German production of brown coal (lignite) - the lowest rank of coal, used almost exclusively to fuel electric power stations - has dropped considerably since the fall of the Wall in 1989. However, in the eastern states tonnes of brown coal are still consumed annually. The Vattenfall energy company is planning to expand a number of mines, which will mean that one thousand residents will lose their homes and three villages will be demolished: Kerkwitz, Atterwasch and Grabko. "If you're from Vattenfall, then sod off!" A woman peers at me suspiciously as I enter the Kerkwitz town hall. She and another 20 or so women have just started a Tupperware party. Several days ago Vattenfall announced plans to demolish the village along with two others. It's the topic of the day.
Lakes, forests, villages
The south of the eastern state of Brandenburg has been fuelled by brown coal for 150 years. The coal is around 100 metres deep, which means that enormous pits must be dug. Many of them are a number of square kilometres in size. Lakes, forests and villages sometimes have to make way for them.
The residents of Kerkwitz also knew that someday the same could happen to them. However, after the fall of the Wall in 1989 people here thought they would no longer have to fear eviction.
Moon landscape
The woman who at first peered at me so suspiciously is now offering coffee and homemade cake. She says: "They want to turn our region into a moon landscape. Of course I'm against the idea. I was already expelled from my home by the Poles after the Second World War. And now this!" She is not comforted by Vattenfall's offer of a new house. "You can get a new house, but not a new home."Most of the women are over the age of 60. Many of them may not live to see the evacuation, since the mining is not planned to start for another twenty years - though the village must be evacuated long before then. In the 1990s the region attracted many new residents because of its beautiful forests and lakes. One woman says she is disappointed with the authorities."They let us build a house here in 1999. We were planning to spend our last years here, which is no longer possible." Official decision awaited
Although the government still hasn't made an official decision, no one thinks it will deny Vattenfall permission to expand the mine.
Vattenfall officials give me a tour of the Welzow-Süd opencast mine. The view is breathtaking. The mine, which is 150 kilometres to the south-east of Berlin, is 24 square kilometres in size. It looks like an enormous sandpit taking a stroll through the landscape. In front a 60 metre high machine digs sand which it dumps on the other side.
In between you see a 100 metre deep pit with brown coal on the bottom. Enormous bulldozers scoop the fuel onto a conveyor belt which winds its way through the mine. It will be sent straight to the electric power station.
Polluted past, CO2 present
When the region was part of the German Democratic Republic it was seriously polluted by sulphur, nitrogen and brown coal dust. Now there are all kinds of filters in the chimney - only carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere. Brandenburg emits more CO2 per capita than the United States. However, Germany depends to a great extent on coal because it does not want to be dependent on foreign gas supplies. Also, Vattenfall is one of the few employers in a region which has a high level of unemployment.
There have already been some demonstrations in Atterwasch. The residents are attempting to combine the fight against the demolition of their village with that against brown coal in general. Atterwasch pastor Matthias Bernd says, "There are alternatives." He believes the politicians are protecting the interests of the coal industry.
Concern
He is more concerned with his parish's fate than that of his own house where he has lived for thirty years. "As a pastor you know you are stationed somewhere temporarily. I'm more concerned about my neighbours. One is an 80-year-old farmer. He lost everything in the war. The GDR regime then nationalised his property. Now he's gotten it back only to see it destroyed." A spokesperson for the energy company says it understand the residents' complaints."We are attempting to contact them in as early a stage as possible so that we can help organise their move to a new house."
He is referring to the several new villages that Vattenfall is planning to build without destroying the social structure. The company is hoping that the residents will accept the new houses as their new home.
* RNW translation (fs)
All photos (c) Laurens Boven/RNW
Tags: Coal, Energy, Germany, Mining