Approval of the Monument Authority for a Demolition

Hello everyone,

Yesterday, after requesting information on whether my house to be demolished is in any way protected as a monument, I received a response and I would simply like to ask for your assessment and help. I’m just going to post a few excerpts from the email:

hereby we inform you that the property xxxxx is located within the area of the local fortification of xxxxx, which is listed as a cultural monument in the register of cultural monuments of the independent city xxxxx. In your case, this monument protection refers to the ditch belonging to the local fortification and all other parts of the fortification that are visible above ground and preserved in the soil. In addition, the property is located in the surrounding area of the monument-protected simultaneous church xxxxx.

The demolition of buildings on your property requires approval. You can apply for a monument protection permit informally by email to our authority.

[…]

We would like to point out the following to you at this stage: Your property is an archaeological suspected site. Remains of the local fortification may have been preserved. The demolition work will be associated with earthworks. If archaeologically relevant finds are present in the ground, the State Archaeology must be given the opportunity, according to § 19 of the RLP Monument Protection Act, to recover and scientifically document them within an appropriate period. This may require an excavation. Since this can cause construction delays, all soil interventions must be coordinated in advance with the State Archaeology.

I am supposed to attach as many pictures as possible to my application for the permit. But how exactly should I phrase the letter? I would, of course, also like to express my point of view. The house is really not in a good condition. The ceiling height of just over 2 m and the room layout are no longer contemporary at all. In the bathroom, water leaks through the ceiling when it rains heavily. The house is currently vacant. I naturally do not want to pay an expert who would confirm from an economic perspective a new build instead of a comprehensive renovation, extension, and change of the room layout, which would probably involve much higher costs. Rather, I want it to be formulated as well as possible. Can someone give me tips? Has anyone gone through something like this and can share their experience?

Thank you very much

What exactly is your question? You can simply apply for the monument protection approval by email. For me, it would be exactly one sentence long including the property address. Everything else that can happen, you have received in writing and must adhere to.

You are allowed to demolish, as far as I understand. It can only happen that something archaeological is found during that or the new construction.

Informal application means writing plainly and without justification, requesting the demolition of the object (with exact address). In German, I read this as: You are allowed to demolish the house itself – except parts that belong to the city wall or its rampart – and you must expect that if you dig up a Roman cup, the scientists will first show up and the excavator will have to pause. The "simple language" has probably not yet arrived in all authorities.

Thank you for your responses. I have not yet received final approval. I am supposed to submit photos. In plain language:

Please attach the following photos to the application along with your contact details:
- Photos of xxxxx Street from the west and from the east, your property must be visible,
- Photo of your property’s front view from the street (showing all building parts),
- Photo of your property from the garden side, either from the north-located service path or from the northernmost point of your garden,
- Additional photos of the buildings from the outside, of everything that is to be demolished.

From which period does your building date? Does it have a basement? If yes, please also send us photos of your basement.

The more information you provide us and the more detailed your photo documentation is, the better we can process your application.

It doesn’t seem to me that it will be approved that easily after all, and I would therefore like to briefly explain my point of view. Doesn’t that make sense?

It doesn't seem to me that this will be approved so easily, and that's why I would like to briefly explain my point of view. Doesn't that make sense?

No. Write a one-liner and attach photos. Then you will get your approval. And don't "assume" so much.