historic preservation
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historic preservation
The totality of measures and laws for protecting and preserving cultural monuments such as old buildings, statues, or historic sites.
Das alte Rathaus steht unter Denkmalschutz und darf nicht einfach umgebaut werden.
The old town hall is under historic preservation protection and may not simply be renovated.
The word is made up of 'Denkmal' (monument) and 'Schutz' (protection). A 'Denkmal' is literally a 'mark for thinking', meaning a sign of remembrance. 'Denkmalschutz' (historic preservation) is therefore the protection of these signs of remembrance.
Ohne den Denkmalschutz wären viele historische Gebäude bereits abgerissen worden.
Without historic preservation, many historic buildings would already have been demolished.
A very common and important phrase is 'unter Denkmalschutz stehen' (to be listed / to be under historic preservation protection). It describes the state of a building or object being legally protected.
Die alte Brücke steht seit 1980 unter Denkmalschutz.
The old bridge has been listed since 1980.
Besides 'stehen' (to stand), the verb 'stellen' (to place / put) is often used. 'Etwas unter Denkmalschutz stellen' (to place something under historic preservation protection) is the active process in which an authority officially decides to protect an object.
Die Stadt will das historische Fabrikgebäude unter Denkmalschutz stellen lassen.
The city wants to have the historic factory building placed under historic preservation protection.
restoration
'der Denkmalschutz' and 'die Restaurierung' can both be important for old buildings, works of art, or historic places. But they do not mean the same thing. 'Denkmalschutz' describes the rules, measures, and laws that preserve a monument and protect it from inappropriate changes. 'Restaurierung' is the concrete work in which a damaged or old object is restored. The words can be confused because restoration often happens under historic preservation rules. Remember: Denkmalschutz says what must be protected; Restaurierung describes what is practically repaired or restored.
Das alte Rathaus steht unter Denkmalschutz und darf nicht einfach umgebaut werden.
The old town hall is under historic preservation protection and may not simply be remodeled.
Die Restaurierung der Kirche dauerte fast zwei Jahre.
The restoration of the church took almost two years.