Sharp hike in number of protected historic monuments in Switzerland

Archaeologically protected areas represent 1.3% of Swiss territory. Keystone

The number of protected historic monuments in Switzerland has risen sharply. In 2022, there were close to 91,000 of them, 21% more than in 2016, said the Federal Statistical Office on Monday.

The increase mainly concerns buildings of local importance (31%), and to a lesser extent those of regional importance (15%).

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In all, protected monuments account for around 5% of the country’s building inventory, while archaeologically protected areas represent 1.3% of the national territory. Switzerland has 4,092 objects of national importance in the fields of historic monuments and archaeology.

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In total, the statistical office identified 303,482 historic monuments across the country (12%): buildings, bridges, fountains and statues of historical, scientific or artistic interest that are included in cantonal and municipal inventories.

Archeological sites double in surface area

The number of archaeological sites rose by 27%, to reach 53,000. Around a quarter of these (12,651) are protected by law.

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As for the archaeological perimetres defined by the cantons (areas with archaeological potential), their number increased by 71% to 17,304, while their surface area more than doubled, to 86,419 hectares (+104%), said the statistical office.

These various increases reflect the pressure posed by new construction and increased efforts to safeguard architectural heritage. But they also reflect changes in the census method, said the statistical office.

Translated from French with DeepL/gw

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