Conceptions for European protected areas

Associated persons Christina Pichler-Koban, Michael Jungmeier
Clients Bristol Foundation
Regions Austria, Switzerland, Germany
Year 2012

The first European National Park was established about a hundred years ago. The research project attempts to analyze the historical and social context in which various protected areas in Europe were established. And it tries to understand the changes the underlying nature conservation concepts have been subjected to. Taking eight protected areas in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as examples, the parallels and differences in the development in German-speaking European countries will be examined. The aim of the study is to find answers to the questions of if and how the protected areas can meet the requirements stipulated by society, which topics will dominate the discourse on the protected areas in Europe in the next decades and how those responsible will deal with it all.