German forestry is known for its long history of sustainable forest management. However, a country-level forest inventory (national forest inventory, NFI) with a statistical basis, has only been implemented since the 1960s in the German Democratic Republic (GDR, Eastern Germany), and the 1980s in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, Western Germany). This is relatively late when compared to other countries. In this paper, an overview is given of the history of large-area forest assessments in Germany, and the developments towards a national forest inventory. In addition, an elaboration, as well as a brief outlook, are given on the adaptations of this monitoring system over time to the changing needs of a broadening group of stakeholders and interested parties.
