Preparedness Networks for Cultural Property Protection in Germany

Over the last 20 years about 70 preparedness networks have been founded in different cities and regions in Germany to work together in the protection of cultural heritage and emergency preparedness. The number is still growing.

Members of museums, archives, libraries and other collection institutions agreed on helping each other in emergency events (e. g. expertise, helping hands, storage, materials), to collaboratively prepare emergency plans and to organise trainings for emergency situations.

Once a year members of these networks meet in one of the cities to exchange on cultural heritage protection topics, to strengthen the networks, and to demonstrate their work and materials. Interested institutions in other cities are given advice how to establish a network in their hometown.

Since the work of the preparedness networks has shown as being very efficient, the other German speaking countries Austria and Switzerland have implemented these networks in their own system of cultural heritage protection.

KEYWORDS: preparedness, networks, cultural heritage. In PROCULTHER-NET 2 Project. Technical Bulletin N. 3, July 2024, pp 42-46