Open-cast mining in the lignite districts of central and eastern Germany has affected huge areas of land, leaving behind entirely new landscapes characterised by their unique yet typical forms, in some cases bizarre and striking surfaces, and the absence of human activity. What makes the eastern German mining districts particularly interesting is that at the beginning of the 1990s, more than 50 percent of the region’s disused mining sites had still to be reclaimed. Many went untouched for years and even decades. Rehabilitation work has since been stepped up and in recent years, nature conservationists have shown increasing interest in eastern Germany’s post-mining landscapes as many of them are highly valuable in terms of nature conservation and harbour unique development potential. This is largely due to the differing developmental stages that have evolved since mining activities ceased. Read More
