Monument protection – A monument protection is a legally defined protection of a building, which is awarded based on certain criteria. These are besides the age, the architecture or the historical significance. From when a property is listed, is sometimes not directly comprehensible, so they should always inquire as a buyer of a potentially listed house in advance at the building authority about the respective status. Should they become the new owner of the property, they should be aware that they will need to have any structural alterations or renovations checked and approved. Listed building status comes with obligations, such as maintaining the monument or building. They take on these obligations as soon as they buy the property. However, they should also bear in mind that they can apply for a grant from the KFW or the German Foundation for Monument Protection for the maintenance of the listed property. The maintenance is in any case controlled by the competent monument protection authority. The preservation order can only be lifted if you can provide the authority with good reasons why the property is no longer worth preserving. The exact criteria for monument protection vary from federal state to federal state. In NRW, for example, the requirements are different from those in Bavaria or Saxony. If you want to inform English buyers about the monument protection of a property, it is helpful to know that monument protection means “preservation order” in English.
Historic preservation at a glance
Legal protection of a building
Preservation of historical monuments obliges maintenance
