Lidar Data Availability - Germany

Gather information about Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data availability in Germany

Geography
Lidar
Laserscanning
GIS
Open Source
Remote Sensing
COPC
Author

Jens Wiesehahn

Published

November 3, 2023

Modified

March 31, 2025

Abstract

The quality and availability of Airborne Laserscanning (ALS) data vary significantly by region. This article aims to provide an overview of ALS point cloud data and its derived products, such as Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) and Digital Surface Models (DSMs). Historically, lidar data has predominantly been available as commercial data. However, there is a gradual shift towards more open data policies recently.

Federal data

Geodata collection, administration, and distribution in Germany operates primarily through federal structures managed by the land surveying and cadastral authorities of the 16 federal states. While the Working Committee of the Surveying Authorities of the States of the Federal Republic of Germany (AdV) establishes guidelines and standards for digital terrain models, surface models, and Point Clouds, the availability and specifications of airborne laser scanning data vary across space and time. For cross-state applications and nationwide analyses, a comprehensive understanding of data availability is essential to ensure efficient project planning and consistent data quality. This compilation of federal ALS data availability draws from state mapping agencies’ official websites, direct communication with authorities and additional sources wehere possible.

(source)

Overview about availability of federal ALS data in Germany (detailed information below)
✅ = open data, 💲 = processing fee, ❌ = not available ⚫ = statewide coverage, 🔘 = partial coverage

Federal State DTM DSM Point Cloud # Campaigns
Baden-Württemberg ✅ ✅ 💲 ⚫⚫🔘
Bavaria ✅ ❌ ✅ ⚫⚫🔘
Berlin ✅ ✅ ✅ ⚫
Brandenburg ✅ ❌ ✅ ⚫🔘
Bremen ✅ ✅ 💲 ⚫⚫
Hamburg ✅ ❌ ❌ ⚫⚫⚫
Hesse ✅ ✅ ✅ ⚫⚫🔘
Lower Saxony ✅ ✅ 💲 ⚫🔘
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania ✅ ✅ 💲
North Rhine-Westphalia ✅ ✅ ✅ ⚫⚫⚫🔘🔘
Rhineland-Palatinate ✅ ❌ ✅
Saarland ✅ ✅ ✅ ⚫⚫
Saxony ✅ ✅ ✅ ⚫⚫🔘
Saxony-Anhalt ✅ ❌ ✅ ⚫🔘
Schleswig-Holstein ✅ ❌ ❌ ⚫🔘
Thuringia ✅ ✅ ✅ ⚫⚫⚫🔘

Baden-Württemberg

  • two statewide ALS campaigns complete, a the third campaign is ongoing
    • campaign 1: 0.8 points/m² in 2000-2005 (3-80 €/km², 2/3 classes)
    • campaign 2: 8 points/m² in 2016-2021 (10-80 €/km², 5 classes)
    • campaign 3: 8 points/m² in 2022-2029 (10-80 €/km², 7 Classes), (overview)
  • DTM025 and DSM1 available as open data (dl-by-de/2.0) since 2024
  • cost of statewide Point Cloud data for one campaign: 720.000 €
  • iDSM (20 cm) available as open data (with processing fee)
  • bulk download option (> 5 km²) only for processing fee

Bavaria

  • ALS data from 1996-2024, no dedicated campaigns
    • approximately 3 observations per area
    • 1 point/m² before 2012
    • 4 points/m² since 2012
  • DTM1 and Point Cloud available as open data (CC BY 4.0) since 2024
  • historical data available for processing fee (50 €)
  • iDSM (20 cm) available as open data
  • nDOM, tDSM and 3D-Mesh in development

Berlin

  • one statewide ALS campaign
    • 10 points/m² in 2021
  • DTM1, DSM1 and Point Cloud available as open data (dl-by-de/2.0)
  • classes: soil, low vegetation, medium vegetation and high vegetation, outliers and default
  • iDSM1 available as open data from march 2022

Brandenburg

Bremen

  • two statewide ALS campaigns complete
    • campaign 1: in 2012 (Bremen) and 2015 (Bremerhaven)
    • campaign 2: in 2017 (Bremen and Bremerhaven)
  • DTM1 and DSM1 available as open data (CC BY 4.0) since 2024
  • iDSM (5 cm) from 2021 (40 €/km²)
  • Point Cloud data for 80 €/km²

