Achim Schroer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

NGOs in conservation

England and Germany:

Opportunities and boundariesof civic activities in the heritage sector

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Introduction

Introduction

England and Germany:Different systems, different civic institutions

NGOs in conservation:Activities and framework

Conclusion

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-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“

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Leading Questions

What can NGOs do in conservation?

How are these activities determined by thespecific institutional framework they work in?

Can this framework be altered by the NGOs?

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

England and Germany

Different systems,different civic institutions

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

England

Part of the UK

Centralised government

Long tradition of civic activity

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

England

„The strength and depth of voluntaryinvolvement in the historic environment in England is envied throughout the world.

It is unique.“

Report „Power of place“, English Heritage 2000

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-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

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-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

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-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 andconservation issues

Research, education, lobby activities

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Building Preservation Trusts

Acquire, restore and maintainheritage buildings

From „single building trusts“ to regional or national trusts

Further educative and lobby activities

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-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

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-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

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Germany

Federation of 16 Bundesländer

Particular competenciesof the Bundesländerin cultural policy

Long tradition of public institutions

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Heritage NGOs in Germany

Bürgerinitiativen (Local Civic Societies)

New Regional Network Organisations

Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz(German Conservation Trust)

Public-civic institutions

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-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

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-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

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Dt. Stiftung Denkmalschutz

Founded in 1975

Single national heritage NGO

Collects donations for single private projects

Activities in education and policy

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Public-civic institutions

Heimatpfleger („caretaker“) installed by theBavarian conservation law

„Civic activity with a public brief“

Umbrella organisation:Bayerischer Landesverein für Heimatpflege

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

NGOs in conservation

Activities and framework

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Civic activitiesin conservation

Involvement in local politics

Involvement in national politics

Education and awareness raising

Financial activities

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Local politics

„Core“ of civic activity in conservation

Participation in heritage-related issues

Local council and administration as important partners / counterparts

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Local politics in Germany

Possibility to participate in planning issues

Civic activity often single-issue based ratherthan continuous, and often rather isolated

Bürgerentscheid (local ballot) in someBundesländer; example of Munich

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Local politics in England

Opportunity to participate in planningand building issues

Comprehensive information policy: Formal consultation with the civic initiatives, information on site

Continuity of civic activity

Advice and support by network organisations

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

National politics

National politics provide the framework forpolicies directed to conservation and civic activity

Parliaments and national administration as important partners

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-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?

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

National pol. in England

NGOs as an integral part of the conservationpolicy

Tailor-made legislation for national NGOs

Formal consultation with, and strong voice of, the national and umbrella organisations

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Education and awareness

Important activity for securing a broadsupport for conservation issues

National bodies can offer large educationprogrammes (DSD, NT)

National bodies have better access to national media

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Financial activities

NGOs need financial resources for

• project work, like the acquisition of buildings and conservation work

• continuous work, like political oreducative activities

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Project funding in Germany

Support for conservation projectsmainly through reliefs on income tax (unsuitable for NGOs)

Limited support available from state authoritiesof different levels, the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz or some other funds

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Project funding in England

Special funds and tax reliefs for projectsavailable only for Building Preservation Trusts, not for single private owners

Public funds often controlled byindependent boards, like theArchitectural Heritage Fund

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-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)

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Continuous funding in England

Support schemes for continuous work byEnglish Heritage

> Question of independence?

„Gift Aid“: Public addition to private donations

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Conclusion

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Conclusion

Forceful civic activity in conservation is based on

1.a supporting legal framework, concerning consultation and participationas well as funding issues

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Conclusion

.. and on

2. strong networking of the single initiatives,and strong presence on the national level.

Chair of Urban PlanningDipl.-Ing. Achim Schröer

Thank you!