Petition: Revoke the planned cuts in federal state funding for archaeology and the preservation of historic buildings and monuments!

Original German title: "Angekündigte Streichung der Landeszuschüsse für die Archäologie und Denkmalpflege zurücknehmen!"

From: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte e.V. (Kerpen-Loogh)

To: The Government and Parliament of North-Rhine Westphalia



To the Government of North-Rhine Westphalia: Revoke the planned cuts in federal state funding for archaeology and the preservation of historic buildings and monuments!



What is going to happen?

The State of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) wants to stop funding archaeology completely by 2015 and has already made drastic funding cuts for 2013.



How has archaeology been funded until now?

In NRW archaeology / the preservation of archaeological heritage sites is funded by the two big local authorities in the Rhineland (LVR) and Westphalia (LWL), and the city of Cologne takes care of its own area. To date, half the costs for the excavations and the subsequent maintenance have been borne by the local funding providers (LVR, LWL and the city of Cologne), the other half by the State of NRW. North-Rhine Westphalia has previously provided just under 12 million euros of funding per year.



What’s at issue here?

The new Government in NRW unexpectedly made drastic cuts to this federal state funding for 2013, reducing it to 10 million euros. In 2014 only 3.3 million euros will be available, and in 2015 the State of NRW wants to withdraw completely from the co-funding of archaeology. It goes without saying that it is impossible for the local authorities and the city of Cologne to compensate for these cuts. For many sites of archaeological interest this means undocumented destruction, because there is no money for the necessary salvage excavations and their documentation. The local authorities will not have the money to conserve and restore the finds properly. At best the finds and excavation files will disappear into the archives, because there will be no money to prepare the findings for the public and put them on display in museums. It will also be impossible to continue the renovation of many listed buildings, the historical architectural fabric in many cities would be endangered.



Our cultural heritage is at risk

The protection and preservation of cultural artefacts is the responsibility of society as a whole, it is a statutory duty. The State therefore has a special duty of care. In our federal system it is the federal states which bear this responsibility. Transferring responsibilities from federal state to local authority level, without at the same time providing the necessary funding, is irresponsible. But how credible is a “public interest” when a federal state government no longer wants to spend a single cent on it? The most populous state in Germany with considerable economic power, numerous building projects and dynamic development is sending a disastrous signal if it sneaks away from its responsibility to preserve and protect its archaeological heritage sites. The archaeological archive under our feet bears witness to the history and culture we share, it is a valuable community asset. In NRW it is a location factor with economic relevance via the museums, tourism and as part of the identity and quality of life.



This is because cuts would have dramatic consequences

Scientists and cultural experts all over Germany speak with one voice: all leading archaeologists in NRW have pointed out the dramatic consequences of the planned cuts. The Association of Federal State Archaeologists of the Federal Republic of Germany requests that the cuts be revoked. Bernd Neumann, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, called the cuts a “declaration of bankruptcy for the cultural policy”. Gudrun Kopp, MP from East-Westphalia-Lippe and Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, says: “This would be the end for the preservation of historic buildings and monuments and a crime against the history of our region.”



The petition of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte e. V. (DGUF)

We request that the Government of NRW revokes the funding cuts for archaeology and the preservation of historic buildings and monuments which have already been implemented for 2013 and are planned for the future. We appeal to all parliamentary groups and Members of the NRW State Parliament to shoulder their responsibility and correct the course of the Federal State Government. We request that the politicians in the NRW Parliament sit down again with the experts – including the DGUF - and make use of their specialist advice to consider better alternatives.



We ask those of you who are committed to North-Rhine Westphalia and interested in its history and culture to express your support for this petition by adding your signature!



signed the DGUF (for the Management Board and the Advisory Council: Rengert Elburg, Diane Scherzler M.A., Dr. Erich Claßen, Dr. Frank Siegmund, Dr. Gerhard Ermischer)



Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte e.V. (DGUF) is Germany’s largest national association working in the field of primeval and early history which brings together both people interested in archaeology and scientists.



On behalf of all the signatories



Kerpen-Loogh, 24 March 2013 (active until 23 June 2013)