▁a ▁her itage ▁that ▁had ▁become ▁unique ▁not ▁only ▁in ▁Germany ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁Europe . ▁It ▁was ▁those ▁early ▁pione ers ▁that ▁eventually ▁stopped ▁the ▁old ▁houses ▁being ▁demol ished , ▁thought ▁through ▁alternative ▁uses ▁for ▁the ▁buildings ▁and ▁supported ▁the ▁initi atives ▁of ▁the ▁Denkmal pf lege ▁( the ▁government ▁ag ency ▁for ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁monuments ▁in ▁Germany ) ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁cultural ▁her itage ▁of ▁the ▁Rund ling e ▁and ▁their ▁hall ▁houses . ▁ ▁Rund ling e ▁today ▁▁ ▁How ▁many ▁Rund ling e ▁there ▁are ▁is ▁a ▁more ▁difficult ▁question ▁to ▁answer ▁than ▁one ▁might ▁think . ▁Origin ally ▁there ▁were ▁perhaps ▁a ▁thousand ▁such ▁villages ▁created ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁and ▁ 1 3 th ▁centuries , ▁perhaps ▁ 4 0 0 ▁of ▁which ▁surv ived ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁In ▁Han over ian ▁Wend land ▁alone ▁there ▁is ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 ▁which ▁were ▁clearly ▁still ▁Rund ling e ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Ver ko pp lung sk arten ▁( a ▁type ▁of ▁en closure ▁map , ▁mark ing ▁the ▁ownership ▁of ▁land ▁and ▁property ) ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁Many ▁had ▁already ▁succ um bed ▁to ▁cat ast roph ic ▁fires , ▁and ▁been ▁fully ▁or ▁partially ▁re built , ▁not ▁always ▁as ▁Rund ling e . ▁Modern ization ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁older ▁hall ▁houses , ▁and ▁their ▁replacement ▁by