Discover the cultural heritage of our forests!

Logo International Year of Forests 2011

In this day and age, forests fulfil a number of functions: They provide a habitat for many plants and animals. They supply wood, a renewable and environmentally friendly raw material. What is more, the forestry and timber industry employs more than 1.2 million people in Germany. At the same time, forests provide us with space for recreation and sports activities, covering an area of 11.1 million hectares.

The Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), the federal Länder, municipalities and more than 60 associations from the fields of nature conservancy, industry and society will stage joint events across the country to inform citizens about forests and the cultural heritage they constitute. The Federal President Christian Wulff has assumed the patronage of the international year of forests in Germany.

The activities and information events take citizens an exciting discovery tour based on the motto "Discover the cultural heritage of our forests". More specifically, they include several initiatives and events staged by these actors that demonstrate that forest and culture belong together.

What if there were no forest?

The official beginning of the International Year in Germany was on 21 March 2011, the World Forest Day. Federal Minister Aigner inaugurated the year with prominent guests during a festive event in Berlin. Numerous partners are organising events on their own at local and regional level that are intended to give us food for thought: "What if there were no forest?" A photo competition, which was launched simultaneously at www.wald2011.de, will encourage people to deal with the forest in a creative manner and to capture it with an unusual picture. The programme "Forest cultural heritage"

The programme for the "Cultural heritage of our forests" is at the heart of the International Year of Forests in Germany. 5000 events ranging from concerts to walks in the forest will allow people to discover the forest and forest culture across Germany.

The central event calendar at www.wald2011.de lists all activities and provides a convenient proximity search on the internet. Closing event: "Forest worlds" at the German Historical Museum

The year will be completed with a cultural history exhibition in the German Historical Museum in Berlin. Several exhibits will illustrate the forest’s cultural history under the heading "Forest worlds". The exhibition will be opened on 1 December 2011.