Hambach Forest
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Hambach Forest (
The forest
Hambach Forest is rich in biodiversity and home to 142 species regarded as important for conservation. The forest has been called "the last remnant of a sylvan ecosystem that has occupied this part of the Rhine River plain between Aachen and Cologne since the end of the last ice age".[2] Only ten percent of Hambach Forest still remains, and the remaining forest is severely threatened by mining for brown coal.[2] Of special interest is the rare Bechstein's bat population, which is strictly protected according to annex II and annex IV of the European Habitats Directive.[3] An
Lignite mining
The area is part of the Rhenish Lignite Mining Area (
The usual process is to excavate the lignite/brown coal beneath it with huge excavator machines and then burn it in
First occupations by environmentalists (2012–2014)
Since 2012, Hambach Forest had been a political standpoint for environmentalists who protested against the German energy company
An area within the forest was occupied by those opposing the clearance for lignite extraction. They sought to close the mine and save the remaining sections of the forest which are under threat of being cut down to allow the expansion of the mine.
The first occupation lasted from April to November 2012. A second occupation started in September 2013 and lasted until March 2014, followed by a third occupation from April to October 2014.[7]
Fourth occupation (2015–2018)
The fourth occupation period started in 2015 and lasted until 2018. It involved a settlement with around two dozen
BUND lawsuit and court order
Cutting seasons last from 1 October until the end of February and usually 70–80
2018 arrests of activists
On 22 January 2018, nine Hambach Forest activists were arrested for resisting a barricade eviction. All of the arrested refused to give any details about their identities and remained unknown in pretrial detention and also in the courtroom.[9] One activist, who was freed from a lock-on on a tripod, was sentenced to six months on parole after a pretrial detention of 67 days in Cologne-Ossendorf jail .[10][9] Two activists were released after 52 days in pretrial detention in Cologne-Ossendorf jail after a medical examination revealed that they were likely under 21 years old and should therefore be processed under juvenile law.[9]
A 22-year-old activist from Australia joined the occupation in March 2018 and planned to stay for two weeks in order to take part in a
Police clearing the tree houses (September 2018)
On 13 September 2018 a large scale police operation[12] started initiated by North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Construction to evict more than fifty tree houses which existed for up to six years because they didn't comply with fire safety regulation standards. To protect life and limb of the tree house occupants was announced as an important goal of the operation.[13]
Journalist falls and dies
As evictions continued, on 19 September 2018, the 27-year old artist, blogger and journalist Steffen Meyn fell through a walkway of 15 meters height in the treehouse village of Beechtown and died. Meyn was working on a long-time documentary project of the activities in the Hambach Forest. Immediate resuscitation efforts failed.[14]
The eviction of tree houses was stopped immediately after that incident by Herbert Reul, North Rhine-Westphalia's interior minister. He said "We cannot just proceed as normal — at least I can't."[15]
The eviction proceedings resumed on 23 September 2018. According to a police statement all 86 tree houses had been evicted and destroyed on 2 October 2018.[16]
Police clearance ruled illegal
A Cologne court ruled on 8 September 2021 that the eviction had been carried out under a false pretext and was therefore illegal. According to the court, the police operation, as authorized by the North Rhine-Westphalia state government, had “pretended” to enforce fire protection rules when the real aim was to clear the protest camp.[17]
Fifth occupation (2018–2020)
Court order stops clearance again (October 2018)
On 5 October 2018 the Higher Administrative Court (
Large demonstration (October 2018)
On 6 October 2018
2019
When Greta Thunberg was awarded the Golden Camera Award in March 2019, she dedicated the prize to those protecting the Hambach Forest.[29] She then visited the site, saying "It makes me incredibly sad, to see all this destruction, in this area that used to be a forest ecosystem, and I feel sorry for the people who have to move."[30]
2020
In January 2020, the preservation of the Hambach Forest was agreed at a top-level meeting of the German government and the four federal states affected by the coal phase-out. The "Roadmap for Coal Phase-out" law was passed in July.[31]
Gallery
-
Near Morschenich (de)
September 2018 -
The last pond in Hambach Forest, February 2016
See also
- Ende Gelände 2017
- Ende Gelände 2018
- September 2019 climate strikes
- Morschenich
- Manheim (Kerpen)
- Hambach (Niederzier)
- Arnold of Arnoldsweiler
- Deforestation
- Direct action
- Environmental protection
- Sophienhöhe
- Hambach industrial spur
- Forest in Germany
- Forest protection
- Akbelen Forest forest in Turkey being cut down to make way for lignite mine
- Fossil fuel phase-out
- Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment
- Lützerath bleibt!
References
- ^ "Action Map of the Wood – Hambach Forest". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
- ^ a b c d "Ancient Forest Home of Squatter Communities Is Doomed by Coal". National Geographic. 2018-04-13. Archived from the original on 2019-09-14.
