District home preservation; information on the preservation and care of local cultural assets

Heritage conservation aims to preserve and shape. Created values of landscape-shaping, historical, scientific, artistic, urban planning and folkloristic significance should be preserved, maintained and further developed. With this in mind, it is the task of the local heritage conservationists to contribute to the preservation and communication of the historical dimension of the local heritage as well as to critically accompany current processes of change and to carefully embed innovations into the existing.

The following areas are among the main tasks of heritage conservation:

• Monument protection and preservation,
• architecture,
• Maintaining customs, dialects and traditional costumes,
• Cultivation of folk music and folk dance,
• Collecting, documenting and researching cultural evidence of our historical and regional origins and identity,
• promoting cultural integration and
• imparting knowledge.

The responsible local authority appoints the heritage custodians. In larger districts/cities, several heritage officers can be appointed so that all areas of responsibility can be covered equally. In this case, the areas of responsibility of the local heritage officers can be defined geographically or according to specialist aspects, for example. The appointment can be limited in time, but should cover a period of at least five years. The responsible district heritage officer, the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation and the Bavarian State Association for Heritage Preservation should be consulted in good time before the appointment or dismissal of the heritage officers.

The local heritage officers are not subject to any instructions in their professional statements and opinions. They are solely obliged to fulfill their heritage conservation duties in an appropriate manner and must put forward heritage conservation concerns within the framework of the relevant procedures. However, the administrative authorities alone remain responsible for decisions. The local heritage officers of the counties, independent cities and large district towns should work closely with the district local heritage officers in all matters of local heritage preservation and make use of their advice and expertise in supra-local measures.

The Bayerische Landesverein für Heimatpflege e. V. is an umbrella organization that represents the interests of local heritage preservation. One of its most important tasks is to support and advise the local heritage preservationists. With state funding, it offers them professional support, information, advice, further training and other specific services.

In order to achieve the constitutional and legal objectives of heritage preservation, it is important that heritage preservationists cooperate with many departments, organizations and individuals. Therefore, the closest possible and most constructive cooperation with state and municipal authorities, institutions and associations should be sought. Particular mention should be made of church bodies, schools of all kinds, specialist agencies and nature conservation associations, scientific institutions, archives, museums and collections, civic associations and initiatives, local and regional heritage associations and historical societies. Conversely, state and local authority departments should support the local heritage officers in their work and involve them comprehensively and in good time in issues that affect the preservation of local heritage.