Buying Back Land for Germany's Wildlife

Founded in 1992 by entrepreneur Haymo Rethwisch, Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung purchases land outright so it can be managed for nature conservation without competing economic interests, rather than only advocating for policy change. It now manages over 7,200 hectares of forest, moorland, meadow and farmland across northern and eastern Germany, including the 2,600-hectare Gut Klepelshagen estate, which demonstrates wildlife-friendly farming. The foundation runs species-focused programs for animals such as the European hamster, golden eagle and Eurasian lynx, and in 2024 opened "Botschaft der Wildtiere," a nature-education center and Europe's only wildlife-film cinema, in Hamburg's HafenCity. It also awards a biennial 50,000-euro research grant supporting science on native wildlife.