Abandoned train stations: Shaping the future of the homeland in Lusatia!

Abandoned train stations: Shaping the future of the homeland in Lusatia!

The structural change in Lusatia, a region characterized by the decline of the coal industry, represents not only challenges but also opportunities for cultural and social developments. As the scientists at Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg explain, old train stations, with their often empty spaces, offer potential for creating new meeting places and cultural repositories. Claudia Arndt, one of the research assistants at the BTU, emphasizes that abandoned train stations play a special role, especially in Lusatia, which is heavily affected by structural change.

As part of the “AlterPerimentale” project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the focus is on the topic of “shaping a home”. The aim is to bring different people into conversation with each other and to understand home as a social process that requires dialogue, responsibility and diversity. In order to promote this dialogue, an excursion entitled “Old places, new (T)spaces – train stations as places of the future” will take place on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

Excursion to historic train stations

This excursion starts at the Spreewaldbahnhof Cottbus (tunnel) and leads to Neupetershain station. Participants can expect a program that includes both scientific and practical elements. A keynote speech by Dr. Lars Scharnholz on the topic of “Train stations as places of the future” will kick things off. The train then takes you to Neupetershain, where the group arrives at the “meadow for everyone” in the “Ruinenviertel Bahnhof Neupetershain – Nowe Wiki” project.

During the excursion, discussions will be held about regional development and possible ideas for train stations in the communities of Welzow, Neupetershain and Drebkau. The citizen energy project “Mach ma’ Watt” will also be presented. The excursion not only offers space for exchange and discussion, but also for cultural contributions by Lausitziade gGmbH. Registration for the excursion is required, although travel costs will not be reimbursed.

Hidden treasures and lost places

The discussion about old train stations generally sparks interest in so-called “lost places”, places that are often not demolished for cost reasons and offer an insight into the past. Loud Alexander Wallasch Deutsche Bahn has now become active and is advertising travel offers to various of these abandoned places. These include, among other things, the old listening station on the Teufelsberg in Berlin and the Beelitz sanatoriums.

The example of the former grand hotel “Waldlust” in the Black Forest illustrates the ambivalence of these “lost places”. Here a reporter stops early because he feels uncomfortable. The skeptical voices from social media question the accessibility of these places and the advertising claims of Deutsche Bahn. Many of these abandoned places are characterized by disrepair and therefore offer both historical insights and challenges.

Structural change and Lusatia

The term “structural change” describes profound changes in social, economic and administrative processes that have been observed in Lusatia since the fall of 1989/90. The withdrawal from the coal industry is particularly noticeable here, with over 90% of the workforce losing their jobs. The aim of phasing out coal by 2038 at the latest shows the need for a fundamental transformation.

The region will receive extensive structural aid of around 17 billion euros over the next two decades. These funds not only serve to combat the economic consequences of structural change, but also to establish scientific institutions and expand the infrastructure. Political actors are required to develop resilient visions and governance structures in order to shape sustainable change.

The challenges are complex and concern social, demographic and infrastructural erosion of rural areas. Greater citizen participation and co-determination are seen as necessary steps in order to successfully shape structural change. A sustainable orientation plays a central role in long-term success and therefore also offers prospects for the further development of the region.