Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden - Comparing Environmental Policies in 16 Countries - page 57

region, engineers dumped untreated waste into its tributary, the Emscher,
described as “the river of hell.” 5
Many people had established local groups, known as Heimatschutz:
protectors of the homeland. In 1903 they organized a national federa-
tion, with a scope extending beyond nature to architecture, art, handi-
crafts, folk clothing, and more. Almost immediately, the federation tried
to prevent a dam from being constructed on the Rhine in south Baden.
Although unsuccessful, its intervention brought favorable publicity
and more members. Members agitated for a law to protect townscapes
and landscapes. When promulgated in 1907, the regulations required
the city government to consult with local experts, in other words, the
Heimatschutz. This semi-official role was an impetus for expansion and
attracted new members. The federation also forged links with similar
groups in France, the Netherlands and Austria. 6
Bird lovers organized nationally as early as 1875. In cooperation with
societies for botany, gardening, and animal protection, they lobbied suc-
cessfully for the first law to protect birds. In 1899 Lina Hahnle led in
establishing the League for Bird Protection. Its membership climbed from
6,000 to 41,000 in 12 years. The league sold birdhouses, purchased refuges,
educated children, and lobbied for laws and international treaties. Inspired
by the American examples of Yellowstone and Yosemite, the Nature Park
Society agitated to preserve the Luneburg Heath, a unique region of
heather and scrub vegetation in Lower Saxony. In Bavaria, the Isar Valley
Society agitated to protect the river from industry and urban sprawl. One
technique was to purchase land along the banks. A second was to lobby
government to promulgate regulations and to discourage industrializa-
tion. The society managed to block a proposed hydroelectric dam. 7
The outbreak of World War I crippled the nature movement for years.
During the war, fighting took priority, and after the Armistice, Germany
was impoverished. Millions of men had been killed. The Weimar Republic,
established to replace the Empire, had more pressing needs. Then the
hyper-inflation began that sapped the economy, and plunged it into
depression. Group membership was down greatly. The government did not
respond to calls for legislation. On the positive side, the Weimar constitu-
tion actually had a provision to protect nature. Section 150 said “Artistic,
historical and natural monuments and the landscape enjoy state protection
and care.” 8 Yet this remained an empty promise, as the government did not
implement it.