In this focus area, the diversity of heritage in cultural landscapes shall be examined. According to the definition of UNESCO, the concept of cultural landscapes embraces landscapes that have been designed and created intentionally by man for aesthetic reasons, landscapes that have organically evolved, as well as so-called “associative cultural landscapes.” One of the questions to be discussed is how urban landscapes are, or can be, integrated into this concept. Potential research topics in this regard also include (post-) industrial regions such as Lower Lusatia. It shall also be discussed which cultural practices shape landscapes in an especially lasting way. Additionally, the theoretical debate about the relationship between culture and nature will be further developed. One important issue in this regard are the cultural expressions, ways of life and needs of indigenous peoples living in World Heritage areas, a subject area that enables interesting interconnections with focus area 2, Intangible heritage. Generally, studies in focus area 4 will investigate the relationship between land use and biodiversity, and between cultural landscapes and cultural diversity. The studies are supposed to build on the international discussion, in the framework of UNESCO, that cultural landscapes should be put under special protection if they are particularly distinctive examples of one or another aspect of diversity. 

• Continuation of the theoretical debates on the relationship between nature and culture.
• Potentials and limitations of integrating urban landscapes into the concept of cultural landscapes.
• Scientific and theoretical foundations of the contemporary concept of cultural landscapes.
• The necessity and possibility of designating post-industrial landscapes (e.g. mining areas) as cultural landscapes.
• Ecological agriculture and (partial) renaturalization to support redesignation of agricultural landscapes as cultural landscapes.
• Research on the cultural dimensions of natural heritage.
• Research on the relation between land use and biodiversity.
• Research on the relation between cultural landscapes and cultural diversity.
• Research on the relation between sustainable use of cultural landscapes and tourism

Prof. Dr. jur. Eike Albrecht
Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Günter Bayerl
Prof. Dr. rer. pol. habil. Magdalena Mißler-Behr
Prof. Dr. phil. Thomas Raab
Prof. Dr. -Ing. Dr. h.c. Michael Schmidt
Prof. Dr. rer.-nat. habil. Wiegleb