Ipsa lege principle

Within the German States, the respective authorities on cultural heritage are responsible of the protection of archaeological monuments within their states. As public authorities, they are involved in all issues affecting the archaeological heritage, specifically with regard to public planning. The main responsibilities are the listing of ancient monuments and the safeguarding of the archaeological heritage on land and within the state’s territorial waters in the North and Baltic Seas. Amongst the most potent legal instruments for protection are the ‘ipsa lege principle’, which extends automatically statutory protection to all archaeological sites – known and unknown.