HOTSPOT
Anti-coal protest symbol Hambach Forest
Buirer Heide
50170
Kerpen, North-Rhine Westphalia
Germany
The Hambach mine, the largest lignite mine in Germany, has been the subject of decades of protests. Since 2012, protesters have occupied parts of the Hambacher Forst, a 1,200 hectar-wide forest that has largely fallen victim to the expanding lignite mine. Parallel to the occupation, sit-ins and protest rallies, environmental organisations have also taken the issue to the courts. In October 2018, the High Administrative Court in Münster ordered a provisional stop of the clearing of the forest.
- Further reading: CLEW factsheets on Germany’s three lignite mining regions and on Germany’s coal exit commission.
- CLEW research tour: Germany’s historic coal year 2018
- Date of publication: June 2018