Press Release from 09/14/2009

IBA in discussion with the world at the pit edge

The International Building Exhibition opens its doors on 15 September for the start of its conference "Opportunity: Post-Mining Landscape", with 200 experts from 25 countries expected at the IBA Terraces

Großräschen. The International Building Exhibition (IBA) Fürst-Pückler-Land will host its conference "Opportunity: Post-Mining Landscape" at the edge of the former open-cast mine overlooking the emerging Lake Ilse, looking out from Lusatia to mining regions in various parts of the world. Scheduled to run from 15 to 17 September 2009 under the aegis of the Federal Minister of Building, Wolfgang Tiefensee, it will offer a platform for interdisciplinary exchange on problems and areas of potential in the development of post-mining landscapes. The IBA is expecting 200 delegates from 25 countries. Central themes include the management of the transformation process, the renewal and redevelopment of the landscape, and the identity of the regions caught up in a state of flux. Based on the experience of the IBA and its partners, the "10 Theses on the Management of Post-Mining Landscapes" will form the starting point for a common understanding of the general principles and for a discussion on the possibility of introducing a "Lusatian Charter".

"Not only is this conference set to be the highlight of the year for the IBA but it also marks the conclusion of its project and research work before its grand finale next year", said IBA Director Prof. Dr. Rolf Kuhn. "It is great to see so many international experts meeting on the IBA Terraces, discussing the opportunities of landscapes in need of fundamental redevelopment, presenting ideas, sharing best practice, and making recommendations for dealing with these 'landscape building sites'", added Kuhn. Großräschen will welcome experts working in a range of disciplines, from mining engineers, regional developers and landscape architects right through to sociologists, politicians and scientists. Notification of attendance has been received from speakers from various mining regions all over the world, from such countries as China, South Africa, Chile, the USA, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Portugal, France and Great Britain.

The main theme for the first day of the conference will be "Regions in flux" and there will be a general introduction to the problems, areas of potential and strategies in dealing with the legacy of pollution from mining, rehabilitating industrial landscapes and capitalising on their natural resources. On the agenda for day two are colloquia entitled "Strategies and instruments", "Transformation of identity" and "New land uses", all of which will have an international focus while making specific reference to Lusatia. These will be followed by an excursion to "Lusatia: New Frontiers" lasting several hours and illustrating the transformation of the landscape and the creative reutilisation of objects of historic interest from the industrial past. Stops include the Welzow-Süd working open-cast mine, the emerging Welzow energy landscape, the Lusatian Lakeland, the F60 visitor mine and the Lauchhammer bio-towers. All the threads will be brought together on the third day in a final panel discussion, including the "10 Theses on the Management of Post-Mining Landscapes", which will be a recurrent theme throughout the conference gathering input and comments from delegates. They are based on the worldwide commitment to sustainable development which is aimed at creating a multifaceted, multifunctional post-mining landscape and forms the prerequisite for new business and industry and for the future prospects of a region. The conference will end with a keynote lecture entitled "Prospects for 2050" from Prof. Dr. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker and a look ahead to IBA Lusatia 2010 with Prof. Dr. Rolf Kuhn.

A Jovis Verlag publication on the conference will be available in April 2010 to coincide with the start of the IBA finale.

The conference is being held in the context of the Central Europe Programme and the 7th Framework Programme for Research of the EU projects "ReSOURCE" and "RenERg". In addition to funding from IBA shareholders and the Federal State of Brandenburg, the conference is also receiving generous support from the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, Vattenfall Europe Mining AG, the Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft, the Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Bau und Stadtentwicklung, and the Bund Deutscher Landschaftsarchitekten.