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Bund Heimat und Umwelt e.V. (BHU)

The Bund Heimat und Umwelt in Deutschland (BHU) is the umbrella organisation of the local history and citizen societies in the Federal Republic of Germany. By preserving the particularities of the individual regions, by means of effective nature conservation and environmental protection, as well as through its commitment to the preservation of historical monuments, it wishes to contribute to ensuring the basis of our existence.

Historical survey
The Association is one of the oldest German nature conservation associations, having been founded as the “Bund Heimatschutz” on March 30, 1904. According to the founder, Professor Ernst Rudorff, the declared aim at the time was to resist encroachments on the natural and cultural landscape. Rudorffs conviction was that human activity can be replaced in almost all cases by something having the same value. In nature this is different, since if a small part of nature is destroyed, it is irretrievably lost.

Aim
Preservation of historical environments, landscapes and monuments has always been considered an integral task, meaning maintaining and conserving the natural, cultural and historical landscape. Because of the personal commitment involved, and of the effort of the associations concerned, active preservation of historical environments, landscapes and monuments is environmental protection within a comprehensible framework. Dealing with the environment in a responsible manner cannot and must not, however, be restricted to conserving remaining sections of landscapes which are worth protecting, or to reacting to damage which has been done to ecological systems. Active preservation of historical environments, landscapes and monuments is both active planning and management of the environment, and precautionary environmental policy. Equally, it includes protection and preservation of historical monuments as an important function.

Tasks
Through its work, the Bund Heimat und Umwelt likes to open current topics, considering preservation of historical environments, landscapes and monuments as well as nature conservation and environmental protection to the public. Projects, conferences and competitions. To reach the inhabitants the BHU invites entries for competitions, chairs conferences and offers many projects.

Organization
The Bund Heimat und Umwelt is the umbrella organisation of the local history and citizen societies in the Länder (states) of Germany which differ from one another as a result of their own historical development. The Länder associations have an organisational infrastructure reaching right down to local level. The Länder associations send delegates to the representatives’ assembly of the Bund Heimat und Umwelt, which in turn elects the Presidium and the President. Statements released by the Presidium are generally prepared in groups of experts, where scientists from all areas of preservation of historical environments, landscapes and monuments prepare analyses on specific solutions to problems at supra-regional level. The Bund Heimat und Umwelt is in close contact with like-minded organisations, Federal Ministries and the German Federal Parliament. It is a nonpartisan environmental association recognised at Federal level with a wide spectrum and close links to traditional values. It represents the Länder associations at Federal level and is their spokesperson in foreign affairs.