NATURE 



73 



THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 24, 1904. 



AM T LR DEN KM A LER. 



Die Gefdhrdung der Naturdenkindler mid Vorschldge 



2i( ihrer Erhaltung. By H. Conwentz. Pp. xii4- 



207. (Berlin : Borntraeger, 1904.) Price 2 marks. 



RE.\DERS may naturally ask, " What is a Natur- 

 denkmal? " and, since the word is a com- 

 paratively new one to the German vocabulary, necessi- 

 tating its elucidation by the author even for German 

 readers, it may not be out of place if we explain its 

 meaning, as near as possible, in his own words. The 

 usual meaning of " Denkmal " to the German mind 

 suggests a monument or memorial to commemorate 

 some famous personage or victory (for example, 

 Goethe-Denkmal, Sieges-Denkmal). But in addition 

 to this the title is often applied to outstanding works 

 in science, literature, music, &c. Further, the remains 

 of ancient buildings or works of art of whatever kind 

 which have a historical, technical, or educative value, 

 arc spoken of as Bau- and Kunst-Denkmiiler. Also 

 thi- term is applied to prehistoric remains, such as lake- 

 dwellings, burying mounds, urns, tools and weapons 

 of stone or metal ; however, the author points out that 

 all those Denkmaler are of artificial origin, that is, the 

 result of man's work and ingenuity. The term Natur- 

 denkmal has a wider application, and includes certain 

 results of nature's handiwork, for example, the 

 elaborately carved stone obelisk is a Denkmal of recent 

 times, and the rough stone-block, erected by the hand 

 of man to commemorate the dead, forms a prehistoric 

 Denkmal ; while the Glacial boulder, carried from afar 

 in a former epoch and deposited on the plain by natural 

 forces, forms a Denkmal of nature, or as the artificially 

 built up cairn and rampart wall of a former age may 

 form prehistoric Denkmaler, so the hill and mountain 

 range, formed without man's intervention, are Denk- 

 maler of nature. 



Also the whole natural landscape, with its various 

 soil formations, with its water courses and lakes, with 

 its special plant and animal communities, as well as 

 single rare species and individuals of the original flora 

 and fauna, represent " Naturdenkmaler. " Although 

 only virgin lands, together with their plants and 

 animals undisturbed by man, should come within the 

 strict sense of the term, still we must here and there 

 allow a certain latitude in its application, because un- 

 disturbed localities are scarcely to be found in many 

 of the modern cultured States. For example, any 

 striking feature in the landscape, even if it is a 

 deserted valley or village, must not be struck off the 

 list. Also a natural forest growth which, by self- 

 seeding, has followed the destruction of the original 

 forest by man, must also be reckoned a Naturdenkmal. 

 On the other hand, artificially planted trees, such as 

 are found in many villages, avenues, and parks, no 

 matter how interesting they may be, cannot be re- 

 garded in the strict sense of the term as Naturdenk- 

 miiler. In many cases the local conditions must be 

 taken into account in reckoning any natural pheno- 

 menon as a Denkmal, for example, a part of the forest 

 which has remained unexploited by man (virgin forest) 

 NO. 1830, VOL. 71] 



or the still living representatives of a disappearing 

 species of plant or animal, is universally regarded as 

 a Naturdenkmal ; but in other cases, according to the 

 country and locality, we find certain exceptions, for 

 example, in north Germany the traces of glaciers on 

 the rocks are among the greatest rarities, and must, 

 therefore, be regarded as Naturdenkmaler. But on the 

 coast of Scandinavia their occurrence in places is so 

 frequent that there they are no longer Naturdenkmaler. 

 In like manner the Cornel {Cornus Suecica) occurs in 

 a few localities in north-west Germany, and in the 

 east it is only found in one place, hence here it is a 

 Naturdenkmal; but in north Russia, Finland, Sweden, 

 &c., its occurrence is frequent over large areas, hence 

 there it is no longer a Naturdenkmal. Similar 

 examples may be given for many other plants and 

 birds. From the foregoing it will be seen that a 

 number of different factors determine whether a 

 natural object can be reckoned a Naturdenkmal or not, 

 and a decision can only be come to by taking the 

 surrounding conditions in each case into account. 



The dangers which threaten those natural curiosities 

 and rarities are many, and the author devotes almost 

 one-half of the above memorial to an enumeration of 

 many cases where, through ignorance, indifference, or 

 natural causes, many unique Naturdenkmaler have 

 been considerably damaged, if not entirely destroyed. 

 As an example of the damage which may be done 

 through ignorance or indifference, the author points 

 out the way in which the most beautiful parts of the 

 forests, within reachable distance from Berlin, are 

 often rendered anything but attractive by the traces 

 which trippers and picnic parties so commonly leave 

 behind them. Frequently, also, the most beautiful 

 spots are disfigured by unsuitable and unattractive 

 buildings, principally for the accommodation of 

 visitors. The author also complains that many of the 

 most picturesque hill-tops are disfigured by monuments 

 and towers which are entirely out of harmony with 

 their beautiful, natural surroundings. Then, again, 

 the landscape is subjected to considerable disfiguration 

 by the many devices employed by the advertising agent. 

 Those in high authority are themselves not always 

 free from blame. In one of the German Federated 

 States it was at one time proposed that, in order to 

 preserve the banks and channels of the water-courses, 

 all trees and shrubs should be removed from the sides 

 of brooks and streams. This movement was, how- 

 ever, hapoily frustrated, otherwise not only the 

 aesthetic features of the landscape would have been 

 entirely destroyed, but also many plant and animal 

 communities would also have disappeared. 



The author then brings a long list of charges against 

 tourists and visitors, showing how in many places 

 characteristic plants of the coast and mountains have 

 been almost entirely rooted out. The so-called sports- 

 man, too, is responsible for the wanton destruction of 

 many song-birds in certain parts of the Continent, 

 especially Italy. The author further mentions the 

 extremely regrettable manner in which the reindeer, 

 now confined to Spitsbergen, Nova Zembla, Greenland, 

 Siberia, &c. , is systematically hunted and wantonly 

 destroyed in the name of sport. Two cases are 

 mentioned where well educated people in high posi- 



