Wilderness Area: As part of the “Lower Saxony Approach” — an agreement between the agricultural, conservation, and political sectors aimed at promoting nature conservation and biodiversity — a decision has also been made to develop the Solling Wilderness Area, covering approximately 1,000 hectares.
2020
2019
FZS event: Wilderness in dialogue – “Wilderness connects”
2019
Hessen declares over 6.000 hectares of forests to be allowed to develop naturally.
2018
FZS event: Wilderness in dialogue – “New opportunities for more wilderness”
2016
Official foundation of the Wilderness in Germany initiative