Applying for grants for Hessian cultural monuments

If you want to preserve cultural monuments, you can apply for a grant under certain conditions.

The State of Hesse contributes to the preservation of cultural monuments by approving grants within the framework of the available budget funds.

You will not receive funding for:

• Measures that have already been started. The conclusion of a delivery/performance/construction contract on which the execution is based as well as the commencement of in-house work are to be regarded as the beginning of the measure.
• the acquisition of a cultural monument,
• a total reconstruction,
• a new building in an overall complex,
• the procurement of financing,
• measures in the vicinity of cultural monuments,
• costs of ongoing maintenance which do not exceed comparable maintenance costs of non-listed buildings,
• own work performance (exception: Section 4.7 of the Monument Promotion Directive),
• measures aimed solely at beautification, and
• profitable use-related expenses.

A mandatory prerequisite for the approval of a donation is that you have previously coordinated the measure for which you would like to apply for a grant with the district monument conservator locally responsible for you at the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Hessen (LfDH).  

Before you receive a permit, the LfDH checks whether the requirements for a grant are met. You do not have a legal claim to funding.  

The approval of a donation stipulates, among other things:

• the measure being supported;
• the amount of share financing of the LfDH,
• the purpose limitation of the donation,
• the amount of the costs of the measure to be proven by you,
• the liability of the costs and financing plan you submit.

You will only receive the grant after the funded measure has been carried out or after the costs to be proven have been reached and after submission of the proof of use. To do this, you must, among other things, keep all invoices and receipts related to the eligible costs.

You can find the district monument conservator locally responsible for you on the website of the LfDH:

When applying, you must submit:

• a cost estimate with an explanation of the planned services and, if applicable, planning documents. Cost calculations or offers for individual trades are also permissible.
• legally required permits or consents, in particular according to the Hessian Monument Protection Act (HDSchG).
• in the case of application by other entitled persons: power of attorney of the owner.
• if an application is submitted by an organisation: proof of authorisation to represent the company (e.g. excerpt from the commercial register or similar).
• in the case of intended assertion of own working time: proof of plausibility of the own contribution of more than 150 hours.

Once you have completed your action or reached the costs to be proven, you must submit the following documents:

• Proof of use (including original invoices and proof of payment)                          

• Forms: Forms available from the LfDH
• Online procedure possible: yes
• Written form required: no
• Personal attendance required: no

It must be a measure on cultural monuments or parts of cultural monuments.

Applications can be submitted:

• Owners
• Heritable building rights (heritable building contract for at least 66 years)
• Holders of a right of use secured in rem
• Lessee of a cultural monument owned by a local authority, if the lease was concluded for at least 25 years
• in the case of projects on a smaller scale, beneficiaries of a contract of use concluded for at least 15 years (e.g. rental or lease agreement)
• Lower monument protection authorities (UDSchB) for the implementation of substitute performances according to § 14 Hessisches Denkmalschutzgesetz (HDSchG)

A grant may be granted if:

• you have coordinated the measure with the LfDH before submitting the application,
• the overall financing of the project is secured,
• you have not yet started implementing the action,
• the required documents are available,
• the measure serves to preserve the original building fabric and

the measure incurs expenses that are necessary solely or predominantly for reasons of monument preservation.

• Provisional Administrative Regulations for the Hessian State Budget Code (VV-LHO) issued under § 44 LHO
• General ancillary provisions for the use of the grants of the Land as well as for the proof and verification of the use (ANBest-P)
• General ancillary provisions for the use of Land grants to local authorities and associations of local authorities as well as for the proof and verification of their use (ANBest.GK)

• Contradiction
• administrative court action

If you are planning a measure that serves to preserve a cultural monument or a part of a cultural monument, please contact the district monument conservator responsible for you at the LfDH and talk to him or her about the possibility of a donation. This can be done in writing, by e-mail or in person, for example during an on-site visit:

• Your district monument conservator at the LfDH will then clarify with you whether a grant for the measure planned by you is basically considered, i.e. whether the requirements can be met.
• If he or she says yes, he or she will coordinate the measure with you and advise you to apply for a grant.
• You then fill out the written grant application using the forms available from the LfDH or the online application and send it to the LfDH.
• The LfDH then checks whether the conditions for a grant are met and decides according to its due discretion and in accordance with the available budget resources.
• The LfDH approves the donation by written approval notice, which you will receive by post. The notification specifies the amount to which you must prove the costs of the measure and by when you must submit the proof of use (including original invoices and proof of payment) to the LfDH.
• After you have received the approval notice, you can start with the measure.
• In the event that the costs, financing or scope of the measure change, you must immediately obtain the consent of the LfDH.
• If you have completed the measure or reached the costs to be proven, you must submit the proof of use to the LfDH.
• The LfDH then checks the proof of use and pays the donation to you.

Application:

• in principle by 31.01. of the year at the latest (exceptions are possible after consultation with the LfDH)
• before the start of the action

Presentation of the proof of use:

• In principle by 31.10. of the year at the latest, see approval notice

Approx. four weeks

There are no fees.