Nature conservation, primarily seen in this article as a construct that can be derived from a societal discourse since the nineteenth century. This results in a connection of quite different, in part opposing demands and objectives, as explained by comparing the protection of traditional agricultural landscapes with process protection. Finally, nature conservation in Central Europe is also quite a success story, despite various deteriorations, as shown by the increase in populations of numerous originally threatened larger mammals and bird species.—Beyond its immediate effectiveness, nature conservation is also a significant factor in landscape design.