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Germany has been a State Party to the World Heritage Convention since 1976. With 55 inscribed properties, it is among the leading countries worldwide in terms of World Heritage Sites. Germany ranks 4th worldwide and 3rd in Europe by number of World Heritage Sites. The majority of its sites are cultural properties, reflecting a strong emphasis on historical and architectural heritage. Some of these properties are shared with neighboring countries, demonstrating cooperation across borders in heritage conservation.

Germany as a State Party to the World Heritage Convention

State Party since: August 23, 1976

Status: Ratification

Mandates to the World Heritage Committee: 1976-1978, 1980-1987, 1991-1997, 2011-2015

Total of Mandate Years: 19

Total of Mandates: 4

WHC Electoral Group: I (Western Europe/North America)

World Heritage Sites in Germany (55)

Cultural: 52 | Natural: 3 | Mixed: 0

Map of World Heritage Sites

This interactive map shows the location of all UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany.

World Heritage Inscription Timeline

1978
Aachen Cathedral
1981
Speyer Cathedral
1981
Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square
1983
Pilgrimage Church of Wies
1984
Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl
1985
St Mary's Cathedral and St Michael's Church at Hildesheim
1986
Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier
1987
Frontiers of the Roman Empire
1987
Hanseatic City of Lübeck
1990
Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
1991
Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch
1992
Mines of Rammelsberg, Historic Town of Goslar and Upper Harz Water Management System
1993
Maulbronn Monastery Complex
1993
Town of Bamberg
1994
Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg
1994
Völklingen Ironworks
1995
Messel Pit Fossil Site
1996
Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau
1996
Cologne Cathedral
1996
Luther Memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg
1998
Classical Weimar
1999
Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin
1999
Wartburg Castle
2000
Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz
2000
Monastic Island of Reichenau
2001
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen
2002
Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar
2002
Upper Middle Rhine Valley
2004
Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski
2004
Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen
2006
Old town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof
2007
Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe
2008
Berlin Modernism Housing Estates
2009
Wadden Sea
2011
Fagus Factory in Alfeld
2011
Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps
2012
Margravial Opera House Bayreuth
2013
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
2014
Carolingian Westwork and Civitas Corvey
2015
Moravian Church Settlements
2015
Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus
2016
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement
2017
Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura
2018
Archaeological Border complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke
2018
Naumburg Cathedral
2019
Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region
2019
Water Management System of Augsburg
2021
Frontiers of the Roman Empire – The Danube Limes (Western Segment)
2021
Frontiers of the Roman Empire – The Lower German Limes
2021
Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt
2021
ShUM Sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz
2021
The Great Spa Towns of Europe
2023
Jewish-Medieval Heritage of Erfurt
2024
Schwerin Residence Ensemble
2025
The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee

Tentative World Heritage Sites (11)

  • European Paper Mills (from the era of hand-made paper) · submitted: April 15, 2024
  • Torgau Castle Chapel · submitted: January 29, 2024
  • Green Belt · submitted: January 29, 2024
  • Olympic Park Munich · submitted: January 29, 2024
  • Pretzien Weir · submitted: January 29, 2024
  • Site of the Schöningen Spears – Humans and hunting 300,000 years ago · submitted: January 29, 2024
  • The Television Tower Stuttgart. Archetype and symbol of modern mass communication · submitted: January 29, 2024
  • Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf - extension of the WHS "Berlin Modernism Housing Estates" · submitted: January 29, 2024
  • The Jewish Cemetery of Altona Königstraße. Sephardic Sepulchral Culture of the 17th and 18th century between Europe and the Caribbean · submitted: January 15, 2015
  • Alpine and pre-alpine meadow and marsh landscapes (historic anthropogenic landscapes in the area of “Werdenfelser Land”, “Ammergau”, “Staffelseegebiet” and “Murnauer Moos”, district Garmisch-Partenkirchen) · submitted: January 15, 2015
  • Francke Foundation Buildings · submitted: September 20, 1999

Source: UNESCO Tentative Lists

Country Profile Germany

Official Name: Federal Republic of Germany

Continent: Europe

Subregion: Western Europe

UNESCO Region: Europe and North America

Capital: Berlin

Population (2024): 83,510,950

Land Area: 349,390 km²

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Country Data Sources

About States Parties

States Parties are countries that have joined the World Heritage Convention. They commit to identifying, nominating, and protecting properties of outstanding cultural or natural value on their territory. States Parties are also expected to monitor and report on the condition of inscribed sites.

World Heritage Insights

How Politics and Institutions Shape the UNESCO World Heritage List

The UNESCO World Heritage List is usually seen as a catalogue of the world’s most important cultural and natural places. Yet behind every inscription there is a structured decision process: countries must first join the Convention, run for a seat on the World Heritage Committee, prepare nominations through a fixed procedure, and finally obtain enough votes for inscription.

World Heritage Info

Background

Learn about UNESCO, the World Heritage Convention, Tentative Lists, and how World Heritage Sites are selected and preserved. Explore the history, structures, and processes that protect humanity’s cultural and natural treasures.

Last updated: August 6, 2026

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