- ^ a b "Endangered species". Hambach Forest. Archived from the original on 2019-05-22. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
- ^ Verwaltungsgericht Köln (Administrative Court Cologne), Court order of 2017-11-24 (14 K 1282/15)
- ^ "Tagebau Hambach - Hauptbetriebsplan für den Zeitraum 01.04.2018 bis 31.12.2020" (PDF) (Letter of decision) (in German). Dortmund, Germany: Bezirksregierung Arnsberg. 2018-03-29. p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2019-09-21. (53 pages)
- ^ "Clash in German forest as red line is crossed". DW Environment. Deutsche Welle (DW). 2016-12-01.
- ^ a b "Special Report from the Occupied Forest: Meet Activists Fighting Europe's Largest Open-Pit Coal Mine". democracynow.org. 2017.
- BUND - Friends of the Earth Germany. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2018-04-16. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
- ^ a b c Müllender, Bernd (2018-03-16). "Proteste im Hambacher Forst - Prozess gegen Kohlegegner gestoppt - Nach sieben Wochen U-Haft: Aktivisten des Hambacher Forsts kommen frei. Der Prozessauftakt scheitert wegen Schlamperei der Behörden". Die Tageszeitung (taz) (in German). Kerpen / Aachen, Germany. Archived from the original on 2018-03-24. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
- ^ Pauli, Christoph (2018-03-30). "Umweltaktivist vom Hambacher Forst zu Haftstrafe verurteilt". Aachener Zeitung (AZ) (in German). Kerpen, Germany. Archived from the original on 2019-09-20. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
- ^ a b c d e f Gego, Marlon (2019-05-14). "Prozess gegen Hambacher-Forst-Aktivistin: Im Zweifel für die australische Angeklagte". Aachener Zeitung (AZ) (in German). Cologne, Germany. Archived from the original on 2019-09-20. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
- ^ a b "hambi-forest". Delmi Álvarez. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
- ^ "German police confront treehouse activists after six-year standoff - Occupiers protesting against coalmine expansion in Hambach forest call for mass mobilisation". Kerpen, Germany: Agence France-Presse. 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
- ^ "Tod im Hambacher Forst - Vom Beobachter zum Freund" [Death in Hambach Forest - From observer to friend] (in German). Die Tageszeitung (taz). 2018-09-20.
- ^ Wecker, Katharina (2018-09-20). "Stillness and shock in Hambach Forest after journalist dies". Deutsche Welle (DW). Archived from the original on 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
- Spiegel Online(in German). 2018-10-02. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
- ^ Wehrmann, Benjamin (2021-09-08). "Court rules 2018 coal protester eviction in Hambach Forest was illegal". Clean Energy Wire (CLEW). Berlin, Germany. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
- ^ Smith-Spark, Laura (2018-10-05). "Hambach Forest clearance halted by German court". CNN. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
- Tagesschau, ARD. 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
- Tagesschau, ARD. 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
- ^ Aachener Nachrichten. 2018-10-07.
- ^ BUND. 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
- ^ RP Digital GmbH. Archivedfrom the original on 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
- ^ a b "Germany: Thousands hold anti-coal protest in Hambach Forest". Deutsche Welle (DW). 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Ablauf und Programm - Kundgebungsprogramm 10.30 – 16 Uhr. Im Anschluss gibt es bis 19 Uhr ein Musikprogramm" (in German). Stop Kohle. 2018-10-06. Archived from the original on 2019-09-15. Retrieved 2019-09-15. (NB. This announcement does not reflect the chronological order of appearance of speakers and musicians on stage. Also, there have been some last minute changes compared to the list of announced participants. The article only lists people who actually took part in the event.)
- ^ RP Digital GmbH. Archived from the original on 2019-06-22. Retrieved 2019-09-15. (NB. The article mentions Cat Ballou] as among the participating musical groups. Whilst announced, there is, however, no evidence that they actually took part in this event.)
- ^ Bilanceri, Serena (2018-10-06). "Mit Klavier gegen Kohle – Bremer Pianist spielt im Hambacher Forst" [Against coal with piano - Bremen pianist plays in Hambach Forest]. Buten un binnen (de) (in German). Radio Bremen. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
- ^ Zeit Online. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
- ^ "Agiamo Golden Camera for Greta". International News. 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
- ^ Graham-Harrison, Emma (2019-08-10). "Greta Thunberg takes climate fight to Germany's threatened Hambach Forest". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
- ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche, Germany approves coal phaseout by 2038 | DW | 03.07.2020, retrieved 2021-09-10
External links
- Media related to Hambacher Forst at Wikimedia Commons
- Finite: The Climate of Change - A 2022 documentary by Rich Felgate about the climate-justice movement, treehouses, activism and, among others, the Hambach Forest [1:39:16]