monument

monument 2026

denkmal is Europe’s leading trade fair for Monument Preservation Management, restoration, and the renovation of older buildings. Every two years, national and international experts gather in Leipzig.

As usual, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences will be showcasing its latest projects in Monument Preservation Management at the denkmal Forum 2026, taking place November 5–7, 2026, in Hall 2:

Großes historisches Backsteingebäude mit steilem Satteldach, Zwerchhäusern und symmetrischem Fensteraufbau, vermutlich ein ehemaliges Schul- oder Verwaltungsgebäude. Vor dem Eingang steht ein roter Kleinwagen.

What can be done when there isn’t sufficient money to cover all the beautiful and important, historic and modern church buildings in Saxony-Anhalt? Who provides funding for what, and based on what criteria? And what will become of the buildings that fall through the cracks? These questions were posed during the summer semester of 2026 by a collaborative project between Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and the State Office for Monument Preservation Management and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt—in search of a matrix, an evaluation framework that is both well-founded and pragmatic.

Background

Nearly 2,400 churches and chapels are listed in Saxony-Anhalt’s register of historic monuments. Yet for many of them, there is a real fear that they will lose their traditional use, that they will be closed—or even torn down. This is because more and more people are moving away from rural areas, and there are fewer and fewer young people available to enter the ministry. With their dwindling financial resources and membership, dioceses and regional churches are increasingly forced to critically reassess their building stock.

Like almost no other group of historic buildings, churches bear witness to the historical, social, architectural, and artistic developments of past centuries. Many people identify with the churches in their villages and towns even beyond their denominational affiliation. As “third places,” they foster cultural, social, and democracy-building exchange—and, not least as “fourth places,” they invite people to experience a sense of meaning.

About the Outcomes

Through a project position during the summer semester of 2026, the collaborative project developed verifiable criteria: How can state funding be used in the best way for the preservation and restoration of churches in Saxony-Anhalt? To this end, students, experts, and interested parties were brought together for discussion in a seminar, a simulation workshop, and a symposium.

Using two model regions as a basis, an overview of the existing stock was created, which can be organized, evaluated, and expanded according to specific criteria. The project thus developed a framework for future scenarios. However, even during the research phase, it became clear that there is a great need for consultation on the part of church congregations. How this can be achieved and what possible support structures for endangered churches might look like will be further explored by both project partners.

Further information on the project

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Karin Berkemann

Verfallenes, mehrstöckiges Backsteingebäude mit vielen leeren, zerstörten Fensteröffnungen und fehlenden Türen, umgeben von einer leeren Straße und spärlicher Vegetation.

Subproject: Monument Preservation Management—New Approaches: Climate, Construction, and Monument Preservation Management!

Background: The city of Zeitz in southern Saxony-Anhalt has been undergoing profound structural change since the 1990s. The ZEKIWA Zeitz Real-World Laboratory (RZZ) addresses this as a forward-looking space for development and experimentation in sustainable transformation at the historic industrial site of the Zeitz Stroller Industry (Zekiwa). The former Zekiwa factory is a significant certificate of the city’s industrial past and, at the same time, a key building block for its future development. The goal of the real-world laboratory is to use this case study to demonstrate new approaches to dealing with existing built heritage and to identify exemplary solutions for resource-conserving, energy-efficient, and circular urban development. As part of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative, the city of Zeitz and its partners are working together to gradually revitalize the former industrial site. In addition to the city of Zeitz, the consortium includes Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, and the Rathenau Forum. The real-world laboratory combines research, education, planning, and practical implementation. It tests innovative approaches for revitalizing vacant industrial buildings and open spaces—with the goal of developing sustainable solutions that meet the requirements of climate protection, the circular economy, and historic preservation.

New Approaches: Climate, Construction, and Monument Preservation Management: The “Monument Preservation Management” subproject within the ZEKIWA Zeitz Real-World Laboratory examines how a contemporary approach to industrial heritage sites can be shaped and what new approaches are needed to reconcile climate protection, resource conservation, and historic preservation. The focus is on how existing buildings can be understood as valuable resources and, through sustainable transformation, preserved and further developed in the long term—also with regard to the general building stock.

Using the former Zekiwa Building 42 as a case study, processes related to historic preservation are being monitored and examined. In addition to coordinating with the local historic preservation authority and the State Office for Historic Preservation, material analyses were conducted and a building inventory was compiled. In addition, surveys and expert workshops will be used to gauge current public sentiment. The action plan for sustainable building maintenance to be developed will subsequently provide solutions for the sustainable management of industrial heritage sites and the existing building stock.

Contact:

Dr. Axel Schuhmann