Monument protection and preservation
Around 155 monuments in Bocholt commemorate the history and different eras of the city.
Monuments characterise the image of our cities and cultural landscapes. Castles, churches, parks and cemeteries, technical buildings, workers' housing estates and manufacturers' villas make history tangible in our fast-moving everyday lives and tell vividly of times gone by. Many citizens are committed to preserving their environment, the built environment, as a valuable cultural asset. The Lower Monument Authority of the City of Bocholt is responsible for this as part of the Department of Urban Planning and Building Regulations.
City map with monuments
The Monument List Online shows the individual monuments of the city of Bocholt with detailed information in an overview map.
To display the information, click on the symbol shown on the map.
Monument protection
In the course of war destruction but also reconstruction, economic expansion and road construction, much of the historic building fabric was destroyed until the 1970s. A new perspective emerged when the belief in growth and progress was criticised and increasingly questioned. Urban renewal and regional development policies were reconsidered as a whole and the way was paved for sustainable urban renewal and responsible further development of historic urban and cultural landscapes. From then on, monument protection and preservation were no longer seen as an obstacle, but as an important building block for urban development, location-related attractiveness and landscape-specific distinctiveness. As the preservation of cultural heritage is in the interest of the public as a whole, the federal states enacted monument protection laws (the state of NRW on 11 March 1980). Administrative measures, state funding programmes and, last but not least, tax concessions have helped to sustainably promote the protection and preservation of monuments throughout Germany and raise their profile. As advocates of monuments, the monument authorities of the federal states and cities ensure that the heritage handed down to us is also passed on to future generations.
Due to the two-tier nature of the Monument Protection Act, the extensive activities are divided into the areas of monument protection and monument preservation. Monument protection includes the protection of architectural and ground monuments and movable monuments, the designation of monument areas and the maintenance of the list of monuments. Monument preservation includes all measures that arise after the legally binding entry in the list of monuments when dealing with a monument or archaeological monument, such as counselling, support, permits, subsidies and tax certificates.
The Lower Monument Authority is subordinate to the NRW Ministry of Building and Transport as the "Superior Monument Authority" and the Borken district as the "Obere Denkmalbehörde". The LWL - Denkmalpflege, Landschafts und Baukultur in Westfalen and the LWL - Archäologie für Westfalen - Außenstelle Münster) are available as expert authorities to provide advice.
Authorisations
For all structural alterations planned for a monument, a permit under monument law must be obtained in accordance with Section 9 of the NRW Monument Protection Act before work can begin. Permission is also required for the construction, alteration or removal of installations in the immediate vicinity of monuments if this affects the appearance of the monument. The application must be submitted to the Lower Monument Authority (City of Bocholt). Structural alterations include, for example, the painting of facades, new roofing, window replacement or conversions and extensions.
The monument preservation permit or authorisation is not the same as a building permit. Seek advice from the municipal building regulations department as to whether your building project requires a building application.
Contributions
Financial subsidies can be granted on application for all construction measures that serve to preserve the listed building. In addition to entry in the list of monuments and a licence under monument law, the availability of funds in the public budget is a prerequisite for funding. There is no legal entitlement to funding.
Funding is available from the municipalities, the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, as part of urban and village renewal programmes and various foundations.
The circular issued by the Ministry of Construction and Transport on 1 October 2013 - Guidelines for the Promotion of Investment Measures in Existing Buildings in NRW (RL - Bestandsinvest) changes the funding of listed buildings to a loan basis. The eligible costs must be at least 3,000 euros. The interest rate is set at 0.5% and the contribution to administrative costs at 0.5% of the loan amount. A one-off cost contribution of 0.4% of the loan amount is due on completion.
Tax certificates
Applications for tax relief can be submitted in writing to the Lower Monument Authority for all buildings that are listed or provisionally protected. The prerequisite is the timely coordination of the construction measures before the start of the work and submission of the application to the monument authority. The certificate in accordance with Section 36 of the NRW Monument Protection Act for obtaining tax concessions is issued by the Lower Monument Authority and is used for submission to the tax office.
Please note:
Please contact the tax office or your tax consultant directly if you have any tax-related questions.
Application for a tax certificate in accordance with § 36 DSchG
Counselling
The legislator in North Rhine-Westphalia has placed responsibility for the preservation and maintenance of monuments primarily "on site". The Lower Monument Authority (City of Bocholt) can therefore provide information, accept applications, issue authorisations and be the first point of contact for citizens for the many questions that arise in connection with the conservation, restoration or conversion of a monument. Make use of the information opportunities at an early stage and get in touch with your contact person.
Useful links
What you need
Requirements and necessary documents are
- A written application after a discussion meeting
- Explanation of the monument preservation measures and interventions in the fabric of the monument
- Cost estimates or quotations
- A licence in accordance with Section 9 of the NRW Monument Protection Act (DSchG NRW) from the Lower Monument Authority (City of Bocholt)
- The building must be a listed building within the meaning of the Monument Protection Act
Legal basis
Online services/forms/media
- Application for authorisation under monument law (online service)
- Application for the issue of a tax certificate according to § 36 DSchG
- Application for a licence in accordance with Section 9 of the Monument Protection Act
- Application for a grant - monument protection
- Working aid for dealing with historical monuments