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3 Wilderness Protection in Šumava National Park
Šumava Mts. as a region has a specific history concluded by the proclamation as a
National Park in 1991. This territory was historically settled by German populations
after the colonizers were invited by the Czech nobility in the Middle Ages. The situation changed after the Second World War, when the German population was resettled and new inhabitants from Romania and other countries of Eastern Europe came
to live there for a short time. Until the fifties of the twentieth century this area served
as a military zone in the border area between East and West Europe. Large areas
along the state border to Germany and Austria were of limited or fully restricted
access up to 1989 and a semi-natural landscape called the Green Belt gradually
developed there. Due to this fact, 40 years without economic activity, this region
conserved relatively pristine nature and could be proclaimed as a NP in 1991.
The main purpose of NP establishment was to protect a mosaic of unique peat
bogs, spruce and beech forests, mountain meadows, wild rivers and glacial lakes. As
one of the largest continuous forest complexes in Central Europe, it is called the
Green Heart or Green Roof of Europe. Most of this area is covered by old spruce
monocultures that in the eighteenth century replaced the former forest used as wood
for the glass industry (Dudák et al. 2003).
Protective conditions of the territory were solved by the zoning of NP territory in
three zones with different degrees of protection and management. Zone I (13% of
the NP area) is strictly natural and includes the most valuable and stable areas with
natural ecosystems like primeval forest remnants, wetlands and bogs. The territory
of zone I is intended to be left to natural development without human influence.
Zone II (82% of the NP area) comprises the remaining majority of forest and
other ecosystems, which were altered and heavily damaged and genetically inappropriate with varying degrees of composition and state as compared to the original
ones. The aim of all activities is to maintain the natural balance and gradually bring
the existing ecosystems closer to their natural state.
Zone III (5%) includes areas significantly modified by human activities and concentrated buildings. The aim is to maintain and promote the use of this zone for
permanent housing, services, agriculture, tourism and recreation. This concept of
protection and non-intervention (Zone I) is contained in the legislative Acts establishing the NP (National Park Šumava 2019).
3.1 Ongoing Main Conflicts
3.1.1 The Non-Intervention Zones
The non-intervention zones have entered into public debate and have been politicized in relation to periodically recurring bark beetle calamities. Conservationists,
scientists and the administration of NP Šumava prefer to leave nature to itself in the
E. Cudlínová et al.
3 Wilderness Protection in Šumava National Park
Šumava Mts. as a region has a specific history concluded by the proclamation as a
National Park in 1991. This territory was historically settled by German populations
after the colonizers were invited by the Czech nobility in the Middle Ages. The situation changed after the Second World War, when the German population was resettled and new inhabitants from Romania and other countries of Eastern Europe came
to live there for a short time. Until the fifties of the twentieth century this area served
as a military zone in the border area between East and West Europe. Large areas
along the state border to Germany and Austria were of limited or fully restricted
access up to 1989 and a semi-natural landscape called the Green Belt gradually
developed there. Due to this fact, 40 years without economic activity, this region
conserved relatively pristine nature and could be proclaimed as a NP in 1991.
The main purpose of NP establishment was to protect a mosaic of unique peat
bogs, spruce and beech forests, mountain meadows, wild rivers and glacial lakes. As
one of the largest continuous forest complexes in Central Europe, it is called the
Green Heart or Green Roof of Europe. Most of this area is covered by old spruce
monocultures that in the eighteenth century replaced the former forest used as wood
for the glass industry (Dudák et al. 2003).
Protective conditions of the territory were solved by the zoning of NP territory in
three zones with different degrees of protection and management. Zone I (13% of
the NP area) is strictly natural and includes the most valuable and stable areas with
natural ecosystems like primeval forest remnants, wetlands and bogs. The territory
of zone I is intended to be left to natural development without human influence.
Zone II (82% of the NP area) comprises the remaining majority of forest and
other ecosystems, which were altered and heavily damaged and genetically inappropriate with varying degrees of composition and state as compared to the original
ones. The aim of all activities is to maintain the natural balance and gradually bring
the existing ecosystems closer to their natural state.
Zone III (5%) includes areas significantly modified by human activities and concentrated buildings. The aim is to maintain and promote the use of this zone for
permanent housing, services, agriculture, tourism and recreation. This concept of
protection and non-intervention (Zone I) is contained in the legislative Acts establishing the NP (National Park Šumava 2019).
3.1 Ongoing Main Conflicts
3.1.1 The Non-Intervention Zones
The non-intervention zones have entered into public debate and have been politicized in relation to periodically recurring bark beetle calamities. Conservationists,
scientists and the administration of NP Šumava prefer to leave nature to itself in the
E. Cudlínová et al.