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Bund Heimat und Umwelt e.V. (BHU)

Since its foundation in 1904 the Bund Heimat und Umwelt (BHU) advocates the cause of cultural landscapes and the people who form part of these landscapes. The projects are concerned with a whole range of issues from the conservation of environment, nature, historic monuments and sites to the protection of regional languages and traditional customs – briefly, with the safe-guarding of all elements basic for cultural landscapes. This demands a holistic thematic approach. Besides the conservation of already existing structures in cultural landscapes an important basic goal is the involvement of the local population in the development of their environment. The BHU supports activities in this field as a provider of ideas, project partner and mediator between different groups.

The association is the umbrella organisation of the local history and citizen societies in the Federal Republic of Germany and represents half a million people who commit themselves to conservation causes.

The guiding principle of Bund Heimat und Umwelt (BHU) is to make a contribution to the conservation of basic resources in Germany which are indispensable for the livelihood of the people. A key goal for the association is to secure a basis for a habitable environment. For this, measures considered as vital are the conservation and managing of cultural landscapes and the reinforcement of regional identities. These will provide a basis for places people can and want to call their home. A holistic thematic approach is necessary for sustainable projects. Therefore, the protection scheme considers the environment, the cultural landscape, historic monuments, languages and traditional customs.

For over 100 years, since the time of its foundation, the work of the BHU has been dedicated to these activities and the association has remained true to these basic goals.

On that note the BHU repeatedly took a stand in public discussions. The first one was its foundation in 1904, and the most recent one was the project of founding the German Forum for Cultural Landscape (Deutsches Forum für Kulturlandschaft).

A variety of activities is run in order to fulfill our manifold tasks. An annual report informs of these projects. Activities are always developed in close cooperation with partner associations which give their support in many ways.

The Bund Heimat und Umwelt is - according to art. 59 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act - an approved environmental organisation. As an umbrella organisation it represents half a million people who commit themselves to conservation causes. Their work is organised in the regional associations.

The work is financed by membership fees, subsidies for projects and donations.