Cultural and historical landscape elements

With the beginning of agriculture and animal breeding, around 6,000 BC, the landscape changed from a natural to a cultural one. With clearing, mowing, drainage, etc., mankind began to change nature according to their needs. By doing so, they left behind traces: sunken paths, lime trees, terraced fields and others. These cultural and historical landscape elements have made our landscape to what it is today and provide information about everyday life of earlier generations. If a landscape is characterized by such traces, we speak of a historical cultural landscape.

Not listed, but of cultural and historical value

Cultural and historical landscape elements are objects that are not yet listed, but nevertheless are of historical and cultural value. More important than their age is whether the cultural and historical landscape elements originate from a former historical period. The same applies to the question of whether they could still be created in this way today. For example, the German-German border installations are also cultural and historical landscape elements, although they originate from modern times.

Several cultural and historical landscape elements that are related, such as a mill with mill ditch, mill pond and weir (see illustration) can form ensembles.

• Ice cellar near Groß-Gerau (Photo: Christian Wiegand)

• Example of a cultural and historical landscape ensemble