BVVG Bodenverwertungs- und -verwaltungs GmbH

BVVG Bodenverwertungs- und -verwaltungs GmbH (BVVG) is a state-owned company of the Federal Republic of Germany headquartered in Berlin. Its statutory mandate, carried out since its founding in 1992, is to manage, lease and sell formerly expropriated, state-owned agricultural and forestry land in the new federal states of Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. It is a successor institution of the Treuhandanstalt and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bundesanstalt für vereinigungsbedingte Sonderaufgaben (BvS), which exercises its shareholder function through the Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben (BImA). Legal and technical supervision rests with the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and the company transfers its surplus to the BvS. The company's work covers leasing agricultural land, selling agricultural and forestry land under the Entschädigungs- und Ausgleichsleistungsgesetz (EALG), disposing of conversion areas and mining properties, restitution or transfer of land and other assets to private individuals and local authorities, and managing more than 36,000 contracts. By the end of December 2022, BVVG had sold roughly 894,000 hectares of agricultural land, about 598,000 hectares of forestry land and some 84,000 hectares of conversion areas; around 919,000 hectares had been sold at preferential prices under the EALG since 1992. At the end of 2022, about 90,000 hectares of agricultural land and about 4,500 hectares of forestry land remained in its portfolio. In November 2022, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, with the involvement of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection and the Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, agreed on new rules for the future use of formerly state-owned agricultural land. Under these rules, 2,000 hectares per year were to be sold in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and agricultural land becoming free of lease was to be leased preferentially to ecologically and sustainably operating farms. Since 12 June 2023, BVVG has worked under the new principles for agricultural land management (Flächenmanagementgrundsätze 2023), focusing on leasing agricultural land to ecologically and sustainably operating farms, while provision is made for remaining sales to former owners under the EALG. BVVG has also transferred large areas into the National Natural Heritage. On the basis of a statutory authorization, it transferred land to the federal states, the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) or nature conservation associations. It has so far transferred 65,000 hectares of ecologically valuable land free of charge under § 3 of the Ausgleichsleistungsgesetz to states, nature conservation associations and foundations, of which 27,800 hectares were within the National Natural Heritage. A further 25,500 hectares are to be made available for transfer into the National Natural Heritage, of which the free transfer of 8,000 hectares has already been agreed by law and transfer of 7,700 hectares is to be prepared in the same way; the remaining 9,800 hectares initially remain leased by BVVG and are to be handled under the so-called federal solution.

