BEYOND NOW: Between Firs and Fiction – Shaping the Thuringian Forest in the Face of Change
The Thuringian Forest is a myth, habitat, recreational area, and economic factor – but how much of it is left in times of climate crisis, urbanisation, and demographic change? What kind of future can be developed in this symbolic landscape in the former Green Heart of Germany? The »Landscape in the Anthropocene: Thuringian Forest - Between Imagination, Resources, and Reality« project is seeking to answer these questions, specifically in the Masserberg region.
The idea was conceived last year. »For months we have been working intensively on the Thuringian Forest. Once our architecture and urbanism students developed critical and reflective designs, we asked ourselves: What contribution are we, as instructors making? How can we take these ideas and approaches from the project forward?« says Prof. Sigrun Langner from the Professorship of Landscape Architecture and Planning.
The project is based on a close exchange with various local partners, including the Bündnis HolzRegio21, municipalities, initiatives, and public services representatives. Various perspectives on the landscape are reflected in the students' designs: One of the teams is transforming a vacant mill into a meeting space. Another is looking at the design process that accompanies shrinking villages and critically examining their own role as architects. Other projects range from a seed library to founding an energy co-operative. Each of these approaches show the potential of sustainable, productive, and resilient landscape design.
The project participants, a five-person interdisciplinary team of architects, landscape architects, and an art historian, see themselves as part of an ongoing dialogue. »The Thuringian Forest mirrors our cultural and ecological negotiations; it’s a space where shrinking habitats, destroyed ecosystems, and societal expectations collide. We see it as a projection surface for new human-environment relationships. We need narratives for the future that go off the beaten path – reforestation alone is not enough«, continues Prof. Langner.
The project is closely related to »PostCompost, Forest Reset« in terms of its content. While the focus there is on the artistic examination of the forest’s transformation, this project focusses on planning and design approaches, supplemented by cultural science reflections. »It’s exciting to see the imaginative spaces that the forest opens up in the anthropocene; in other words, in the age in which humans have become the dominant influencing factor. The discussions with students have been very stimulating«, says Prof. Jan von Breven from the Professorship of Art and Cultural History.
The general public will also be involved at the end of August: The results will be presented to the public as part of the »Baukulturfestivals « at the Eiermannbau in Apolda. The goal is to encourage a lively exchange between the university, the region, and society, and to contribute to actively shaping the landscape of tomorrow. The »Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen« is a cooperation partner.
The project is funded by the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar as part of the »Beyond Now –Environment« annual theme.
The project is an expansion of the »Räume in Transformation Thüringen« research project at the Institute for European Urban Studies, which developed strategies for socio-ecological future spaces in the 2024/2025 winter semester.
Project Participants:
Professorship of Landscape Architecture and Planning: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sigrun Langner, Dr. Mara Trübenbach, Jannik Petry and Elisabeth Peters;
Professorship of Art and Cultural History: Prof. Dr. Jan von Brevern
Text: Gabriela Oroz
Photos: Julian Linden
Social Media: Marit Haferkamp
Signet: Romi Klockau
Concept and Editorial: Claudia Weinreich