Hamburg

  • three statewide ALS campaigns complete
    • campaign 1: 15 points/m² in 2010
    • campaign 2: 15 points/m² in 2020
    • campaign 3: 15 points/m² in 2022
  • DTM1 available as open data (dl-by-de/2.0) since 2024
  • Point Cloud not available due to privacy concerns (neither open data nor commercial)
  • DSM1 based on ALS data not available (neither open data nor commercial)
  • iDSM1 from 2018 and 2020 available as open data

Hesse

  • two statewide ALS campaigns complete, a third campaign is ongoing
    • campaign 1: 4 points/m² in 2009-2014
    • campaign 2: 8 points/m² in 2015-2021
    • campaign 3: 8 points/m² in 2021-2027, (overview)
  • 6-year repetition cycle
  • DTM1, DSM1 and Point Cloud available as open data (dl-by-de/2.0) since 2022

Lower Saxony

  • ALS data from 1996-2024, no dedicated campaigns
    • approximately 1-2 observations per area
    • 0.06-0.25 points/m² in 1996-2003 (11% of state area)
    • 3.5-10 points/m² in 2008-2013
    • 4 points/m² since 2015 (start of statewide aquisition) (overview)
    • 8 points/m² since 2023/2024
  • 6-year cycle since 2023/2024
  • RGBI data included since 2023/2024
  • DTM1 and DSM1 available as open data (CC BY 4.0) since 2024
  • Point Cloud data available for 3.75-30 €/km²
  • iDSM (20 cm) available as open data

Mecklenburg Western Pomerania

  • one statewide ALS campaign complete, a second campaign is ongoing (?)
    • campaign 1: 4-5 points/m² in 2015-2024 (overview)
  • DTM1 and DSM1 available as open data (CC BY 4.0) since 2024
  • Point Cloud available for 10-80 €/km²
  • iDSM (10 cm) available for 5-20 €/km²
  • DTM and DSM based on old data, orthophotos are also mentioned as data source

North Rhine-Westphalia

  • ALS data since 1996, no dedicated campaigns
    • approximately 3-5 observations per area
    • since 1996: first data with 0.04 points/m²
    • since 2005: 1 point/m²
    • since 2012: 6-year repetition cycle
    • since 2013: 4 points/m²
    • since 2019: 5-year repetition cycle
  • DTM1, DSM1 and Point Cloud available as open data (dl-by-de/2.0) since 2017
  • historical data available on request
  • iDSM (50 cm) available as open data

Rhineland-Palatinate

  • statewide ALS campaign complete
    • dirst data since 2002
    • 4 points/m² until 2014
    • 8 points/m² since 2014
    • current data from 2019-2024 (overview)
  • DTM1 and Point Cloud available as open data (dl-by-de/2.0) since 2024
  • Point Clouds available separated into terrain (last returns) and object points (first returns)
  • 9-year cycle until 2021
  • 4-year cycle since 2022
  • DSM1 based on ALS data not available (neither open data nor commercial)
  • iDSM (20 cm) available as open data
  • historical data available on request for processing fee (75 €/hour)
  • source

Saarland

  • two statewide ALS campaigns complete, a third campaign is planned
    • campaign 1: 2-3 points/m² in 2006
    • campaign 2: 8 points/m² in 2015-2016
    • campaign 3: likely in 2025
  • DTM1, DSM1 and Point Cloud available as open data (dl-by-de/2.0) since 2024
  • only thinned Point Cloud available with 4 points/m² and without intensity values
  • iDSM (20 cm) available as open data

Saxony-Anhalt

  • one statewide ALS campaign complete, a second campaign is ongoing
    • campaign 1: 4 points/m² in 2009
    • campaign 2: 4 points/m² in 2015-2025 (overview)
  • DTM1 and Point Cloud basically available as open data (dl-by-de/2.0) since 2023
  • currently only available for a small region (Halle) through open data platform, other data on request for processing fee of 190€ per dataset plus fee for processing time
  • 6-year cycle planned
  • DSM1 based on ALS data not available (neither open data nor commercial)
  • iDSM (20 cm) available as open data

