The term »cultural landscapes« describes the surroundings mankind has influenced, in both urban and rural contexts. Cultural landscapes are the result of centuries of interaction between nature, economy, agriculture and society. They can seldom be described accurately on maps, which makes it hard to draw official boundaries.
In 2001 the Foundation decided to place more focus on the topic of cultural landscapes, both in project funding and in its own operative division. A first big step was taken in the following year with the hearing »Recognizing and Developing Our Cultural Landscapes«, conducted in cooperation with the Parliament of Lower Saxony. In early 2003, the documentation of the hearing was published as Volume 51 in the Parliament's series of publications. The German-language paperback can be ordered from the Parliament or from the Foundation.
In the course of 2003, the Foundation began concept development in two areas: aprogram for curriculum development on the topic of cultural landscapes for the public schools (together with the State Board of Education and the Heritage Association), and the publication of a German-English bilingual volume of text and photography dealing with »Lower Saxony - The Making of a Landscape« (in cooperation with Hansjörg Küster and Wolfgang Volz, at the zu Klampen publishing house). In 2005, the »neuland« prize for landscape art was launched, focusing on the aesthetic aspect of cultural landscape development.
The Foundation has in the meantime also funded projects focusing on cultural landscapes. Some representative examples include:
- »Garden Horizons« - a survey of historical gardens and parks in the Lüneburg region (2001-2005)
- »What We Know about Cultural Landscapes« - a data collection project, University of Hannover and the Homelands Society of Lower Saxony (since 2003)
- »Beauty in Abundance - the Garden Landscape of the Harz« - an exhibition project (2002/3)
- »One Earth for Us All - Geological Sciences and Philosophy in Dialogue« (2002)
- Symposion »City – Garden – Art« to the historical role of Garden Art and contemporary tendencies and possibilities. Hold in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gartenkunst und Landschaftskultur (DGGL) and the Centre of Garden Art and Landscape Architecture (CGL)
With its own programs and with project funding, the Foundation aims to focus public attention on our cultural landscapes and thus make a contribution – also from an aesthetic point of view – to their development.