Scientists explore Weißwasser's industrial future and past

Scientists explore Weißwasser's industrial future and past

in Weißwasser, a city that once shone in the gloss of the glass industry, there is currently an exciting research project. Scientists from the University of Greifswald have started the journey to explore the past and future of this area. As part of the “Voices from the Periphery” project, it is to be examined what separates and connects this region from similar cities in Great Britain. The focus is particularly on industrial history and life stories of the residents.

The project manager Dr. Andy bikes, research assistant at the Institute for Political and Communication Science, leads the talks with the citizens in Weißwasser. A “narrative café” will be held next Wednesday, which gives the residents the opportunity to share their memories and impressions of the change of the city. Before 1970, people born who witnessed the developments in Weißwasser before and after the turn are. The first talks already show that despite the industrial decline, citizens can tell positive things from their time. The demographic change, on the other hand, cannot be overlooked: the city has lost over 20,000 inhabitants since the fall of the wall and today only houses around 15,000 people.

the industrial past

The choice of white water as a research location is no coincidence. In the 19th century, the city was a pulsating center of the European glass industry. Over 75% of the residents earned their livelihood in the glass industry. Even today, the historical importance of the glass in the region is recognized, including in the Glass Museum of Weißwasser, the economic and social-historical and art-historical aspects.

The design and processing of glass have experienced a significant change through the industrial revolution. Innovators such as Otto Schott and Ernst Abbe laid the foundation for modern glass technology in Jena, and Friedrich Siemens invented the tub oven, which enabled continuous production. The Muskau folding sheet proved to be an ideal location thanks to the geological conditions that enabled the reduction of raw materials such as lignite and quartz sand. At the beginning of the 20th century there were eleven glassworks and up to 47 others in the area, which further inspired the economic upswing.

A look into the future

The long -term goal of the research project, which started in 2022 and is to be completed by 2027, is to use the consultations and interviews with the residents in order to jointly develop a better understanding of the city's identity. After the talks with the citizens, individual interviews and a media analysis should follow. The German Research Foundation (DFG) and various British institutions support the project. At the moment, the project group has already completed talks in Lauchhammer and has progressed in half in Eisenhüttenstadt, now Weißwasser is on the program.

The challenges should not be underestimated. The decline in the once flowering nuclear industry demands new ideas and alternatives to make the city future -proof. The stories of the residents could help find a way to the future that the city absolutely needs.

As the review of the glorious industrial history of Weißwasser shows, the commitment to your own past and the exchange among citizens could be the key in order to successfully master upcoming challenges. It remains exciting to see which knowledge from the project "Voices from the periphery" will emerge.

For more information about the Glasstadt Weißwasser and your history, visit the Glass Museum Weißwasser or explore the large number of publications on the glass industry that deal with this important era. Information about this is available at sächsische.de, saxorum, and iku-sachsen.