National Parks in Germany. Let nature be nature – But which nature?

Abstract After the term “National Park” is defined, the National Parks of Germany are introduced, categorized according to physical-geographical criteria. The influence of various groups on the arrangement of the parks and how the park administrations act to realize their goals according to international standards are analyzed. One of the most controversial factors involved in designing a park is the question of what “nature” is. There are widely-differing views on this, primarily as to whether established forms of utilization are not already “nature” and to what extent one should allow nature to govern itself.