In Niemandsland, Daniel Chatard (DE) investigates the impact of brown coal extraction in the German Rhineland, where energy giant RWE operates some of Europe’s largest open-cast lignite mines, in particular Hambach and Garzweiler. Not only are these mines the biggest source of CO2 emissions on the continent, they have also dramatically altered the landscape, swallowing up fields, forests, and entire villages.
The steadily expanding voids caused a sense of powerlessness among those affected as their homes and land were sacrificed to coal mining. Many residents grew up knowing that their villages would one day disappear, which is difficult to reconcile with Germany’s professed commitment to renewable energy.
A new generation of resistance began in 2012, when environmental activists occupied Hambach Forest to stop its destruction. The conflict escalated in 2018 during the forced clearing of the forest, but protests managed to save some of it. This success sparked a collaboration between villagers and activists that led to the preservation of five threatened villages. However, many residents had already been resettled and the sixth village, Lützerath, was demolished, marking a grim end to the conflict.
