Hambach Forest, Ancient forest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Hambach Forest is a woodland area in the Rhineland lignite mining region, in the northwestern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, spanning parts of Düren and Rhein-Erft districts. The remaining sections of woodland host more than 140 species of conservation interest, including rare Bechstein's bats and several migratory bird species that nest or rest here.
The mining company RWE AG bought the land during the 1960s and received permission to clear woodland in the 1970s, intending to extract lignite through open-pit mining. A large portion of the original forest has since been removed, while the remaining sections remain under pressure from mining interests.
Tree platforms and small wooden structures remain scattered among the trunks, left behind by activists who moved into the woodland after 2015 to raise awareness about forest protection. Visitors walking through can still spot these remnants, which have turned the site into a symbol of resistance against industrial land clearing.
The site can be entered on foot, though some sections are blocked off by fences or structures left over from earlier protest camps. It is best to stay on open paths and watch for signs that warn of hazards or restricted areas.
A ruling by a court in Cologne established in 2021 that the police clearance of protest camps in 2018 had been unlawful, because officials wrongly cited fire safety regulations as grounds. This decision sparked renewed debate about the limits of state intervention in environmental protest movements.
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