Resettling Villages

The authors examine the experiences of villagers near the Garzweiler mine in the Rhineland, where lignite extraction continues to displace communities. They argue that the resettlement process is characterized by procedural injustice, as German federal mining law prioritizes resource extraction over residents' interests. The document highlights the failure of the 'joint resettlement' model to address non-material losses, such as the loss of 'Heimat' (homeland) and the erosion of social structures. It further links these local struggles to Germany's broader failure to accelerate its energy transition (Energiewende), noting that the country remains Europe's largest carbon emitter. The text describes the emergence of activist movements like Alle Dörfer Bleiben and Ende Gelände as responses to political inaction and the perceived entanglement between the government and the mining industry.

• German federal mining law creates a systemic imbalance by prioritizing the extraction of raw materials over the interests and property rights of local villagers, leaving residents with no legal choice but to resettle.
• Lignite mining in the Rhineland has had a massive historical impact on land and population, resulting in the destruction of approximately 130 villages and the displacement of more than 40,000 people since 1950.
• Germany is identified as the largest carbon emitter in Europe; in 2016, it was responsible for 38% of EU carbon emissions, with nearly half of that amount originating from the Rhenish lignite area.
• The 'joint resettlement' strategy, promoted by the government and mining companies as a best practice, fails to prevent the deterioration of social relations and the emergence of deep divides between neighbors and families.
• Standardized monetary compensation offered by mining companies is insufficient because it cannot account for non-material, emotional, and irreparable losses, such as the loss of ancestral homelands.
• The 2019 Coal Commission's recommendations and the subsequent 2020 legislative draft, which moved the coal phase-out date to 2038, are criticized for deprioritizing villagers and failing to halt the resettlement of villages near the Garzweiler mine.
• Political disenchantment among affected residents has led to the creation of grassroots movements, such as Alle Dörfer Bleiben, which fight both for the preservation of homes and for a more ambitious national energy transition.

APA

Castro, P., & Porada, H. (2020). Resettling Villages. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/resettling-villages/

Chicago

Castro, Paula, and Hannah Porada. Resettling Villages. Green European Journal, 2020. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/resettling-villages/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Castro |first1=Paula |last2=Porada |first2=Hannah |title=Resettling Villages |publisher=Green European Journal |date=11 March 2020 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/resettling-villages/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{castro2020resettling, author = {Castro, Paula and Porada, Hannah}, title = {{Resettling Villages}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/resettling-villages/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }