ers ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁an ▁E gest orf ▁past or , ▁Wilhelm ▁B ode ▁( 2 0 ▁October ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁- ▁ 1 0 ▁June ▁ 1 9 2 7 ), ▁bought ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁he ath land , ▁the ▁so - called ▁Tot eng rund . ▁This ▁was ▁a ided ▁by ▁a ▁don ation ▁of ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁gold ▁marks ▁from ▁Andreas ▁Thom sen , ▁a ▁professor ▁from ▁Mün ster . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁B ode ▁founded ▁the ▁Nature ▁Park ▁Association ▁( V ere in ▁Natur schutz park ▁or ▁V NP ) ▁in ▁Mun ich . ▁This ▁set ▁itself ▁the ▁aim ▁of ▁protect ing ▁large ▁areas ▁of ▁land ▁and ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁American ▁National ▁Park ▁concept . ▁It ▁wanted ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁he ath land ▁at ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁present - day ▁Lü ne burg ▁He ath ▁Nature ▁Park ▁ ▁from ▁development , ▁aff or est ation ▁or ▁up he aval ▁through ▁agricult ure . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁it ▁purchased ▁the ▁W ils eder ▁Berg . ▁Today ▁the ▁association ▁own s ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁of ▁the ▁Lü ne burg ▁He ath , ▁and ▁another ▁ ▁have ▁been ▁r ented ▁long - term . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁the ▁Hamburg ▁tr ades man , ▁Alfred ▁To ep fer ▁( 1 8 9 4 – 1 9 9 3 ) ▁became ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁association . ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁member