All bat species occurring in Germany are strictly protected by nature conservation law. This protection also extends to roosts where bats hibernate to survive the cold season without adequate food supplies. Nevertheless, some winter roosts are being lost, for example due to building renovation and destruction.
New winter quarters for bats – how well does it work?
So, in his master's thesis, Julian Treffler addressed the question of whether bats would accept newly offered winter quarters, which species would be affected, and what conditions the animals would need. He examined 50 roosts throughout Bavaria that have been opened to bats over the past 40 years: cellars, bunkers, tunnels, and water reserves were intended to provide the animals with a place to retreat to for the winter.
However, it became apparent that it can take a very long time for bats to accept a new roost and hibernate there – some were not used by the animals at all. The pioneer species, the brown long-eared bat, settled in a variety of locations after just a few years. But more demanding bat species took longer. For bat conservation, this means that destroyed and lost roosts cannot be replaced by new ones in the short term.
Important contribution to the protection of bats and their habitats
The title of the master's thesis in the Engineering Ecology degree program was: “Targeted opening of winter habitats as a species protection measure for bats – success monitoring for Bavarian winter habitats.” The thesis was supervised by Dr. Wolfgang Zehlius-Eckert.
Excerpt from the bdla Bavaria's statement on the award: “As the study shows, the new winter quarters are only slowly being colonized. This finding represents a major challenge for species protection legislation when it comes to dealing with interventions in such quarters. Mr. Treffler has therefore compiled practical guidance in his concluding chapter 7. His work has thus made an important contribution to increasing knowledge about bats, but also to the practical handling of interventions in winter quarters.”
Bachelor thesis on the redeveloping of a neighborhood in Backnang
In 2027, the Stuttgart region will host the International Building Exhibition, IBA'27. In his bachelor thesis “Hydrate Backnang. Water for the City,” Merlin Pott focused on the city of Backnang, located on the edge of the Swabian Alb and on the banks of the Murr River. The thesis is dedicated to the 18-hectare, largely unused industrial area of Backnang-West on a bend of the Murr River.
In his bachelor thesis, Merlin Pott addresses several challenges: The city's former connection to the river has gone, and it's no longer easily accessible. Steep banks and the narrow cross-section of the Murr increase the risk of flooding. Additionally, large areas of the commercial environment are covered by buildings and parking lots.
Integrating water connections to the Murr river into the district
The bachelor's thesis shows how water could be better integrated into the future district: Merlin Pott proposes a water supply system connected to the Murr river, as well as low-density development of the area: residential, small businesses, and municipal facilities are to form a lively neighborhood.
In its reasoning for the award, the bdla writes: "The innovative idea of a ‘blue nervous system’ that integrates the Murr River deep into the neighborhood via visible water connections and hydrological impulse nodes creates novel symbioses between sustainable flood protection, socially equitable urban development, and landscape design.
The qualification of ecologically valuable areas and the creation of new retention areas on the Murr River contribute significantly to flood resilience. At the same time, the formerly industrial district of Backnang-West is being enriched by attractive local recreation areas with a variety of opportunities for leisure activities, highlighting the district's cultural-historical and cultural-landscape identity.”
The bachelor's thesis at the Chair of Landscape Architecture and Transformation was supervised by Prof. Dr. Udo Weilacher and Dipl- Ing. Pierfrancesco Stella. In 2025, seven students in the Landscape Architecture and Landscape Planning degree program tackled the task of redesigning the industrial wasteland along the Murr River.
About the bdla Young Talent Award: Every year, the bdla Bavaria honors outstanding final theses in landscape architecture in Bavaria. According to the bdla, the award recognizes theses that describe new fields of activity for landscape architects, show trend-setting design solutions or scientific methods or have a particular practical application. The prize is valued at € 300 and includes a certificate.
