Landscape and environment 1950 up to 2000

In the GDR individual natural monuments and areas of natural monuments were defined with the Law on Nature Protection (1954) and the Law on the Conservation and Protection of the Environment (1970). Yet that did not signify any form of modern environmental conservation. Environmental activists were pursued and prosecuted.

It was the protection in 1990 from the last People’s Chamber of the GDR that secured for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania three national parks, a biosphere reserve, three natural parks, 261 conservation areas and 84 landscape conservation areas with a total area of 774 000 ha – approx. one quarter of the total area of the state.

Crude oil is discovered and extracted in Reinkenhagen near Grimmen in 1960.

In the GDR individual natural monuments and areas of natural monuments were defined with the Law on Nature Protection (1954) and the Law on the Conservation and Protection of the Environment (1970). Yet that did not signify any form of modern environmental conservation. Environmental activists were pursued and prosecuted.

It was the protection in 1990 from the last People’s Chamber of the GDR that secured for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania three national parks, a biosphere reserve, three natural parks, 261 conservation areas and 84 landscape conservation areas with a total area of 774 000 ha – approx. one quarter of the total area of the state. Together with the FFH reserves and the bird sanctuaries, it accounts for almost half of the state territory. There are 14 large-scale protected areas on Pomeranian soil, including the national parks in Jasmund, Müritz and Unteres Odertal. The 'Western Pomeranian Lagoon Area National Park' is the largest in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Germany's third biggest.