Futures Dialogue 2024 "History, culture and sustainable development of mining and other cultural landscapes"

28.11.2024, 6.00 pm (evening lecture) & 29.11.2024, 8.30 am  - 4.30 pm (workshop)

Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum

Programm (PDF in German)

The availability and use of mineral resources and the transition to renewable resources are shaping the debates on sustainability developments in politics, business and science. Using the example of the complex intertwining of ecological, economic and social transformations in (former) mining landscapes in Germany, the Futures Dialogue addresses the relevance of history, art and culture in the context of sustainability strategies and developments. This socio-cultural perspective views mining and other cultural landscapes as places of transformation and aims to create an inclusive understanding of sustainable development that takes into account the diverse legacies and requirements of these landscapes in the past, present and future.

Central topics of discussion are the long-term environmental impact of industrial activities and the problems of redevelopment or conversion projects against the background of nature conservation and monument protection. In addition, the role of historical research and cultural contributions in the design of sustainable development strategies in post-mining landscapes and other cultural landscapes will be examined. The focus is on the following key questions: How can integrative approaches be developed that bring the ecological, economic, social and cultural dimensions of sustainability into dialog with each other? What potential and what influence do history, art and culture have on debates about sustainable development at former industrial and mining sites?