The book fills a significant gap in the history of nature conservation in Germany. It documents the history and research findings of the Institute for Landscape Research and Nature Conservation Halle, founded in 1953 and dissolved in 1991, as well as its branches and external offices. As a research institute, it was the first of its kind in Germany. Its existence has been repeatedly cited as an argument for the demand for an expansion of the central scientific nature conservation institution in the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1957, it even secured the continued existence of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Management based in Bonn in the context of enforcing the Hallstein Doctrine. The ILN played a crucial role in nature conservation as a research institute, advisory body for government agencies, and professional backbone of the voluntary nature conservation movement.