Monument protection; counselling for monument owners

If you wish to, or are required to, carry out work on a listed building, you will need to resolve issues of a technical, legal and financial nature.

The heritage authorities, in particular the local heritage protection authorities (district offices, independent cities and major district towns) and the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, are responsible for providing you with comprehensive advice. This advice is not limited to technical matters (e.g. specific restoration methods), but also covers permit or planning permission procedures and all questions relating to funding through public grants or loans, or through tax incentives.

Advice from the heritage authorities should, where appropriate, be provided on site, i.e. at or within the listed building. The so-called ‘consultation days’ organised by the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments have proved very effective for the conservation of historic buildings:

On specific days, advisers from the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments visit a district or an independent city for which they are responsible and, together with staff from the local heritage protection authority, visit those monument owners who have requested advice or where specific measures are due to be carried out or are currently underway. Depending on the circumstances of each individual case, however, on-site inspections outside of consultation days or meetings at the headquarters of the local heritage protection authority or at the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments may also be arranged. For archaeological sites, a meeting will be arranged as required. In all

cases, please always contact your local heritage protection authority first; they will coordinate the appointments with the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments. They will inform you in good time which documents you should bring to your consultation appointment.