Germany is a genuine forest country because of its location within the nemoral deciduous forest region in the temperate climate zone of Europe. In the history of land use the original forest cover has been reduced to a third today. The contemporary forests are predominantly changed into artificial structures. Origin and milestones of forest protection history in Germany are described. Ongoing timber logging in many nature reserves is identified as one of the main deficits of implementation of the legal framework in nature conservation. In international conventions the protection of forests is underrepresented. The UNESCO Program „Man and Biosphere“(MaB), the World Heritage Convention, and the Convention on biological Diversity (CBD) have some potential for the implementation of forest protection strategies and measures. Finally the importance of strictly protected areas for the preservation of forests as ecosystems and the need for a change of paradigm in forest management are discussed.