On July 6, 2019, the Augsburg Water Management System was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This recognition highlights the importance of structures in Augsburg and nearby areas that show the city’s long history of managing water. The World Heritage Site includes a collection of buildings and structures that demonstrate how water was used in different ways over time in the city.

The site includes 22 objects, such as canals with flowing water, Germany’s oldest waterworks and water tower, and waterworks powered by deep wells filled with groundwater. It also includes 10 historic hydroelectric power plants.

Scope

The Augsburg Water Management System World Heritage Site includes 22 separate properties. Some are in Augsburg's old town, some are in the modern city area far from the old town, and others are in nearby areas within the Augsburg district. The farthest property, the Meitingen hydroelectric power plant, is located about 22 kilometers north of the city. All 22 properties are listed as protected historical sites.

The largest of these properties is a network of water channels, including parts of the Lech canals, which flow above ground and underground, the Wertach canals, and spring water streams in the city forest. This network connects the other 21 properties. Together, these properties form a connected protected area covering about 113 hectares.

This protected area is surrounded by a buffer zone. For water channels, the buffer zone is a 5-meter-wide strip on both sides of the channel. Most properties also have small buffer zones. In the historic old town, parts of the Jakobervorstadt, the Lechviertel, the eastern Ulrichviertel, and areas on both sides of Maximilianstraße in the city center are included in the buffer zone. At the recommendation of ICOMOS, the city forest was also added to the buffer zone to better protect the headwater streams. The total buffer zone covers about 3,204 hectares.

Several decorative fountains from the Renaissance period are part of the system.