Saxony

Schleswig-Holstein

  • one statewide ALS campaign complete, a second campaign is ongoing
    • campaign 1: in 2005-2007
    • campaign 2: 4 points/m² in 2021-2026
  • DTM1 available as open data since 2023
  • iDSM (20 cm) available as open data, updated every 2 years
  • Point Cloud and DSM1 based on ALS data not available (neither open data nor commercial)
  • DSM1 is in preparation

Thuringia

  • three statewide ALS campaigns complete, a fourth campaign is ongoing
    • campaign 1: 0.05-1.8 points/m² in 1996-2006
    • campaign 2: 4 points/m² in 2010-2013
    • campaign 3: 4 points/m² in 2014-2019
    • campaign 4: in 2020-2025, (overview)
  • 6-year cycle
  • DTM1, DSM1 and Point Cloud available as open data since 2017

National data

According to Virtanen et al. (2017) “topographic databases maintained by national mapping agencies are currently the most common nationwide data sets in geo-information”, however this is not true for Germany. Until now there is no single data set which is available for entire Germany. However, there are plans to generate such data. The project Digital Twin Germany aims to acquire high density point cloud data for Germany. The project is run by the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG), Germany’s national mapping agency. Data acquisition was supposed to start in 2023 and the goal was to have a data set for entire Germany by 2024, with at least one repition some years later. It was also planned that the data would be mapped by Geiger-Mode or Single Photon Sensor (Leica SPL100) in the vegegtation period (Hopfstock 2021). Current plans are to collect data for all of Germany in the vegetation period in 2024 and 2025. It is expected that the entire dataset is available at the end of 2026, with first data in summer 2025. However, data is primarily meant for national agencies and most likely only a thinned point cloud will be available as open data.

Digital Twin Germany

  • coordinated by BKG
  • data primarily meant for government agencies
  • case study applied to Hamburg in Winter 2022 with SPL100
  • data collection
    • in the vegetation period (March to October)
    • originally planned for 2023-2024
    • currently planned for 2024-2025
    • 8 lots flown by different companies (Hexagon, BSF Swissphoto, GEOREAL, FLYCOM) with different sensors (Leica SPL100, Riegl VQ1460, Riegl VQ1560 II-S)
    • collected in 2024: northern Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, western Baden-Württemberg, northeast Bavaria
    • repetition (3-5 year cycle) is targeted but unclear
  • data properties
    • point density >=40 pts/m²
    • simultaneous with RGB data
    • classes
      • Building
      • Bridge
      • Water
      • Ground
      • Power lines
      • Low Vegetation
      • Medium Vegetation
      • High Vegetation
      • Objects above ground
      • Low Noise
      • High Noise
      • Unclassified
    • 1.5 PByte data expected
  • Derived products
    • Point Cloud with RGB-color (10 points/m²)
    • DTM (50 cm)
    • DSM (25 cm)
    • classified objects (trees, wind turbines, …)
  • Data provision
    • thinned Point Cloud (10 points/m²) available as open data (planned)
    • first data expected in summer 2025 (for national agencies)
    • derived products with delay
    • entire data expected end of 2026

(sources of information: source1, source2, source3, source4, source5, source6, source7)

References

Hopfstock, Anja. 2021. “Auf dem Weg zu einem Digitalen Zwilling von Deutschland.” zfv – Zeitschrift für Geodäsie, Geoinformation und Landmanagement, no. 6/2021: 385–90. https://doi.org/10.12902/zfv-0379-2021.
Virtanen, Juho-Pekka, Antero Kukko, Harri Kaartinen, Anttoni Jaakkola, Tuomas Turppa, Hannu Hyyppä, and Juha Hyyppä. 2017. “Nationwide Point Cloud—The Future Topographic Core Data.” ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 6 (8): 243. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi6080243.

Citation

For attribution, please cite this work as:
Wiesehahn, Jens. 2023. “Lidar Data Availability - Germany.” November 3, 2023. https://wiesehahn.github.io/posts/lidar_availability/.