The approximately 18,600 km² of bogs and fens in Germany are almost all highly degraded and emit 53 Mt CO₂ eq./year. To counteract further degradation and its consequences, detailed condition assessment using satellite data can serve as a basis for decisions regarding restoration measures and their monitoring. To assess the overall condition of peatlands in northern Germany, a comprehensive land cover system with integrated degradation levels (“Peatland-LC”) is being developed using a multi-stage approach. This system includes the current land cover due to vegetation and land use, as well as the associated emissions, a description of surface properties related to the current hydrological situation and peat condition, and the land use history, presented in an integrated and, where possible, quantitative manner. All necessary parameters can be derived from optical remote sensing data (Sentinel-2 from 2016 and Landsat from 1984). The combination of multi-seasonal information (spectral-temporal metrics and phenological metrics) and machine learning methods allows for a reliable derivation of land cover and land use history and an approximation of the hydrological situation.