BVVG Bodenverwertungs- und -verwaltungs GmbH is a successor institution of the Treuhandanstalt and a subsidiary of the Bundesanstalt für vereinigungsbedingte Sonderaufgaben (BvS). Since its founding year 1992, it has fulfilled the statutory mandate to privatize formerly expropriated, state-owned agricultural and forestry land in the federal states of Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Under the socialist state idea, private property was expropriated and converted into state property in East Germany during the Soviet occupation and after the founding of the GDR. While citizens of the GDR were sometimes entitled to compensation, persons who had fled the GDR normally received none. This led to the "open property question" between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic as to how expropriations in the GDR should be treated where property of citizens of the Federal Republic was affected. A first legal basis for BVVG's activity is the Treuhandgesetz of 17 June 1990 adopted by the last Volkskammer of the GDR. Since 1996, BVVG has also acted as the federal privatization agency to carry out land sales under the Entschädigungs- und Ausgleichsleistungsgesetz (EALG), which has been modified several times in the meantime, and the Flächenerwerbsverordnung (FlErwV). One of the managing directors after 1992 was Franz Ludwig Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. Another chairman of the management board and later chairman of the supervisory board was Walter Priesnitz. Legal and technical supervision of BVVG is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. BVVG is a company under private law and a 100-percent subsidiary of the BvS, which has its shareholder function exercised by the Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben (BImA). BVVG transfers the surplus it generates to the BvS. By the end of December 2022, BVVG had sold around 894,000 hectares of agricultural land, around 598,000 hectares of forestry land and approximately 84,000 hectares as conversion areas. Since 1992, a total of around 919,000 hectares had been sold at preferential prices under the EALG. On 31 December 2022, around 90,000 hectares of agricultural land and around 4,500 hectares of forestry land remained in BVVG's portfolio. The company has had and continues to have numerous tasks, above all the leasing of agricultural land; the sale of agricultural and forestry land under the EALG; the disposal of conversion areas that are put to other uses through municipal or official planning, and mining properties; the restitution or transfer of land and other assets to private individuals and local authorities; and the management of more than 36,000 contracts. In November 2022, the Federal Ministry of Finance, together with the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and with the participation of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection and the Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, agreed on new rules for BVVG regarding the future use of formerly state-owned agricultural land. Thus, in 2022, 2023 and 2024, 2,000 hectares of land per year were still to be sold. Agricultural land becoming free of lease was to be leased preferentially to ecologically and sustainably operating farms. Since 12 June 2023, BVVG has worked according to the new principles for agricultural land management (Flächenmanagementgrundsätze 2023). Therefore, BVVG's work focuses on leasing agricultural land to ecologically and sustainably operating farms. Provision has been made for the remaining sales under the EALG to former owners. Direct sales to tenants have largely been completed. On the basis of a statutory authorization, BVVG transferred large areas into the sponsorship of the federal states, the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) or nature conservation associations (National Natural Heritage). The legal basis is § 3 paragraph 12 of the Ausgleichsleistungsgesetz, which provides for an acquisition right of the states. Under sentence 2 of the said provision, BVVG (referred to in the law as the privatization agency) may "also transfer ownership of the areas directly to a nature conservation association named by a state or a nature conservation foundation named by a state." Nature conservation criteria were decisive for the selection of areas and new sponsors. BVVG has so far transferred 65,000 hectares of ecologically valuable land under § 3 of the Ausgleichsleistungsgesetz free of charge to states, nature conservation associations and foundations, of which 27,800 hectares were within the framework of the National Natural Heritage. A further 25,500 hectares are to be made available for transfer into the National Natural Heritage. Of this, the free transfer of 8,000 hectares of ecologically valuable land has already been agreed by law. For 7,700 hectares, a transfer is to be prepared in the same way. The remaining 9,800 hectares initially remain in leasing with BVVG and are to be handled within the framework of the so-called federal solution.

• 2023

  BVVG works under the new principles for agricultural land management (Flächenmanagementgrundsätze 2023) from 12 June 2023.

• 2022

  Federal Ministry of Finance and Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture agree on new rules for the future use of formerly state-owned agricultural land, including sales of 2,000 hectares per year in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and preferential leasing to ecologically and sustainably operating farms.

• 1996

  BVVG begins acting as the federal privatization agency to carry out land sales under the EALG and the Flächenerwerbsverordnung (FlErwV).

• 1992

  BVVG founded as a successor institution of the Treuhandanstalt and subsidiary of the BvS, with a statutory mandate to privatize former state-owned agricultural and forestry land in eastern Germany.

• 1990

  Treuhandgesetz of 17 June 1990 adopted by the last Volkskammer of the GDR provides a first legal basis for BVVG's activity.

State-owned privatization and land management agency for former state-owned agricultural and forestry land in eastern Germany.

• Leasing of agricultural land

  Leasing of agricultural land, with priority given to ecologically and sustainably operating farms under the 2023 land management principles.

• Sale of agricultural and forestry land under the EALG

  Sale of agricultural and forestry land under the Entschädigungs- und Ausgleichsleistungsgesetz (EALG), including preferential sales to former owners.

• Disposal of conversion areas and mining properties

  Disposal of conversion areas that are put to other uses through municipal or official planning, and of mining properties.

• Restitution and transfer of land and assets

  Restitution or transfer of land and other assets to private individuals and local authorities.

• Contract management

  Management of more than 36,000 contracts.

• Transfer of land into the National Natural Heritage

  Free transfer of ecologically valuable land to federal states, nature conservation associations and foundations under § 3 of the Ausgleichsleistungsgesetz.

1. 1BVVG – Bodenverwertungs- und -verwaltungs GmbHbvvg.de
2. 2BVVG Bodenverwertungs- und -verwaltungs GmbH – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3BVVG Bodenverwertungs- und -verwaltungs GmbH – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org