Cite this as: Malliaris, M. 2025 Practical Heritage Conservation in Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia: Legal Framework and a Practical Example from the Church Square of St Stephanus in Beckum, District of Warendorf (Westphalia), Internet Archaeology 70. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.70.8
The regional authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia supervise the legal application of monument law, with a hierarchical structure comprising supreme, higher and lower monument heritage authorities. The supreme monument heritage authorities form part of the Ministry for Regional Identity and are responsible for the implementation of the Monument Protection Act. Higher authorities supervise the lower monument heritage authorities at the municipal level, while urban archaeology units act as executive bodies for these lower authorities in historically significant cities. The current Monument Protection Act, enacted on 13 April 2022, outlines the responsibilities for preserving monuments in the region.
As the example of the excavation at the St Stephanus church square in Beckum, Warendorf district (Germany) shows, the organisation of monument heritage management in North Rhine-Westphalia ensures effective oversight and implementation of the Monument Protection Act. Increased construction activities, particularly related to energy projects, pose challenges to heritage conservation, necessitating improved communication and collaboration between the various authorities and stakeholders. The experiences in Beckum emphasise the importance of balancing urban development with the preservation of cultural heritage by smart, communicative and persistent heritage management.
Corresponding author: Michael Malliaris
Michael.Malliaris@lwl.org
Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) - Archäologie für Westfalen
Figure 1: An aerial view of the church of St Stephanus in Beckum, Germany, before renovation. The green lawn is the church square; on the left is the market square. Copyright: Heimat- und Geschichtsverein Beckum.
Figure 2: Administrative units and districts in North Rhine–Westphalia. Rhineland: Düsseldorf and Cologne; Westphalia: Arnsberg, Detmold, Münster. Copyright: Bezirksregierung Düsseldorf.
Figure 3: A drainage ditch through the church square north of St Stephanus, which cut numerous stone slab graves. Copyright: LWL-AfW, A. Wunschel.
Figure 4: An exposed burial in a stone slab grave in a trench in the church square of St Stephanus. Copyright: LWL-AfW, A. Wunschel.
Figure 5: The almost completed St Stephanus Church Square, with upgraded substructure and extended paving. Copyright: LWL-AfW, A. Wunschel.
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