Statutes (excerpt)

§ 2
Objects, Public Benefit and Activities

(1) The Association pursues objects for the public benefit exclusively and directly within the meaning of the section "Tax-privileged purposes" of the German Fiscal Code. The Association's objects are to advance the protection of tangible and intangible cultural property in the event of conflicts, natural disasters and large-scale emergencies and to advance art and culture, and education, as well as science and research in the field of national and international cultural property protection on the basis of international law, in particular the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954 ("The Hague Convention"), as amended, see the Act of 11 April 1967 on the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 14 May 1954 [German Federal Law Gazette (BGBl.) 1967 II p. 1233 and 1971 II p. 1025], last amended by Art. 4 of the Act of 27 April 2004 [BGBl. I p. 630]) and its Protocols. To this end, the Association is actively committed on various levels to the protection of tangible and intangible cultural property in the event of armed conflicts, natural and environmental disasters, and large-scale emergencies. It respects the principles (joint action, independence, neutrality, professionalism, respect for cultural identity, work on a non-profit basis) of the Strasbourg Charter of the International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS) of 14 April 2000 (adopted by the ICBS on 8 June 2001) and is guided by the international umbrella association Blue Shield (International) - hereinafter "the BS(I)" - in the undertaking of its tasks.

(2) The Association observes the rights and duties set forth in the BS(I) Statutes, as amended. The Association and its Members recognise the BS(I) Statutes, as amended, and the principles, mission and aims enshrined therein.
(3) The Association's statutory objects are achieved by assuming the following tasks in particular:

1. In the field of art and culture, inter alia, by:

  • advancing cultural property protection on the basis of international law, in particular in the event of armed conflicts, natural and environmental disasters, and large-scale emergencies, through measures (e.g., projects, initiatives, campaigns) that seek to establish, strengthen, connect and coordinate the relevant expertise, capacities and infrastructures in German civil society;
  • advancing and participating in trans-sectoral collaborations to protect cultural property in crises, disasters and large-scale emergencies through the establishment of, or provision of specialist support to, national, regional and local networks in which primarily ministries and public agencies at the federal, state and local government level, the Bundeswehr (the Federal Defence Forces of Germany), the Technisches Hilfswerk (Federal Agency for Technical Relief), Notfallverbünde (Emergency Associations for Cultural Property Protection), fire brigades, cultural institutions, research institutes and humanitarian organisations cooperate;
  • providing specialist advice on the coordination of military and civil structures to protect cultural property in crises, disasters and large-scale emergencies;
  • providing specialist support on the creation of asset-specific hazard prevention and emergency plans, on the conception and implementation of training and practice measures in the fields of prevention, risk management, emergency aid and damage assessment, on priority setting during the salvaging and securing of movable cultural property and its initial treatment, and during the protection of immovable cultural property in situ, as well as on the training of personnel for cultural property protection;
  • advising and providing specialist support on protection and safeguarding measures within the framework of emergency prevention, for instance the documentation of nationally valuable cultural property, the preparation of inventories of immovable cultural property as defined by the Hague Convention, the drafting of guidelines and concepts for the construction of refuges for moveable cultural property, and the specialist supervision of the planning and construction of refuges for archives, libraries, museums and other institutions that conserve cultural property;
  • further developing scientific, professional and ethical standards for cultural property protection;
  • advising during legislative processes in the field of cultural property protection and in relation to the implementation of international and European law;
  • advising Association Members and the competent agencies, corporate bodies, associations and cultural policy decision makers on matters of general significance for cultural property protection, in particular in the event of crises, disasters and large-scale emergencies;
  • supporting international calls for solidarity and donation campaigns in the field of cultural property protection, providing expertise and capacities in the event of crises, disasters and large-scale emergencies in Germany and abroad, participating in international aid campaigns and reconstruction projects, or sponsoring damaged or threatened cultural institutions outside Germany.

2. In the field of education, inter alia, by:

  • promoting social appreciation of cultural heritage, in particular with a view to cultural diversity, social cohesion and sustainable development, through media reports and press releases, and by publishing analyses, reports and opinions;
  • raising public awareness of the hazards and risks to which cultural property is exposed and of the need for suitable preventive and protective measures, for instance through campaigns, public events or publications;
  • disseminating information on the legal bases for cultural property protection, in particular the Hague Convention and its Protocols;
  • disseminating official positions of the BS(I);
  • hosting public conferences, congresses and talks on topics arising from the Association's objects and tasks;
  • developing and implementing training and further training measures (e.g. workshops, seminars, field trips) in the field of cultural property protection in the event of armed conflicts, natural and environmental disasters, and large-scale emergencies for persons who handle cultural property, inter alia, within the remit of their activities (whether civil or military) or who may come into contact with cultural property.

3. In the field of science and research, inter alia, by:

  • conducting and advancing, and providing specialist support for, research in the field of cultural property protection, in particular with a view to measures and instruments aimed at prevention, awareness raising, and risk and crisis management, as well as publishing the findings of this research in a timely manner;
  • hosting scientific conferences, congresses and workshops as well as specialist scientific talks;
  • advancing early-career researchers, inter alia by organising and hosting events for and with students and scientific trainees;
  • preparing and publishing scientific publications.
Blue Shield Germany: English Statutes (PDF)