Preservation and Nature Conservation: Law against the Deformation of Villages and Regions with Exceptional Landscapes (July 15, 1907) Historic preservation and nature conservation were two powerful forces that went hand-in-hand in Wilhelmine Germany. During this period, a number of associations and clubs were founded to protect nature, especially in areas frequented by tourists and hikers. The Prussian Law of 1907 against the Deformation of Villages and Regions with Exceptional Landscapes underscores civil society’s role in influencing the politics of protecting natural landscapes and vernacular architecture.
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page 1 of 2 We, Wilhelm, by the grace of God, King of Prussia, etc., do hereby enact, with the approval of both houses of the Parliament of the Monarchy, the following: § 1. The approval of the building inspection authority for buildings and building modifications will not be granted if the streets or squares of the village in question or the overall appearance of the village would be grossly deformed. § 2. By means of a local ordinance, it can be prescribed that, for certain streets and squares with historical or artistic significance, the approval of the building inspection authority for buildings and building modifications will not be granted if the character of the village’s appearance or that of the streets would be adversely affected. Furthermore, it can be prescribed by means of a local ordinance that the approval of the building inspection authority for structural modifications to individual buildings of historical or artistic significance, and for the construction of buildings and architectural modifications in the vicinity of such buildings, will not be granted if their character or the impression they create would be adversely affected by this construction. If the construction, according to the architectural plan, would largely conform to the appearance of the surroundings of the construction site, and if the costs of the modifications demanded by the local ordinance, nonetheless, stood in no reasonable relationship to the costs carried by the builder for the proposed construction, then the local ordinance can be set aside. §3. By means of a local ordinance, it can be prescribed that the placement of advertising signs, inscriptions, and illustrations requires the approval of the building inspection authority. This approval can be denied under the same conditions whereby, according to §§ 1 and 2, approval [for buildings and building modifications] is denied. §4. By means of a local ordinance, construction in certain areas, like country house districts, bathing areas, and boulevards, can be regulated by special requirements, which may exceed the standard norms set by the building inspection authority. §5. In the case of §§ 2 and 4, an expert witness will be called before a judgment is reached regarding the local ordinance in question.
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