Upper German-Raetian Limes
Enhancing the value of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Upper German-Raetian Limes' through landscape management
Background
The Upper German-Raetian Limes of the Roman Empire is Germanys largest and best known ancient monument. The artificial, linear border and the watchtowers and forts symbolise the Roman era in Europe between the first and the third century after Christ. Its singularity and its cultural importance led to its incorporation to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005, Germany's 31st cultural heritage site.
The Limes management plan emphasises a strong union between the monument and the landscape and the connections and interactions between nature conservation, agriculture and forestry. Against this backdrop, our institute was called upon to submit proposals for the management of this important heritage site.
Objective
The objective of the project is,
- to make tangible the atmosphere of the Limes and its associated military infrastructure by means of a consistent design oriented according to the historic and the landscape phenomena,
- to reveal synergies between heritage protection, nature conservation and landscape management based on the example of the proposed design and management measures,
- to draft a guideline ensuring the lasting care of the design elements introduced.
Methods
The project will combine methods from the disciplines
- historical geography(evaluation of primary and secondary sources, mapping of historical landscape elements),
- remote sensing (evaluation and interpretation of aerial photos, laser scanned images, data processing in the geographic information system software ArcGIS),
- landscape ecology (landscape structure and vegetation mapping),
- landscape design (e.g., creation of vista observation points, sowing, planting and forest conversion procedures) and
- social sciences (stakeholder participation, surveys).
Research sites
The research will be carried out in the German federal states Baden-Württemberg, Bayern and Hessen. The current focus of the project in Baden-Württemberg is on selected Limes segments near Walldürn, Osterburken, Mainhardt, Lorch, Schwäbisch-Gmünd and Aalen. The selection of suitable sites in Bayern and Hessen will take place in spring 2007.
Information about current results
Presentation within the framework of the final conference of the project "Frontiers of the Roman Empire" on May 28th, 2008 (800 KB)
July 2006 - Juni 2008
Prof. Dr. Werner Konold
Dr. Franz Höchtl, Dipl. Ing. (FH) Patrick Pauli
Deutsche Limeskommission, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege beim Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart