Soziale und kulturelle Dimensionen einer nachhaltigen Waldwirtschaft: Neue Chancen für die Forstgeschichte in Europa? | Social and cultural aspects of sustainable forest management: a chance for forest history in Europe?

Forests and other wooded land cover about 1000 million ha in Europe and thus represent a very characteristic element of the natural landscape. Multi-disciplinary research into the role of the social and cultural aspects of sustainable forest management is growing in importance, in particular with regard to the overall goal of sustainable development and the role of traditional forest-related knowledge. The need for such research was manifested in April 2003 by the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Vienna Resolutions at the Fourth Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe. There is therefore a need to provide society with historical information on a host of issues surrounding the forest, such as land use,changing social perceptions of and attitudes to woodlands and forests, wood culture, traditional woodland pasture and management,and historical experiences with woodland conservation and restoration. Forest historians can make a significant contribution to the on-going discussion in Europe with the results of scientific findings and empirical insights.