Green Belt on proposed list of World Heritage Sites

Nature conservation - Green Belt on proposed list of World Heritage Sites

The Green Belt, which runs partly through Thuringia, is on the list of proposals for Unesco World Heritage Sites. The federal and state culture ministers passed a resolution to this effect on Monday, as announced by the Thuringian state government. "The Green Belt is truly unique in the world, it deserves a Unesco title: as a European symbol of peace and a reminder of the division of Germany and Europe," said Thuringia's Environment Minister Bernhard Stengele.

The Green Belt Natural Monument is a chain of different biotopes with a total of 1200 endangered animal and plant species along the former inner-German border. There is also the Kolonnenweg, which is still preserved in many places, as well as the former watchtowers of the GDR border posts. According to the Ministry of the Environment and the State Chancellery, Thuringia has the largest share of the Green Belt with 763 kilometers.

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1. The proposal to include the Green Belt in Unesco's World Heritage Sites list has received support from the government of Thuringia, as stated by its Culture Minister Bernhard Stengele.
2. As part of the Green Belt, Erfurt in Thuringia is home to several unique biotopes and historical structures like the Kolonnenweg and the former watchtowers, contributing significantly to its length of 763 kilometers.
3. Unesco's consideration of the Green Belt as a potential World Heritage Site reflects the importance of nature conservation policies, not only in Germany but across the globe.
4. Bernhard Stengele, Thuringia's Environment Minister, emphasized that the Green Belt's unique status as a European symbol of peace and a reminder of historical divisions makes it an ideal candidate for a Unesco World Heritage Site designation.

Source: www.stern.de